VSG Before and After. Getting to Maintenance after losing 200 pounds.

I can’t tell you how many times, I plan on blogging, and don’t. So, I’m sorry. But anyway, you all want an update! On May 19th, I hit my goal of 154.9. (Goal was 155). My last recorded weight was 152.5 on Saturday. Total loss: 194 pounds in 62 weeks.

Can you believe it? The first time EVER in my life to actually make a goal. It’s pretty surreal to be honest. I found myself talking out loud driving the other day. This was right after my dad kissed me, said I look so small and said my mom would be so proud.

You did it. After all this time, you did it. Since you were 11 years old, you have been reaching for this goal and it never came. Do people know what this is for you?! 

I think about my mom. She was with me during every diet. She would be so thrilled for me! Basically I feel amazing. I can walk into any store and shop. Size 10 pants, Size medium shirts. Like OMG – Really?! My shoe size is still a 10. :)

I actually jumped up and down on Saturday when I showed marc the above outfit. He said, you look cute! I jumped up and down and said, I look cute, I look cute! I really felt it! I hate uncomfortable clothes. Before surgery, I just wanted to look stylish and cute in jeans and casual clothes.

Maintenance really hasn’t changed my food (yet). I actually am not sure it will change that much. Been doing some research and I know that regain is so very possible. I HAVE to be on my game 100%. I am a recovering binge eater, recovering morbidly obese person. I have a food addiction. Should I really play around with a few of this, and a few of that? Just because I have hit a number, doesn’t mean everything needs to change. Granted, I need to make sure I stop losing by increasing my calories with healthy food.

Here’s a sample of a typical day for me:

I LOVE my oikos cherry yogurt and skinny Starbucks latte’s! Those are my treats. I’ve binged a few times. I have found myself mindlessly eating while bored at work. It happens, still will happen. I have to stay on myself to make sure I’m not a statistic of regain. I will hate myself, and feel so depressed. I don’t want to feel like that.

It will never end! LOL Hopefully it gets easier. Right now, I don’t feel like I am missing out. I hope it stays that way.

Loose skin is a bit of an issue for me, but not too much. Upper thighs, upper arms, tummy and back. Don’t feel comfortable wearing sleeveless or much above the knee, or anything that clings in the stomach, or creates muffin top. I just dress for my shape i guess to hide what I don’t like. This dress is cute, but I would wear a sweater and I’m really not a skirt girl. I still feel self conscious, but when I’m out shopping, I LOVE trying on clothes I wouldn’t really buy just to see how it looks. :)

Had my 1 year blood work done. Everything is good. I have to work on taking my calcium and daily vitamin. I also offered to speak at one of our community surgery meetings. I’m not sure what I have to share, but I would like to share with people my story.

AND you all want to see a pic of Gunther, right?!

Thanks for coming back and reading and all your support and kind comments!

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Ask the Diet Doctor: The Pros & Cons of Fasting for Weight Loss

Fasting for weight loss seems to be one of the hottest diet trends right now. But despite its current popularity, fasting has been used for thousands of years for various purposes. (It can even boost your memory, according to Intermittent Fasting: Not Just for Weight Loss?.) Because of its popularity with celebrities, people have come to believe that intermittent fasting for weight loss has an advantage over traditional diet and exercise approaches. It doesn’t. While it can be a safe weight loss strategy (if done correctly!), it doesn't actually yield better results than other fat loss methods.

Today, there are a variety of ways that people use intermittent fasting for weight loss. Here are two of the most popular approaches.

24-hour Fasts: This protocol popularized by Brad Pilon in his book Eat, Stop, Eat. (He really introduced me to the science behind intermittent fasting for weight loss). Brad’s approach is very simple—just don’t eat for two non-consecutive 24-hour periods each week.

16/8: This fasting protocol requires you to shorten your ‘eating window’ each day so that you are fasting for 16 hours and eating for eight hours. For many people, this means that breakfaststarts at noon or 1 p.m., then they stop eating at 8 or 9 p.m. each day.

Regardless of which protocol you choose, there are three universal components to weight loss that people often overlook when they turn to fasting as a weight loss strategy. Here's how they could impact your success with intermittent fasting for fat loss:

You need to maintain a calorie deficit: At its most basic level, intermittent fasting requires prolonged periods of no eating so that when you are eating, you can eat normally and not worry about eating less to create a caloric deficit. Here's a practical example:

Traditional dieting approach: You burn 1750 calories per day, so you eat 1250 calories per day to create a 500/day calorie deficit. Over the course of the week, you will have a total caloric deficit of 3500 calories, which yields approximately 1 pound of weight loss per week.

Intermittent Fasting Approach: You burn 1750 calories per day and, instead of eating less each day, you opt to fast for two non-consecutive 24-hour periods during the week. The rest of the week, you eat as much as your body needs (1750 calories/day). This creates a weekly calorie deficit of 3500 calories, which yields approximately 1 pound of weight loss per week.

You need to exhibit self-control: Self-control is a must during periods of fasting and not fasting. Calorically rewarding yourself for a successful fast counteracts what you are trying to accomplish. Pilon advises, “When you finish your fast, you need to pretend that your fast never happened. No compensation, no reward, no special way of eating, no special shakes, drinks or pills.” This is harder than it sounds, but crucial to your fasting for weight loss success. Fasting for several hours does not give you permission to eat whatever you want in whatever quantities that you want.

You need to be consistent: Consistency is the trump card for long-term weight loss success. You can’t fast for a couple days, then switch to a low carb diet for a week, then go back to fasting or a high carb approach. The people that I have have the most success with fasting for weight loss adopt it as a long-term approach to losing and maintaining their weight—not a quick fix to drop weight fast. The more consistently that you fast (not the duration of the actual fast, but the days, weeks, months that you employ intermittent fasting), the more benefits you will reap. As time goes on, your body will have the time to ramp up the right enzymes and pathways to maximize fat burning during your fasted state. (Rake note of The 10 Most Misunderstood Diet and Fitness Strategies.)

So, should you fast?
Fasting for weight loss works, but so do a lot of other approaches. No dietary approach is magic. Some research suggests that a very low carbohydrate diet yields the exact same benefits of fasting—without requiring you to stop eating. If you have find yourself overeating after a fast or if you get shaky and light-headed while fasting (signs of hypoglycemia), fasting probably isn’t a good approach for you. Know your body and select the appropriate diet plan accordingly.

Source:

http://www.shape.com/weight-loss/weight-loss-strategies/ask-diet-doctor-pros-cons-fasting-weight-loss

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20 Foods You Should Always Have in Your Kitchen

Healthy pantry staples

A well-stocked kitchen allows you to throw together a fast, flavorful meal after a long day. And, when you wake up and have to dash out the door for work, it pays to have grab-and-go breakfast andsnack options on hand. We tapped registered dietitians, personal chefs, and bloggers for their must-have foods to always keep in their kitchens. (And yes, they're all good for you, too.) Some you probably already have, while others you'll want to add to your list.

Next: Extra-virgin olive oil 

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6 Proven Ways to Lose Belly Fat (No. 2 and 3 are Best)

Overweight does not necessarily equal unhealthy.

There are actually plenty of overweight people who are in excellent health (1).

Conversely, many normal weight people have the metabolic problems associated with obesity (2).

That’s because the fat under the skin is actually notthat big of a problem (at least not from a health standpoint… it’s more of a cosmetic problem).

It’s the fat in the abdominal cavity, the belly fat, that causes the biggest issues (3).

If you have a lot of excess fat around your waistline, even if you’re not very heavy, then you should take some steps to get rid of it.

Belly fat is usually estimated by measuring the circumference around your waist. This can easily be done at home with a simple tape measure.

Anything above 40 inches (102 cm) in men and 35 inches (88 cm) in women, is known as abdominal obesity.

There are actually a few proven strategies that have been shown to target the fat in the belly area more than other areas of the body.

Here are 6 evidence-based ways to lose belly fat.

1. Don’t Eat Sugar… and Avoid Sugar-Sweetened Beverages Like The Plague

Soda Bottles

Added sugar is extremely unhealthy.

Studies show that it has uniquely harmful effects on metabolic health (4).

Sugar is half glucose, half fructose… and fructose can only be metabolized by the liver in any significant amount (5).

When you eat a lot of refined sugar, the liver gets flooded with fructose, and is forced to turn it all into fat (6).

Numerous studies have shown that excess sugar, mostly due to the large amounts of fructose, can lead to increased accumulation of fat in the belly (7).

Some believe that this is the primary mechanism behind sugar’s harmful effects on health… it increases belly fat and liver fat, which leads to insulin resistance and a host of metabolic problems (8).

Liquid sugar is even worse in this regard. Liquid calories don’t get “registered” by the brain in the same way as solid calories, so when you drink sugar-sweetened beverages, you end up eating more total calories (9, 10).

Studies show that sugar-sweetened beverages are linked to a 60% increased risk of obesity in children… per each daily serving (11).

Make a decision to minimize the amount of sugar in your diet, and consider completely eliminating sugary drinks.

This includes sugar-sweetened beverages, fruit juices, various sports drinks, as well as coffees and teas with sugar added to them.

Keep in mind that none of this applies to whole fruit, which are extremely healthy and have plenty of fiber that mitigates the negative effects of fructose.

The amount of fructose you get from fruit is negligible compared to what you get from a diet high in refined sugar.

Btw… if you want to cut back on refined sugar, then you must start reading labels. Even foods marketed as health foods can contain huge amounts of sugar.

Bottom Line: Excess sugar consumption may be the primary driver of belly fat accumulation, especially sugary beverages like soft drinks and fruit juices.

Read More : http://authoritynutrition.com/6-proven-ways-to-lose-belly-fat/

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How to Lose Your Belly Fat Quickly and Naturally

One of the biggest questions I get is “how do I lose my belly fat? I’ve tried several things but nothing worked”. When I ask what you tried I hear 100 daily sit-ups, cutting calories drastically, excess cardio, fat burners, etc. If you can’t lose your belly fat, you’re using the wrong approach. You don’t need endless sit-ups, supplements, starving yourself or worse surgery. Here are the 10 best ways to lose your belly fat – quickly and naturally.

 1. Stop Doing Crunches. Crunches will strengthen your stomach muscles, but won’t burn the belly fat that covers your abs. Spot reduction is a myth. You’re wasting time & effort doing 200 daily crunches. Crunches can also cause lower back pain, slouching shoulders & forward head posture. The Reverse Crunch doesn’t cause these problems, but again: spot reduction is a myth. To lose your belly fat, you need more. Keep reading.

 2. Get Stronger. Strength training builds muscle mass, prevents muscle loss and helps fat loss. The Squat & Deadlift work best to build strength. Your lower back keeps you upright from the back. Your abs from the front. Both muscles will work hard during heavy Squats & Deadlifts at keeping you from collapsing under the weight. Squats & Deadlifts allow you to stress your body with heavy weights, working all your muscles from head to toe. This helps getting stronger quickly and building muscle fast, including ab muscles. Spot reduction still doesn’t exist, so Squats & Deadlifts won’t burn your belly fat directly. However they’ll strengthen your abs and lower your waist size. If you never did both exercises, check StrongLifts 5×5. Only takes 3x45mins/week. 

3. Eat Healthy. As the saying goes “abs are built in the kitchen”. You can train hard & build muscular abs, but if you eat junk food all day, you won’t lose your belly fat. Stop eating processed food. Eat whole, unprocessed foods. Proteins. Meat, poultry, fish, whey, eggs, cottage cheese, … Veggies. Spinach, broccoli, salad, kale, cabbage, … Fruits. Banana, orange, apple, pineapple, pears, … Fats. Olive oil, fish oil, real butter, nuts, flax seeds, … Carbs. Brown rice, oats, whole grain pasta, quinoa, … No need to be perfect. Eating junk food actually helps fat loss by keeping your hormones sharp. Don’t overdo it though. Eat junk food 10% of the time max. That’s 4 junk meals/week if you eat 6 meals/day.

 4. Limit Alcohol Consumption. To lose your belly fat, what you drink is as important as what you eat. Alcohol from time to time is OK. But forget about losing your belly fat if you drink beer & sweet alcohols daily. Beer drinkers always have a pear shape: belly fat & man boobs – especially as they get older. Alcohol also stresses your liver which has to overwork to clear the toxins. This can get in the way of building muscles. Drink alcohol 10% of the time. Example Friday & Saturday night. Normal alcohol consumption, not the get drunk. Rest of the time: water, water with squeezed lemon, green tea, etc. Either that or forget about losing your belly fat.

 5. Eat Less Carbs. You need carbs for energy. Problem is that most people eat way more carbs than they need. Your body will stock the carbs it doesn’t need as fat. And this is often how you get belly fat. Unless you’re a skinny guy who needs to gain weight, lower your carb intake. Keep eating fruits & veggies with each meal. But cut back on potatoes, pasta, rice, breads, … Eat these post workout only. 

6. Eat More. Eating tons of healthy foods won’t make you fat. Especially not if you exercise 2-3x/week. Starving yourself is the number 1 nutritional mistakes. Healthy nutrition is important for 3 reasons: Energy. Food is energy. Your body uses food for weight lifting, working, digestion, etc. Lack of food means lack of energy, in all areas of life. Fat Loss. Eating the right foods helps fat loss: protein has the highest thermic effect and satiates, healthy fats promote fat loss, … Maintain Muscle. If you starve yourself, your body will burn muscle for energy – NOT fat. You’ll become skinny + fat. Hunger means you’re not eating enough. Don’t worry about calories. Just eat breakfast and eat every 3 hours from there on, including post workout. Eat healthy foods 90% of the time to lose your belly fat fast.

 7. Eat More Protein. Protein has a higher thermic effect than other foods: your body burns more energy processing proteins than it does processing carbs and fat. That’s why high protein diets work great at burning your belly fat. How much protein do you need daily? Do like I do: eat whole protein with each meal without worrying about the numbers. Check the 10 cheapest sources of protein to keep it budget-friendly. 

8. Eat More Fat. Fat doesn’t make you fat. Bad nutrition and lack of exercise do. Eating fat actually helps fat loss. Your body won’t stock fat as easily if your give it a constant intake of healthy fats. Fish oil is the best source of fat to lose your belly fat. Fish oil naturally increases testosterone levels and increases fat loss. 6g omega-3 per day is a good start. Check Carlson Fish Oil: 1600mg omega-3 per tbsp. Stay away from trans-fatty fats present in products like margarine. Trans-fatty fats are bad for your health. Eat whole unprocessed foods 90% of the time as I recommend in point 3 and you’ll avoid trans-fatty fats easily.

 9. Lower Your Body Fat. As a man, your belly is the last place where you’ll get rid of fat. If you have man boobs and a double chin, you’ll have to lower your body fat to lose your belly fat. Here’s how: Get Stronger. Strength training builds & maintains muscle, increases fat loss, helps sticking to diet, … Check StrongLifts 5×5 if you don’t know where to start: it only takes 3x45mins/week. Eat Healthier. Apply the 8 nutrition rules. Eat breakfast. Eat every 3 hours. Proteins, veggies & fruits with each meal. Carbs post workout only. 2 cups of water with each meal. Whole foods 90% of the time. Add Cardio. 15mins post workout, build up to 3x45mins/week. If you have less than 15% body fat, just get stronger and eat healthier. That will lower your body fat and make you lose your belly fat. Check the fat loss guide for more info about how to lower your body fat.

10. Stay Motivated. Looking at your belly or in the mirror gives you inaccurate feedback. What you see is influenced by food intake, water retention, light and your own perception. Self-image issues can make the last one tricky. 

Measure Body Fat: Every 2 weeks using a fat caliper. It doesn’t need to be accurate. What matters is that the trend goes down.

 Measure Your Waist. Also every 2 weeks. If you get stronger and eat healthy, your waist will go down fast. Your pants will start to feel loose.

 Take Pictures. Shoot pictures of yourself every 2 weeks: front, back & side. The side pictures will show the most change. 

Success breeds success. Track progress accurately so you know where you are and stay motivated to keep working at losing your belly fat. Don’t just read this post and go back to what you were doing. Take action. Lose your belly fat.

 SOURCE: http://stronglifts.com/how-to-lose-belly-fat-fast-naturally/

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