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weight loss

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Just what we need to brighten up a chilly October evening: a reality TV star in a tiny bikini showing off all sorts of abs.

Step forward former Geordie Shore cast member Ms Vicky Pattison – who is certainly beach-ready.

The 27-year-old took to Instagram to share a snap of her in red swimwear – with the image quickly notching up close-to 40,000 likes from her fans.

"I wish I was built that way!" said one fan, with others declaring, "you look amazing!!!" and "you looking hot."

However, just last month Vicky admitted that her incredible body transformation came at the expense of her well-being.

In recent years she has dropped down from 12st to 9st – but she admits that she's also became "obsessed" with weight loss.

"I got to the point where I was even counting how many blueberries I ate for breakfast," she told Mirror Online. "I got to the point where I looked quite ill when I was at my lowest."

After hitting a low-weight of 8st 4lbs, Ms Pattison decided that enough was enough: "Now, I'm a firm believer in everything in moderation," she added. "Life is for living."

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At this point everyone has heard that introducing some cardio exercises to your fitness routine has plenty of benefits.

However, we have also heard that it is not the only way to kick start a weight-loss programme. In fact, many in the fitness industry are encouraging us to step away from the treadmill. 

Including cardio in your routine increases heart health and helps to burn fat, but it might not be setting our metabolisms alight as we had hoped.

Too much cardio can raise your stress levels, and when your cortisol hormone levels are high, you won’t be able to lose the weight you want to. 

Cadence Dubus, a NYC based personal trainer to celebs like the cast Girls explains:

"If you look at the New York Marathon, the majority of the people jogging by are chubby, and most of them have probably been logging 12, 15, or 20 miles a week."

This can be attribute to how the calories you burn increase as you move from a resting level of metabolism to an exercising rate of metabolism. So, going from a steady walk to a run for example.  

Brooklyn Strength

This type of exercise can boost your metabolism for hours even after you have stopped exercising.

So, if you’re spending hours and hours a week on the treadmill sweating it out at a steady jog, then your metabolism will also stay at a steady rate.

Incorporating sprint intervals into your cardio routine can help avoid this. 

Strength training is also recommended. Cadence adds that if you are exercising with body fat in mind, to remember that "building muscle is where you burn calories," says Dubus.

So if you’re looking for a more ‘toned’ physique, your treadmill addiction is probably not helping. 

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The calorie counting debate has been raging for quite some time now.

It can be confusing and often trying to Google your way to new information can leave you in more of a heap than anything else.  If we eat the cheesecake, can we eat anything else all day? How does one calculate calories correctly? What the hell is #IIFYM anyway?​​

We have a lot of questions.

So, in an effort to help people discover that calorie counting can be done effectively and without making you hate everything and celery, five editors spent a week counting their calories. 

This is what they learned:

Not everyone should even count calories:

Buzzfeed Health editors consulted the creator of the 30 Days to Body Love programme. She advised that not everyone should count calories.

If: you have a history of disordered eating, or attaching your own self-worth or confidence to your eating habits, or consider restricting yourself to an exact number of calories as “punishment” for eating too much, or are prone to becoming obsessive about aspects of your life, you probably shouldn't be counting calories.

Not all calories are created equally:

Calorie counting puts emphasis on numbers as opposed to nutrients. So while something may be low in calories, it may not actually have anything nutritious in there. 

There's an app for everything:

There are a number of calorie counting apps out there so do some research and find out which one will best suit your goals. Otherwise you may be inclined to forget to record certain meals.

Record calories after you eat:

Certainly not during your meal, and definitely not before you tuck in. Counting calories before you eat can make some people feel guilty about the amount they consume, which is not good. Instead, snap a photo before you eat to use as a reference when you record your calories later. 

If you want to do this effectively, you have to be accountable: 

Honesty is truly the best policy. If you're frustrating because you don't see any results, it could have something to do with the cheeseburger and milkshake you ate yesterday but logged in your app as an apple. 

Counting calories alone may not actually help you lose weight: 

Yes, if you want to lose weight you need to burn more calories than you consume, so counting calories is a good place to start. However, there are lots of other things that can slow down you metabolism such as stress, your sleeping patterns, etc. So, keep that in mind before embarking on a calorie counting journey.

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There are those of us who can think if nothing better to do than don a tiny pair of running shorts and hit the spinning class the second their work day ends. Then there are also those of us who see the shorter evenings as an excuse to catch up on our TV shows and enjoy warm snacks.

If you are one of those people who doesn’t particularly love the thought of the gym after a long day (or before one, early morning gym people can be the worst), then we have good news.

You can still get fit and healthy, and you don’t need a gym membership.

Go for a bike ride:

It doesn’t have to be incredibly strenuous, Also, you’re probably less inclined to notice you’re doing so much physical activity when if you pick a scenic route.

Take the stairs:

If you’re at work or just out and about, make the effort to take the stairs and not an elevator. You’ll burn more calories, and possibly save some time if you work in a busy office building.

Park further away:

It seem like a nuisance, but if you’re going to be desk-bound all day there’s no harm in spending an extra minute or two walking from the car park.

Laugh more:

This is probably our favourite study that we’ve come across yet. While research maintains that you can’t eat fast-food every day and expect to have rock hard abs after a few giggles, they do say "every calorie counts". Laughing raises your energy expenditure and increases your heart rate from 10 to 20 per cent.

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Do you ever  have those days when you are so hungry, you could eat everything in the fridge?

When nothing seems to keep you full, or satisfied you can quickly find yourself developing a dreaded 'hangry' tantrum.  It could be because you aren't eating the right types of food during the day.

According to Australian fitness guru Kayla Itsines instead of reaching straight for the junk food to cure your grumbling tummy, we should try these 5 foods that are known to keep you feeling full for longer! 

 

Berries

Strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, raspberries – any will do the job! They contain belly-filling fibre, are low in calories and they contain phytonutrients that increase fat metabolism. 

Minestrone Soup

The broth fills your stomach with lots of liquid while the vegetables fill your stomach with fibre which slows digestion so you won't feel hungry straight after. If you can find or make one with beans in it – even better! Kayla notes to stay away from the soups with white pasta in them as refined carbs spike your blood sugar levels up and leave you wanting more.

Eggs

Eggs are packed with protein, which will keep you satisfied and help avoid binging. Eating two eggs for breakfast can help keep you full for a good portion of the day. Hard-boiling eggs in advance are also great for snacking on later during the day. 

Olives

Now, most people either love or absolutely HATE olives. However, they are a source of good-for-you unsaturated fat, meaning they will take longer to digest and leave you feeling fuller for longer. You can add a couple of teaspoons of chopped olives to salads and sandwiches at lunch to kiss afternoon hunger pains goodbye.

Spinach

Research has shown that people who consume spinach during a meal feel much more satisfied than those who don’t. This might be because spinach is a veggie that helps to fill the stomach. You can add spinach to almost anything and you can enjoy it fresh or wilted. 

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Any time we hear the words ‘lose weight’ we generally start to think of sweaty gym sessions, early morning cardio in the frigid morning air and lots of green veggies.

A lot of veggies.

Making sure you get enough sleep is also important when it comes to weight loss, as your body needs to time to rest and recover. Which is great because we are all about the naps.

So, discovering that sleep can actually help you to lose weight was something we were very excited about.

Have a nightcap:

Ok, so not exactly the conventional nightcap one would immediately consider. Previously we’ve been told that snacking before bed is bad news for your waistline, a new study found that a small snack could actually aid weight loss. 

Florida State University researchers found that people who drank a 150-calorie protein shake 30 to 60 minutes before bed experienced a faster metabolism and lower blood pressure.

Netflix and chill:

In a study in the journal Diabetes, young male participants who slept in rooms cooled to 66°F doubled their volumes of the body fat which actually helps to burn calories.

This was compared to when they slept in 75° rooms. One thing to consider: If you plan on living up the ‘netflix and chill’ code, you may want to keep warm socks nearby. Research from the Netherlands found that women have an easier time orgasming when they aren't distracted by cold feet.

Set your alarm:

According to a study from Brigham Young University. Women who woke up within roughly the same hour-long window every day weighed less than women who woke at different times.

Since losing just an hour of sleep can make you hungrier and more likely to reach for unhealthy foods, Shape magazine are recommending that you make sure you're heading to bed early enough each night to getat least seven hours before that alarm interrupts your snooze.

 

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Of late, X Factor host Olly Murs has been juggling quite a hectic schedule.

Not only has he been balancing his hosting duties with his new album release, he is also hard at work promoting his new book Olly Murs: Life On The Road.

Despite his busy lifestyle, it looks like Olly has managed to make the time to hit the gym. His trainer, Rob Solly, took to Instagram to show off his client’s impressive results.

Showcasing what can happen after 12 weeks of hard work, Olly's personal trainer, posted some before and after pictures of the singer.

"This is what happened to @ollymurs when we had 12 weeks training to get tour ready," he captioned the shot.

The newly-single presenter was standing shirtless before a mirror. The black and white snaps do highlight Olly’s trim physique, it looks like there might be some abs about to make an appearance too.

Impressive.

“During the 12 weeks we trained 3 times a week and Olly had 3 weeks where he didn't train,” the personal trainer wrote.

"The tour itself was fantastic and it was great to see Olly improve every night as his strength, fitness, mobility and performance grew. 

This is what it's like to be trained by @rob_solly. Picture taken from @ollymurs new book On The Road out now."

31-year old Olly asked Rob to help him get whipped into shape in the middle of his 50-gig tour that included Europe and Australia. While the tour may have come to an end, Olly is still keen to keep up with his fitness regime.

He posted a video to his Instagram page on Wednesday that showed Rob is still putting him through his paces.

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We are all guilty to pressing the snooze button one too many times and grabbing something less than nutritious before we dive out the front door. Or there might be days when things just get away from us and we end up working through lunch. 

Skipping sit-down meals in favor of grabbing something to eat while we're on the move is more popular than we would like to admit. But, did you know that it might be what is actually contributing to weight-gain?

According to a study published in the Journal of Health Psychology, eating on the run could be over-shadowing all of your hard work in the gym or your healthy eating habits.

Researchers at the University of Surrey found that dieters who ate while walking around or moving were more likely to overdo it during that meal.

More so than people who ate during the activities we typically associate with mindless eating, like watching TV. These eaters were apparently more likely to overeat later in the day too.

"Hunger and fullness are far more than just biological processes, and not only relate to the calories consumed, but also to whether a person is aware of what they are eating," explains Jane Ogden, Ph.D., professor of psychology.

"When we eat mindlessly and are distracted from the food we are eating, our body doesn't get to code the food as having been eaten."

So, why does eating on the move have more of an impact than eating while sitting down?

"I think eating on the go may cause more overeating than watching TV not only because it is a powerful form of distraction but it's also a form of exercise," says Ogden. "People may then overcompensate for this exercise and feel that they are legitimately allowed to eat more."

With busy lives and overwhelming schedules, it can be tough to find the time to schedule a sit-down meal. However, Dr. Ogden explains that healthy habits are easier to implement than we think.

"This doesn't need to take much time," says Ogden, who suggests that even a few moments of sitting down can help your brain to recognise your meal as the real deal.

"Stopping what you are doing and practicing the conscious process of thinking 'now I am having something to eat' should be enough." 

Now we are going to go and eat some cake, healthy cake, obviously!

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Natalie White never really struggled with her weight during college.

However – like a lot of people – she found it more difficult to keep fit and trim once she started working.

“When I graduated, I picked up a management job that required me to be at work at 4am and work 55 hours a week,” she explains.

“Obviously, I was very tired. Since I was exhausted, I never felt like cooking, so I resorted to frozen food, fast food, pretty much anything quick and easy… my exercise habits were non-existent.”

In fact, by the time she turned 30, she packed on about 22.5kg. Then a health-scare at her doctor’s proved to be wake-up call she needed. “I needed to start treating my body better. 

“I started making healthy changes: I stopped smoking, I went vegetarian, and I kept an eye on the foods I was putting in my body. 

“I also left my job to find something that wasn't as stressful or exhausting. However, I still wasn't losing weight.”

Natalie admits that she “could never be one of those super fit people,” but intrigued by friends who entered endurance events, she put name down for the Chicago marathon.

“I had to just do it – so I started training,” she also explains to Women’s Health.

“It took me over seven hours to finish my first marathon, but I finished! It was the best feeling ever. I signed up for another one soon after.”

Still, at that point Natalie weighed some 93kg. “I knew I had to do something different to start losing weight.

“Obviously, training for my second marathon and participating in fitness events, like the Spartan Race, weren't enough to help me reach a healthy weight.”

She turned to classes which championed strength training and weights mixed up with cardio exercises in circuits. “It was like nothing I'd ever done before,” she says of the programme.

“During my first class, I could barely do a pushup or a squat, but the challenge brought out my inner competitor.

“I started going twice a week and worked my way up to four times a week.

“On top of that, I started to do a little research online about what it takes to lose weight and fuel my workouts. I learned that I needed to eat way more protein that I was, and that actually made the biggest difference.

“I started to notice more definition in my muscles, and the weight began coming off.”

Two years after setting out to get in shape and improve her health, Natalie weighs just 74kg – a reduction of close-to 20kg from her heaviest.

Although ultimately she hopes to hover around the 64kg mark, she’s also gone from a UK size 22 to a UK size 12.

 

Along the way, Ms White has clearly learned a lot about her body and diet. And she cites six key tips that help just about everyone achieve similar results…

1) Make life changes: She had to leave a stressful job with long hours – but nothing is worth compromising your health over. Natalie also quit smoking.

2) Don’t get overwhelmed: Natalie has knocked two hours off her marathon time – but her first one took more than seven hours. “I had to just do it – so I started training,” she states.

3) Be patient: She isn’t at her goal weight just yet, but she’s getting there. “By staying patient and being consistent, I don't get discouraged and give up on all the progress I've made,” she says.

4) Look at your diet: You need protein to feed your muscles – so don’t fall into the trap of only going low-fat, or low-carb. Natalia, like a lot of women, wasn’t eating enough protein when she was overweight.

5) Try new workouts: “I love running,” she says, “but if I didn't try the weights classes with my friends, I would have never achieved the results that I wanted or learned that I like to lift heavy things.”

6) Be OK with yourself: “I know I'm not as fast or as strong as some of my athletic friends, but I feel good about what I've accomplished. That success helps me feel confident at the gym and assures me that I'm capable of reaching my weight-loss goal.”

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When it comes to weight loss, we're all guilty of telling a few lies from time to time.

Whether it's the skinny jeans that 'probably shrunk in the wash' or the 'few biscuits' that were more like a full packet, sometimes it's just easier to ignore the truth.

But being unrealistic about your weight loss efforts could be having a long-term negative effect. If the number on the scales is going up and you know it's time to address the reasons why, then the following are a good starting point.

Here are a few of the lies we should all stop telling ourselves if we really want to see weight loss results…

1. "Healthy food is way too pricey for my budget"
Stock up your cupboard with basics like tinned tomatoes, chickpeas, kidney beans, brown rice and seasonings and all you need to do on a weekly basis is to buy whatever fresh items you need. Buying fresh meat, poultry, fish and veg on a weekly basis is FAR cheaper than that regular takeaway habit.

 

2. "I just hate the taste of healthy food"
If you have memories of being forced to eat broccoli or Brussels Sprouts as a child, it's no surprise you've sworn off veggies. But so much of the taste of food is in how it is prepared. Go for a crunchy Asian broccoli salad rather than a plate of mushy green veg and we guarantee you'll taste the difference. 

 

3. "I usually skip breakfast, so I can eat what I want later"
A healthy breakfast not only sets you up to stay focused all morning, but it also balances your blood sugar to reduce cravings later on. If you can't stomach much food in the mornings, try something light like eggs, a green juice or some sliced apple and nut butter.

 

4. "Being overweight runs in my family, so there's nothing I can do"
Yes, in some cases being overweight or obese can have a genetic link. But in many other cases, it's bad eating habits and lack of education about nutrition that have been passed down to you, not genes. 

 

5. "My appetite is too big for me to eat healthily"
If you find you're hungry ALL the time, the food you're eating is the most likely cause. High-carb, high-sugar meals lead to blood sugar spikes which mean we're craving food again within an hour. Eat meals that are packed veg, fish, lean chicken and turkey and wholemeal grains to stay satisfied for longer.

 

6. "I do cardio at the gym, that's enough"
Running at the same speed on the treadmill for 30 minutes might burn some fat, but high-intensity training that uses more muscle groups is a far more efficient method. Use your gym time wisely and break up cardio seasons with weight lifting, HIIT training and core work like Pilates and yoga.

 

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If you’re a caffeine fiend, and so many of us quite simply are, then you know that when it comes to coffee certain drinks can end up being more like cake than the delicious beverage.

Trying to cut out excess sugar without abstaining from coffee entirely can therefore be a bit of a challenge.

While plenty of coffee chains (Starbucks, we’re looking at you) tell you how many calories are in their drinks; the sugar breakdown is less than visible.

So, if you’re trying to cut down on the sugar consider branching out and giving one of these orders a try instead of your usual.

The World Health Organisation recommends no more than six teaspoons or 25 grams of sugar to be your daily sugar consumption, these are a few orders that fall within those guidelines.

Skinny latte: 0g

Cappuccino: 10g

Americano: 0g

Latte: 17g

A Starbucks Skinny Peppermint Mocha (festive): 13g

Sadly, this is not on the Irish menu yet but we reckon the fact that it is much lower in sugar than some other seasonal drinks makes an excellent case for the possibility of seeing it next year.

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Whether you've decided to tone up, run a charity 5K, become a CrossFit addict or just cut out the takeaways and take up some brisk morning walks, a healthy lifestyle can be a big change. 

Becoming the healthiest version of yourself can be somewhat challenging (looking at you 6am cardio sessions) but also incredibly rewarding. These are just a few things, some perhaps more enjoyable than others, that you can expect to come across when you overhaul your lifestyle. 

You will become a food container fiend:

Controlling your portions can be a huge factor when it comes to weight-loss, and you also need somewhere to store all of your delicious healthy snacks. Speaking of…

Snacks will become seriously important:

Contrary to dieting myths, you do not need to starve yourself to lose weight. Instead you're going to be eating a lot more homemade snacks instead of strolling to the vending machine.

Veggies become a serious part of your life:

SO many nutrients, so little calories. A match made in fit girl heaven.

You may experience some jealousy:

Not everyone will be your cheerleader and they may become jealous when they realise that you've become such a fit badass. Spend more time with the people who actually support you instead of those who try to bring you down.

Mondays will become your favourite day:

This is because #MealPrepMonday can be a beautiful and delicious thing.

You will hit a wall:

Which is completely normal so don't get discouraged, change your exercise routine or perhaps up the intensity if you've made some serious strides. 

Your social life may look a little different:

Pro-tip: Nobody wants to go to a spinning class and definitely not a hot yoga class when hung over. Fridays will become cheat days and you will want all of the pizza. 

You will reward yourself with new clothes:

shopping animated GIF

YES!

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