Weight Loss Tips

Friday, July 14, 2023

15 Alcohol Free Drinks for the Summer—and Good Health

When you’re trying to lose weight, you know that every little 100 calories—like those in a glass of wine—can really add up.

Cutting back alcohol consumption for the duration rather than giving it up entirely is one way to deal with it. After all, just adding a big spritz of seltzer to your glass of wine slashes calories and lets you blend in with your dinner companions or fellow party-goers without having to explain why you’re not drinking.

Unfortunately, that solution doesn’t take into account one big problem: When you drink any alcohol, it can stimulate your appetite while it also reduces your inhibitions (like your will power at the hors d’oeuvres table).

A number of studies have found that after drinking, you may be prone to eat more. Not only that, your body has trouble sensing liquid calories so you probably won’t adjust your food intake after drinking the way you would after eating the same number of calories.

You may want to consider becoming “sober curious,” a new term that describes adopting the concept that drinking alcohol—even in those tough peer-pressure situations like parties, happy hours, and tailgates—is an option rather than a requirement.

You don’t have to have a serious problem with alcohol to turn to alcohol-free substitutes all or at least some of the time. If you have health concerns or you’re trying to lose weight, it’s a healthy lifestyle choice that has science-based benefits. For example, a 2016 British study, published in the journal Health Psychology, found that people who took part in a “Dry January”—a month-long abstinence from alcohol—had better blood pressure, improved their blood sugar levels, slept better, lost weight, and felt a sense of achievement.

Becoming sober curious doesn’t mean you’re going to feel deprived or stick out among your peers. There’s nonalcoholic beer and wine, and most decent bars carry “mocktails,” delicious, non-alcoholic versions of your favorite cocktails (think Virgin Bloody Marys or alcohol-free mojitos). Just watch those sugar calories in drinks that use simple syrup.

And if you’re in control of the bar fare at a dinner party or backyard barbecue, you can make your own alcohol free drinks and mocktails that offer your guests the option to add their own alcohol. Since the alcohol isn’t going to make a difference in how the drink looks, no one is going to know if you’re skipping that one ingredient!

The 6 Worst Summer Beverage Blunders

To get you started on the alcohol-free path, here are 15 great and shockingly low-cal recipes that you’re going to love:

1. Healthy Alcohol Free Strawberry Daiquiri >

This 55-calorie mocktail is so easy to make: Toss a cup of fresh strawberries, a cup of frozen strawberries, half a cup of water and the juice of half a lime in the blender and blend until smooth. That’s it! It’s an easy, berrylicious beverage that you’ll be sipping on all summer long. Click here for the full recipe! >

2. Virgin Jalapeno Lemon Margarita >

Skip the sugary simple syrup and substitute light lemonade or limeade for this spicy nonalcoholic version of the Mexican cuisine classic. Muddled jalapeno slices and lemon or lime slices intensifies the flavor of this summertime sip without tons of sugar. This recipe for two is only 14 calories per serving! Click here for the full recipe! >

3. Orange Mango Slushies >

Orange and mangos are an unbeatable combo. Frozen mangoes and orange juice whirled in the blender with ice and water make a delicious, naturally sweet drink that’s so satisfying, you won’t even miss the alcohol at all. Plus, it’s only 78 calories a serving. Click here for the full recipe! >

8 Tips to Make a Healthy Cup of Coffee

4. Alcohol Free Watermelontini >

It’s a drink, it’s a dessert—you decide! Coconut water and lime give this refreshing summer drink a tropical feel. With half a cup of ice and some Truvia sweetener, your blender turns watermelon into a trip to the islands. Click here for the full recipe! >

5. Grapefruit Mock-Mosa >

Use pink grapefruit juice to give this mock Mimosa a pretty color. No blender needed: Simply mix grapefruit juice with OJ, lime juice, honey and sparkling water. Click here for the full recipe! >

6. Orange Creamsicle Slushies >

Who doesn’t love orange creamsicles? It’s the taste of your childhood summers. This 66-calorie alcohol free drink recipe is easy to make in a food processor or blender. Add unsweetened almond milk to orange juice, toss in some ice and Truvia natural sweetener and there you have it. Click here for the full recipe! >

The Top 9 Hardest Foods to Give Up for Weight Loss (And How to Still Enjoy Them!)

7. Patriotic Alcohol Free Sangria >

You’ll never miss the wine in this red, white and blue concoction that combines strawberries, blueberries and diced green apples with seltzer and Crystal Light lemonade. A serving is only 53 calories, making it an unbeatable beverage for summer holidays. Click here for the full recipe! >

8. Raspberry Lemonade Slushie >

This concoction is made for fans of sweet-tart flavors. Only 86 calories a serving, it combines frozen raspberries, lemon juice, ice, water and Truvia sweetener into a refreshing blender drink. Click here for the full recipe! >

9. Alcohol Free Berry Lemonade Mocktail >

You could call this one “berry good” since it starts with both blueberries and raspberries muddled in a glass with lemon juice. Finish off the recipe by adding low calorie lemonade powder, lemon seltzer water and ice. Garnish with a berries and enjoy this 19-calorie drink to cool down while you slim down. Click here for the full recipe! >

5 Tasty Tips for Pouring the Perfect Iced Tea

10. Alcohol Free Pina Colada Protein Smoothie >

It tastes indulgent but it’s not! You start this delicious smoothie with Vanilla Nutrisystem Shake Mix, then add pineapple juice, ice and coconut extract. This blender drink—with protein to make it filling—is the perfect swap for the classic coconut cocktail that we all know and love. Click here for the full recipe! >

11. Skinny White Sangria Mocktail >

Get out the fancy glasses. This mocktail is as pretty as it is tasty! It combines peaches, strawberries, white grape juice, club soda, ice and the juice from one lemon. No blender required. Simply muddle the fruit to release its juices, but leave it mostly intact. You might even think you’re eating dessert while sipping on this delectable drink. Click here for the full recipe! >

12. Lemon Cooler Shake >

This quick refresher starts with Vanilla Nutrisystem Shake Mix combined in the blender with skim milk, lemon juice, lemon zest, vanilla extract and ice. It’s creamy and dreamy, yet light and refreshing. Click here for the full recipe! >

5 Reasons to Have a Smoothie Right Now (Plus Recipes!)

13. Cherry Limeade Slushie >

No pitting necessary: This recipe starts with frozen cherries! Blended with lime juice, lime seltzer water and ice, you won’t even miss your favorite cherry water ice with all its high-calorie syrup. Click here for the full recipe! >

14. Must-Have Mojito Mocktail >

Gardeners can simply snip a few sprigs of mint to make this nonalcoholic version of a summer favorite! It combines lime club soda with ice, lemon wedges and their juice in a shaker. Each mojito is only 11 calories (have a second!). Click here for the full recipe! >

15. Ginger Watermelon Lemonade >

You’ve probably never considered mixing these ingredients into a drink, but you will from now on. The fresh ginger adds a pleasurable snap to this lemonade that combines two cups of watermelon cubes with lemon juice. No water needed: The watermelon is full of it! This refreshing summer drink is only 57 calories. Click here for the full recipe! >

Cherries and Weight Loss: 5 Surprising Reasons This Fruit is a Summer Superstar

The post 15 Alcohol Free Drinks for the Summer—and Good Health appeared first on The Leaf.

from The Leaf https://ift.tt/hJHa5nr

Gym Question

Hi all, I (21F 5’3 147 lbs) was wondering if I should be incorporating the gym weight machines whenever I go to the gym for faster weight loss. I always do the stair stepper for 20 minutes and treadmill (sometimes with incline) for about 30-40mins, or I go to a Zumba class.

Should i branch out from cardio and be doing machines like the leg press or shoulder press for faster weight loss? Id rather do the machines than do free weights. Im just worried that I’ll “gain muscle” doing these, which makes the scale go higher.

submitted by /u/Extreme_Minute_1903
[link] [comments]

from loseit - Lose the Fat https://ift.tt/qto0ZWy

Weight loss just suddenly... stopped.

Hey all. I've lost 10 lbs total in 11 weeks. About 3 weeks ago, I just suddenly stopped losing weight. No changes in my diet, I've been rotating the same batch of recipes week to week and I'm still at a deficit.

Is there a possible explanation as to why this is happening? I know 10 lbs in 11 weeks is good progress, but seeing that my weight isn't moving at all for 3 weeks is really discouraging. Could it be that my body thinks it lost "enough" weight in this time period, and isn't letting me lose more until it catches up? Idk if that's possible, so any insight would help and soothe my frustration at the moment, lol.

submitted by /u/anonymoose_octopus
[link] [comments]

from loseit - Lose the Fat https://ift.tt/ZXiFua8

Thursday, July 13, 2023

Revealing the Truth Behind My 80-Pound Weight Loss

Trying this again without links cause that’s a no-no I just found out.

Hi! I am new here but I felt compelled to share my story in case anyone is struggling with similar issues.

Trigger Warning: This post discusses sensitive topics including weight loss, eating disorders, suicide, and drugs.

I recently hit 80 pounds lost. I should be celebrating, but hitting this milestone two weeks post-surgery isn’t exactly what I had in mind. When I first started out, I gave myself a lofty goal of losing 100 pounds. Although I am still damn proud of where I’ve come from and am close to reaching it, it hasn’t been an easy journey.

I don’t want to paint the picture of weight loss being a be-all and end-all for loving yourself, because it isn’t. It is a constant journey of ups and downs that requires work to contradict every negative thing you’ve ever told yourself or lies that other people have told you that you’ve ingrained into your brain and made a reality. (And if you don’t want to lose weight, that’s okay too. You still deserve to love yourself fully. Every body is beautiful. I needed to lose weight for my health and it’s something I’ve personally wanted for myself for a long time.)

This is just a glimpse into what my journey has been like, which has been going on for most of my life. This was a little longer than I originally intended, so settle in, or thanks for reading up to this point.

I’ve been chubby since a little girl and for as long as I can remember, I’ve wanted to lose weight. I think without being aware, food became a sort of comfort for me throughout childhood and early adolescence as I struggled with my parent’s divorce and my father’s alcoholism.

I would tell myself, “I will lose the weight by the time I’m 16.” Time passes and then it’s, “I’ll do better next time. By the time I’m 18, I’ll be in a bikini.” My 18th birthday hits and I am still not like the other girls. I’m not like my beautiful, popular twin sister. My belly hangs over my jeans, and I wonder what’s wrong with me and why no boys like me. Now it’s, “By the time I go to college.” And then I do hit my lowest weight in college but still nobody wants me. And I hate myself.

My first kiss is in the dirty living room of a frat house with a red-headed guy in my dorm whose name I can’t even remember. Then when I meet the first boy that does want me, I stay. I don’t see the red flags because someone finally loves me, so I cling to it because I know nothing better.

He tells me nobody else will ever love me, and I believe it because look at me. Then it’s eight years later. Covid hits, I’m 238 pounds, depressed, and on the verge of considering VSG or perhaps even killing myself.

I felt trapped, suffocating in the life that I had created for myself but that wasn’t serving me anymore. I moved to Florida in October 2021 and started untangling things that happened in my childhood and early twenties, confronting my fears and anxieties instead of running from them, and finding new ways to challenge myself. And when I stopped focusing on the weight, it started to drop for the first time in years.

I think going through a divorce and moving alone had a big effect on my weight loss. The environment in Florida compared to Virginia makes it easier to be outside all year long, and I would frequently take walks the first winter I moved down because I was in awe that it could be so warm in December.

Weight loss for me happened slowly on its own without me paying much attention, I stopped emotionally eating and drinking. I started smoking weed (medicinally with a prescription) to help with the depression. Eating more in moderation and moving more helped me lose 60 pounds the first year I moved down.

I still ate what I wanted, sometimes not enough because I truthfully wasn’t always in a good mental health space and did not have the appetite (whether or not I already had my gallstone that may have contributed to the nausea is unknown). That is where cannabis helped as well. The munchies are real.

But please, please make sure you eat enough to fuel your body. Although I tried to make sure I was always hitting 1,200 calories even when I didn’t feel like eating, I sometimes didn’t make it. I went from binging to not being able to eat enough. I’m still working towards healthy eating habits and my relationship with food as I regain my appetite after gallbladder surgery.

I began lifting weights in November 2022, which is finally what started helping me build up my self-confidence in a way that losing weight alone hasn’t provided. My body is becoming stronger, and I no longer care about how much weight I am losing but rather how much I can carry. (Lifting heavy is fun, you should try it. But with light weights first, because injuries are no joke.)

It’s been eight months, and I have lost 20 more pounds since I began working out. But the last five are mostly a side effect of recovering from having my gallbladder removed. On the plus side, having my gallbladder out has helped with my nausea but now it’s a guessing game of figuring out what I can eat and what I can’t.

What nobody tells you about losing weight is that even though you may feel better physically, the mental process of rebuilding your self-image and finding confidence in this new body that you sometimes don’t recognize is a much more challenging aspect. And sometimes you can’t do it alone. It’s okay to need help. I am now seeing a psychiatrist and a therapist to help me in ways I haven’t been able to help myself. As for the medicinal marijuana, it’s helped me immensely but is something I am working on cutting out of my life now that I am taking other medications for my mental health.

All this to say, trauma sometimes traps you in cycles without you being aware of it. I am still not completely out of the woods, although I can now see the sun shining where parts were once dark.

The rest is too long to put here but if you want to keep reading I have before and after photos on my blog linked to my profile.

I don’t have ads on my website and this doesn’t make me money. In fact I’ve spent money just building it. I created it to help anyone that cares to read. Best of luck on all your journeys, you got this. 💪🏻✨

submitted by /u/Adorable_Pear
[link] [comments]

from loseit - Lose the Fat https://ift.tt/o3FlRcy

Possible to re-lose all the weight I've gained? (re: metabolic adaptation)

Hi all, I had a wonderful but hard weight loss journey from 03/2022 until 03/2023. I went from 135 pounds to 105 pounds (I am 5'2), and I was eating 1350 - 1400 calories a day at maintenance, so I never felt hungry! I had one cheat day a month and always appreciated it and enjoyed it.

In March, three things happened: 1) I got on Lexapro, 2) I got a really bad case of COVID-19 and 3) my job became extremely stressful. I work for a startup, and the CEO is extremely toxic. As a result of all of this, I started to binge eat as a coping mechanism. I was eat large amounts of food overnight and not sure why. I saw my doctor and he mentioned that Lexapro impacts your serotonin levels, so that has an impact on your appetite. I got off Lexapro a month and a half later, but the habit of binge eating remainder. It improved, so I wasn't eating AS MUCH but still, it was happening.

I started to gain weight back gradually, and I'm now 10 pounds heavier (115 - 116 pounds). I still look good and healthy, but I don't appreciate the "loss of control eating". I read Brain over Binge, I am working with a therapist, and I'm working to heal my relationship with the habit before I go back to losing weight.

My question is: is it ever possible to get back to the weight range I was at before the binge eating started or have I ruined my metabolism with all this binge-eating?

submitted by /u/Ok-Presentation-8905
[link] [comments]

from loseit - Lose the Fat https://ift.tt/YMcyOjo

I want to lose weight. Do you think these ideas sound okay?

20F, 5'7, SW: 170lbs [12st + 2lbs], GW: 140lbs [10st]

For the last couple years, since starting university, I've paid a lot less attention to what I've been eating, which has translated into putting on the pounds. That doesn't bother me too much. However, the fact that my gorgeous clothes no longer fit me does. I do not have the money to replace perfectly good clothes, nor do I want to accept my larger body as my new normal. So, onto my ideas for weight loss!

I would love some feedback on whether those ideas sound good or not - this will be my first time trying to lose weight in 2 years now so I am, by no means, an expert:

So, I feel like weight loss is relatively simple - you just need a good calorie deficit. The mental side of it is going to be a lot more challenging. I definitely eat when I'm stressed or bored, which is something I need to combat. So far, my ideas include: going on walks and taking a book with me, so I'm out of the house and away from the fridge; studying in the library, instead of my bedroom, so I have a change of scenery and am, again, away from the fridge; wearing 'tighter' clothes when I am home, to dissuade me from eating more food than I need.

As far as diet goes, I already drink 2ls water a day. I take iron, vitamin C and vitamin D (I have anaemia). The main issue I have is eating too much. I snack throughout the day, almost mindlessly - ice-cream, chocolates, crisps. When it comes to main meals, I use big plates. It's almost like I have no concept of correct portions. In terms of ways to correct this, I feel like staying out of the house more (and away from the fridge) would be okay. Also, I think that using smaller plates would be good, so the portion looks 'big' to me, even if it's actually smaller than I'm used to.

Now,...exercise? I don't know how to work out at all. I do a little bit of yoga every morning, just to stretch my back. That's about it. If you know any good YT channels to check out, for some light exercises I could fit into my morning routine, that would be appreciated a lot. :)

submitted by /u/emerald_sweetheart
[link] [comments]

from loseit - Lose the Fat https://ift.tt/Pq2scUp

No weight loss but I'm not getting my period anymore

I need some advice here. I'm 1,66 m (5'5) and I weight 75 kg (165 lbs). I eat around 1.000 calories per day, sometimes more, sometimes less, never more than 1.500. I only drink water, eat no suger and vegetables with every meal. I'm doing this for a few months now, but I'm not losing any weight. So I started to workout more. For the last year i did 3 workouts per week, around 30 minutes each. Now i workout 5 times per week, 3 times around 45 minutes and 2 times 20 minutes. I'm doing this for 3 weeks now, again no weight loss, which is fine because i know i'm burning fat and getting more muscles. But now i missed my period, I'm not pregnant and usually my period is always on time. I'm not even at a health BMI, so I have no idea what's going on. Is this too much exercise for my body? Has anybody experienced something similar or some advice?

submitted by /u/Vreni1337
[link] [comments]

from loseit - Lose the Fat https://ift.tt/9UqH0b6