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14 quick and easy ways to lose weight FAST (without exercising)
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You won't have to spend hours at the gym if you try these simple and effective tricks. - photo by Lindsey Miller
Lindsey Miller
FamilyShare
Published: Nov 9, 2017, 7:31 AM
The holidays are upon us, and you know what that means. Thanksgiving feasts, Christmas candy, holiday treats and comfort food will be everywhere in the coming months. Even though we always say were not going to gain weight during the holiday season, its super common to pack on a few pounds. Honestly, with all the goodies, how can you not?

The holidays are such a struggle because were torn between two good things. We want to look and feel awesome for all the parties were attending, but we also want to eat ALL the food. We cant always have the best of both worlds, but here are a few ideas to jumpstart your weight loss before the holiday treats start showing up on your doorstep:

1. Make apple cider vinegar your friend

Mix a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar with a cup of water or your favorite herbal tea, and drink it as soon as you wake up in the morning. The taste isnt great, but itll help fight off cravings and decrease bloating.

2. Drink tons of water

You should be drinking at least eight cups of water every day, if not more. Staying hydrated can help you fight any bloat and keep those pounds off by helping you feel full.

3. Slow down your eating

Take small bites and make sure youre eating slowly. This will give your food time to digest, and your mind will be able to more easily sense when it's full.

4. Get some small plates

If you must have a treat or two (or three), eat them on a small plate. When you eat food on a smaller plate, itll trick your brain into thinking youre eating more than you are.

5. Tell a trusted loved one to hide the treats

If youre anything like me, youll eat anything in sight when a craving hits. Tell a loved one to hide the treats, and only let you have one when you absolutely need it. It takes willpower, but putting it out of sight can put it out of your mind.

6. Make sure youre getting enough protein and fiber

Protein and fiber will keep you feeling more full for longer periods of time. This will help you kick cravings and avoid overeating.

7. Put the electronics down during meal times

Eating in front of a screen can cause some serious damage to your weight loss goals. When youre distracted by a TV show or social media, you tend to eat more because youre eating mindlessly.

8. Get enough sleep and reduce your stress

Sleep and stress are huge factors when it comes to weight loss. Stress levels are high and sleep patterns are often off during the holiday season, so make sure youre making a conscious effort to reduce your stress and get adequate sleep.

9. Weigh yourself once a week

Ill be the first to tell you how much I loathe the scale, but sometimes, weighing yourself is necessary. If you want to watch your weight closely, regular weigh-ins are a great way to keep you on track.

10. Dont save your calories

Dont starve yourself all day because you know youre having a big meal later. When you save your calories up for a big meal, youre more likely to overeat and do more damage to your diet.

11. Be picky

Dont just eat simply because you see food. This can be hard during the holidays because there are treats literally everywhere, but only eat what you love. This way, youll save yourself from excess calories you didnt even want.

12. Know when youre actually hungry

Are you hungry because you need food? Or are you thirsty? Maybe youre just bored. Get to the bottom of whether or not youre truly hungry, then only eat if you are. Its easier said than done, but its a great way to keep those extra pounds away.

13. Get a buddy to help you

Having someone to be accountable with does wonders for your willpower. Plus, a little healthy competition never hurt anyone.

14. Brush your teeth after every meal

An easy trick to keep yourself from overeating is to brush your teeth after every meal or chew a piece of gum. The minty-freshness of your mouth will taste better than that chocolate covered brownie dessert sitting in your pantry.

Keeping that extra weight at bay is hard, but its not impossible if you follow these easy steps.
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From the book 'Outliers' comes proof that good health is more than just genetics
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Friends Jim Young, left, Mike Natale, Jeff Natale and Ryan Kiernan were on Greenwich High School football team together and Jim and Mike were captains. Jim, who was the youngest in Sherry Young's family, was welcome in the homes of the other three boys who still had siblings around and grandparents near. - photo by Sherry Young
Sherry Young
Deseret News
Published: Apr 12, 2018, 12:59 PM
As I look back on my life and the lives of others, both personally and in the reading I have done, I am convinced of the necessity of positive human contact in our lives. We are doubly blessed when we are able to make good friends or are a part of a family where we are accepted and loved.

Malcolm Gladwell in his book Outliers tells of a time in the 1950s when Dr. Stewart Wolf met a physician who practiced in the area of Roseto, Pennsylvania. Roseto was settled by a group of Italian families from Roseto, Italy, who re-created their life again in America.

This was in the 1950s before drugs and measures to prevent heart disease became important. In their conversation the physician said, You know, Ive been practicing for 17 years. I get patients from all over, and I rarely find anyone from Roseto under the age of 65 with heart disease.

Wolf was surprised by these words as, It was impossible to be a doctor, common sense said, and not see heart disease.

Wolf enlisted the aid of a sociologist and friend John Bruhn to help him. They found, There was no suicide, no alcoholism, no drug addiction, and very little crime. They didnt have anyone on welfare. Then we looked at peptic ulcers. They didnt have any of those either. These people were dying of old age. Thats it.

They checked into diet, genetics and possibilities of something in the foothills of eastern Pennsylvania but nothing made sense.

What they found was that Rosetans visited one another, stopping to chat in Italian on the street, say, or cooking for one another in their backyards. (Researchers) learned about the extended family clans that underlay the towns social structure. They saw how many homes had three generations living under one roof and how much respect grandparents commanded. They went to Mass at Our Lady of Mount Carmel and saw the unifying and calming effect of the church. They counted 22 separate civic organizations in a town of just under 2,000 people. They picked up on the particular egalitarian ethos of the community, which discouraged the wealthy from flaunting their success and helped the unsuccessful obscure their failures.

What they found eventually convinced the medical establishment to look beyond the individual and understand the culture people are part of their friends, families and town they came from. They determined that the people we surround ourselves with and the values of the world we inhabit have a profound effect on who we are.

Likely, this study could have been done with other ethnicities. However, my family's experiences with the Italian families in Connecticut ring true to the study. Our hungry and growing sons, especially our youngest son, Jim, who was left home alone with two beady-eyed parents, all had some memorable experiences being fed and loved in the Cos Cob multigenerational families. Proof of the African proverb, It takes a village to raise a child.

We live in an age when the contact we have with people often is on the internet, and many of us live among strangers. Unless we make the effort to reach out, we will become isolated, especially as we age. The Rosetan study is proof that reaching out and communicating may be good for our health.
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