Latest news with #Simple
North Wales Live
11 hours ago
- Health
- North Wales Live
Woman lost 3 stone after turning 40 and feeling 'frumpy, funky and flabby'
A woman who has shed 45 pounds using an AI coaching app has revealed that when she reached 40 she felt 'frumpy, funky and flabby.' But having discovered an app that helped her shed the weight, she hailed is as " not a diet, it's a lifestyle change." Meredith Lewis revealed she had been concentrating on her husband, who had experienced his own medical crisis, and explained that over a two-year period she had 'lost sight of' her own health. She said: "I think, like most women, when they hit 40 years old, they're optimistic and thinking, I'm going to be 40 and fabulous. But for me, I felt forty, frumpy, funky and flabby, and I knew I needed to change something. "Over the last two years, I've been focusing on my husband, helping him through his medical crisis that he went through, and making sure that he's here for us still. But in that two year time frame, I lost all sight of myself, all sight of my own health and nutrition and exercise routines that I used to do." "So I started to search online for the newest fad, the newest diet, whatever it may be. And thank you to my algorithm for showing me a reel on Facebook from the Simple app," reports Belfast Live. The Simple App - currently offering 60% off weight loss plans with the code REACH60 - is an AI-powered coaching tool designed for adults aiming to lead a healthier lifestyle. Built by a team of experts in nutrition, behaviour change, digital health and medicine, the app supports users in kickstarting their personal wellness journey. To get started, users complete a detailed survey covering their health goals, preferences, and past weight loss experiences. Once set up, they can access features like food logging - via typing, voice, or photo - a NutriScanner to help break down meal nutrition, daily workout plans including wall pilates, and round-the-clock support from Avo - the app's AI coach, ready to answer questions anytime, day or night. "This isn't a diet," Lewis says. "It's a lifestyle change. I don't think of this as being a short term solution for a long term problem. This is a long term solution for a short term problem." So far she has been on Simple app for 101 days. "I am down 46 pounds. I'm almost to my first goal weight, I wanted to make sure I had a realistic goal to start with, so I put a 55 pound weight loss as my first goal," she says. "I'm almost there in 101 days without starving myself, without killing myself doing cardio for four hours a day, or whatever by doing this the Simple way you can do this, the Simple way with the Simple app. It's that easy. It really is. "You figure out your fasting window and your eating window. The app alerts you when it's time to eat. It alerts you when it's time to start your fast." Boasting over 17 million downloads, the app is praised for its gentle approach to forming healthier habits through small and consistent daily choices. It doesn't require users to restrict food groups and provides non-judgemental, real-time, personalised feedback and answers. She further commented: "I was pleasantly surprised that I didn't feel like I was starving or neglecting or denying myself anything at any point in time. In fact, you're not denying yourself anything with intermittent fasting. You can eat what you want. "You're just delaying when you eat it. So if you're craving pizza, you can have some pizza. I'm just going to have it when my eating windows open." Another advantage she mentions is the app's nutrition tracking feature, which she says has "been a big eye opener for me, and realising that the food that's on my plate that I put into my body really is the fuel to keep me moving, to keep me going for the next 24 hours." Since using the Simple app, she has noticed significant health benefits, including improved sleep quality. As someone who "used to be a big toss and turner, any little noise would wake me up", she says: "I haven't slept this good since before we had babies I think, so that is a huge, huge advantage right there is just the sleep, but obviously losing weight, taking that stress off of my joints, off of my back, has been a big thing for me, also just my cardiovascular health and feeling that I have more energy so I can go and do these workouts like I want to do." She plans to "continue to use Simple even after I have met my goal weight for when I go into a maintenance phase. Again, this is a lifestyle, it's not a diet. So I am making sure that this is a continual part of my lifestyle for the long term, so knowing that you can adjust it as needed." Holidays can sometimes complicate any eating plan or new routine, but Meredith also found using Simple while away was beneficial. She explains: "I just got back from a three week holiday. I didn't stop using Simple, I continued to use it, I just modified it. So I opened up my eating window a little bit longer, so instead of only eating for six hours, I'd eat for eight hours so that I could enjoy going out to eat at restaurants with family and friends, or having that late night dessert that I used to always have, but I really wanted it when I was down at my favourite restaurant in Texas." If this particular app isn't quite right, there are numerous other alternatives to consider. MyFitnessPal, for instance, stands as a widely-used health and fitness monitoring app and website accessible on both Android and iOS platforms. It enables users to log and monitor their calorie consumption, exercise routines and weight reduction targets, assisting them in keeping track of their advancement. Another excellent option is Lifesum - a worldwide platform that tracks food consumption and physical activity whilst providing tailored feedback, meal plans, and recipes to encourage a healthier way of living. Fans seem to be impressed with the Simple app, giving it an impressive 4.3 out of 5 star rating on Trustpilot. One user said: "Helpful app! The suggestions for better diet choices specific to what you have in the fridge/pantry is super helpful. Great feedback for menu suggestions, snack ideas, encouragement to move without guilting you, and daily (friendly) nudges to record what I am doing." Another simply added: "Easy to use and motivating." Not everyone agreed however, as some others shared opposing reviews. One said: "I have been in the program for three weeks and have been fasting, eating healthier, and exercising, but the weight keeps fluctuating and isn't dropping like I expected it to." Most reviews were positive, with another customer explaining: "I am still in the beginning of my journey with Simple and, having had some questions, I had a very good and supportive experience with the support team. Glad to have learned how much easy talking can be!" Simple is currently available at a 60% discount with the code REACH60.
Epoch Times
5 days ago
- General
- Epoch Times
This Delightful Sugar Snap Pea Side Dish Also Makes a Wonderful Starter
Sometimes I get stuck in a rut on what to serve as a side dish with a simple meat, chicken, or fish entree. It's fun to come up with tasty sides that fit into the Seriously Simple philosophy. I love sugar snap peas and often add them to other greens like peas or asparagus. Here, I've highlighted the sweet crisp sugar snap flavor and texture with pesto and vinegar. Topped with rich toasted pine nuts and crumbled fresh goat cheese, this is as good as a side dish as it is as a starter.
North Wales Live
5 days ago
- Health
- North Wales Live
'I went from 18 stone to 14 in one year and still drank beer every week - here's how'
As I hit the age of 30, I felt as though my life was on a downward spiral. The vitality of my twenties seemed like a distant memory - climbing the stairs became an Olympic feat, a trip to the shops required the mental preparation of preparing for my A Levels, and worst of all, I could feel my zest for life slipping away. A year ago, I tipped the scales at 115kg (18 stone, 1lb). Alongside the physical challenges of being medically overweight, my mental health took a severe hit. The man who could once walk into any room and chat with anyone now started hiding in corners, anxious and downbeat. Worst of all my patience with my loved ones slipped, snapping at them more frequently as fatigue and self-loathing began to suffocate everything I cherished. My clothes clung to my stomach and I constantly tugged at my top, hoping no one would notice. But a year ago, I reached my breaking point. I was tired of feeling inadequate. It was time for a change, and with the help of an app. I managed to shed four stone within a year, bringing my weight down to 89.3kg (14 stone). After extensive research, I finally decided to try what seemed to be the diet trend of the moment: intermittent fasting. This method involves having an 'eating window', typically 16 hours of fasting followed by eight hours of eating, but this can be adjusted to suit individual lifestyles, with ratios ranging from 14:10 to 12:12. Some people, including the late Dr Michael Moseley, also recommend the 5:2 method, which involves restricting calorie intake to 500 calories for two non-consecutive days. As someone who loves food as much as the parents in Spirited Away, the idea of fasting seemed as appealing as cutting out my own tongue. However, there are several tools that can help, one of which is the Simple app, which I have tested before. The app, assisted by the AI Avo, sends reminders about your fasting window and provides tips and tricks on how to fast, nutrition advice and more. This was particularly helpful for me, a man whose memory is more sieve than pint glass, reports the Mirror. I also made sure to eat in a calorie deficit - not an extreme one, and it shouldn't be for anyone planning their own weight loss journey. According to NHS guidelines, the recommended daily calorie intake for the average person is 2,500 calories for men and 2,000 for women. To lose weight, we need to consume fewer calories than we burn, so our bodies use stored fat for energy instead of the food we eat. To determine the appropriate deficit, you need to calculate your 'Basal Metabolic Rate', which can be done using calculators like this one from This term simply refers to the number of calories your body requires to function, excluding exercise. If you're active, you'll need to add a few hundred extra calories. A smartwatch, such as the FitBit Versa 4 that I use, can help track your energy expenditure. However, Simple guides users through this process and calculates how much you need to eat through their quiz. My result was 2,400 calories a day to lose 1-2lbs a week, which is healthy weight loss for someone my size. Next, you need to monitor your daily calorie intake. This was the first of two significant changes that helped me shed four stone in a year at a healthy pace. I know what you're thinking - who can be bothered? That's exactly what I thought, especially when using a manual tracker like MyFitnessPal. While the app is free, it doesn't have a comprehensive food database, but the barcode scanner does alleviate some of the frustration. Simple also offers a solution - Avo can analyse a photo of your meal, identify the ingredients and provide a nutrition score. I'd love to tell you that you can eat whatever you want as long as you fast, but if you're after health benefits in addition to aesthetic changes, you'll need to ensure proper nutrition. Avo occasionally gets the sizes or products in the photo wrong - AIs, a human invention, are fallible like us too - but you can easily make corrections. To simplify my life, I buy chicken breasts in bulk for the week and absolutely smother them in seasoning. By the time I put one in the air fryer, it's been marinating long enough to be absolutely delicious. (Aldi pre-mixed seasoning is 89p per pot, you're welcome). I also cook things like Bolognese or chilli in large quantities so I always have something ready. But here's the fun part: I still ate takeaways every week. I still ate pizza, I still treated myself. I limit myself to one big indulgence a week but the secret is, as long as you stay under your calorie limit, you can eat whatever you want and still lose weight. I couldn't believe it either. For me, it was about being consistent all week, rather than perfect. If you overeat one day, don't worry, just get back on track the next day - don't feel bad, we're all human and food is delicious. The next significant change I made was ensuring I got at least 10,000 steps a day. I now go to the gym four times a week and swim twice a week, but last year I was only going three days and not getting my steps in. It's hard to overstate how much getting my steps in has changed my life - the energy boost came from this, not the gym, and it also meant I had the energy to start swimming every week. It's now my favourite activity of the week. For those seeking inspiration for exercise, you can try the couch to 5k programmes available on apps such as BBC Sounds for free and Nike Run Club. The Nike Run Club app has received a high rating of 4.8 stars out of five on the Apple App Store. A year on, I am healthier and much happier. Nothing feels like too much effort - some days, I feel like I could bench press the sun. Not every day will be perfect because no one is. Whenever you stumble, pick yourself up and start again, it's the only way to progress towards a healthier and happier life. I still enjoy a night out drinking once a week (I'm from Essex so trust me when I say... I go out drinking), and I still treat myself to a kebab or Wingstop. But for the rest of the week, I am committed. That's how you lose weight and keep it off. I hope you achieve your goals too.
Daily Mirror
6 days ago
- Health
- Daily Mirror
'I lost 4 stone in a year but still eat takeaways by changing just two things'
Losing weight is hard but there are a few easy things you can do to shed the pounds - and now I've completely changed my health As soon as I turned 30, I thought my life would now be in decline. The energy of my twenties faded into a distant memory - walking up the stairs felt like an Olympic challenge, going to the shops required the same amount of mental preparation as London marathon runner (I imagine) and, worst of all, I felt the lust for life slipping out of my hands. I weighed 115kg (18 stone, 1lb) exactly one year ago. Compounding the physical difficulties of being medically overweight, my mental health started a sharp decline. Where I would normally walk into a room and be able to talk to anyone, I felt myself hiding in the corners. My patience declined with my loved ones and felt myself snapping at them more, as exhaustion and self-hatred began to squeeze the air out of everything I loved. Clothes clung to my stomach and everywhere I went, I pulled my top away in hopes people wouldn't see. But, exactly one year ago, I had enough of feeling like I wasn't enough. The time for change came - with the assistance of an app. And I lost four stone in that one year, so I now weigh 89.3kg (14 stone). Through all the research, I finally turned my attention to what I assumed was the diet advice flavour of the month: intermittent fasting. The process involves having an 'eating window', typically 16 hours of fasting for eight hours of not fasting, but can be altered to sort the lifestyle, from 14:10 to 12:12. Some people - including the late Dr Michael Moseley - also suggest the 5:2 method of restricting calories to 500 calories for two non-consecutive days. Now, as someone who lives to eat like the parents in Spirited Away, committing to fasting sounds like I might as well chop out my own tongue. But there are several ways to help - one of those is the Simple app, which I have tested out fully here. The app, with the help of the AI Avo, sends notifications to remind you of the fasting window, as well as providing tips and tricks for how to fast, nutrition and more. This is particularly useful for me, a man with a colander where his brain should be. I also made sure I was eating in a deficit - now, this isn't a crazy deficit, nor should it be for anyone planning their own weight loss journey. According to the NHS, the recommended daily calorie intake (for the average person) is 2,500 calories for men and 2,000 for women. Humans need to eat in a deficit to lose weight, so the body uses its fat stores instead of the energy straight from the food. To work out what the deficit should be, you need to look at what your 'Basal Metabolic Rate' is, which can be done via calculators like this from While a technical term, it just means the amount of calories you need for your body to function without including exercise. If you're active, you then need to add a few hundred extra calories. That's where something like a smartwatch helps as it tracks your energy expenditure - I use the FitBit Versa 4. However, Simple guides users through this process and works out how much you need to eat through their quiz. Mine worked out to be 2,400 calories a day to lose 1-2lbs a week. Then, you need to track your calorie intake per day. This was the first of my two major changes that helped me lose four stone in a year at a healthy rate. I know, I know, who can be bothered? This is exactly what I thought, especially as I was using a manual tracker like MyFitnessPal. The app, while free, doesn't have a complete database of food, but I will say the barcode scanner saves a lot of frustration. Simple does have a solution in its capabilities as well - with a photo, Avo can analyse a photo of your food, pull out the ingredients and provide you with a nutrition score. I would love to sit here and tell you that you can eat whatever you want as long as you fast, but if you want the health bonus alongside the aesthetic changes, you're going to have to get the right nutrition. Avo does sometimes mix up the sizes or products in the photo - AI's, a human invention, are fallible like us too - but you can make corrections really easily. To make my life easier, I bulk buy chicken breasts for the week and absolutely drench those bad boys in seasoning. Then by the time I pop one in the air fryer, it's been marinating for long enough to be absolutely delicious. (Aldi pre-mixed seasoning is 89p per pot, you're welcome). I also bulk cook things like Bolognese or chilli so I've always got something ready. But this is where the fun bit comes in: I still ate takeaways every week. I still ate pizza, I still bought myself treats. I limited myself to one big treat a week but the secret is, as long as you are under calories, you can eat whatever you want and still lose weight. I couldn't believe it either. For me, it was making sure I was consistent all week, rather than perfect. If you eat too much one day, don't worry, just pick yourself up the next day instead - don't feel bad, we are all human beings and food is delicious. The next big change I made was getting at least 10,000 steps a day. I do go to the gym four times a week and swim twice a week now, but last year I was going three days and not getting my steps. It's difficult to overstate how much getting my steps in has changed my life - the energy bonus came from this, not going to gym, and it also meant I had the energy to start swimming every week. It's now my favourite activity of the week. For those looking for exercise inspiration, users can try couch to 5k programmes on apps from both BBC Sounds for free and Nike Run Club. Nike Run Club has 4.8 stars out of five on the Apple App Store. One year later, I am healthy and I am much happier. Nothing feels like too much effort - I feel like I can benchpress the sun some days. Not every day will be perfect as no one is. Whenever you get knocked down, pick yourself back up and start again, it's the only way to get towards the healthier and happier life. I still go out drinking once a week (I'm from Essex so trust me when I say... I go out drinking), I still get a kebab or Wingstop. But the rest of the week I am committed. That's how you lose weight and keep it off. I hope you smash it too.
Daily Mail
02-08-2025
- Health
- Daily Mail
She lost 45 pounds in just three months WITHOUT ever stepping foot in a gym - here's how (the before and after photos say it all)
Daily Mail journalists select and curate the products that feature on our site. If you make a purchase via links on this page we will earn commission - learn more If you feel like you've reached a crossroads in your weight loss journey, it may be time to shake things up a little. The good news is you don't have to push yourself to unreasonable limits to see results thanks to Simple. And it really is that, well, simple! The Simple Wall Pilates challenge is broken down into an enjoyable 28-day program that is customized to meet your specific needs. The challenge ticks every box, offering engaging and satisfying workouts that give you a real feeling of accomplishment while burning stubborn fat. Simple Wall Pilates Challenge Reclaim your life, build your confidence, and find your way back to great health with the Simple 28-day pilates challenge for women. This incredible program offers everything that you need to feel your best, with your built-in AI coach Avo providing you with guidance and support every step of the way. It's fun, engaging, and designed to help you stick to it — so you can achieve your weight goals and feel your best. Get started today and get three free months added to your subscription! 3 months FREE Shop Thrilled Simple app users have shared dramatic testimonials revealing that they've experienced stunning weight loss, like Meredith who dropped 45 pounds in three months It also happens to be a great deal. When you subscribe today, you can get three months completely free! You'll join the many users who have seen tremendous results simply by sticking to the program and committing to a more active way of life. But don't worry — you don't need to be a world-class athlete to get going with the Simple Pilates challenge. That's because it is truly designed with you in mind. The program includes fun Pilates exercises that you can do in the comfort of your own home, along with personal coaching to help you stay motivated through it all. The plan centers you in a very specific way, as each week is based on the results you experienced the previous week. It focuses not just on workouts, but also on nutrition to help you make lifestyle changes that help you get strong and stay fit. Users by the thousands have shared their incredible experiences using the Simple program, which truly lives up to its name in every sense. While weight loss is never inherently 'easy,' making progressive changes that are rooted in your daily activities and choices can really set the tone for lasting results. This is the difference that Simple's plan can make to your life. User Meredith, for example, dropped an impressive 45 pounds in only three months*. Her experience mirrors that of so many others who have seen success thanks to Avo. Who's Avo, you might wonder? Think of the built-in AI coach as your 24/7 cheerleader on call. Avo is always there to drop you some motivating words, answer your most pressing workout questions, and discuss dietary modifications. This is just part of what sets Simple apart. You're never 'alone' on this journey, and with this handy app you are truly always connected in a way that can keep you inspired and accountable through every stage. The results are amazing and inspiring, with millions of users dropping pants sizes and feeling lighter and healthier The app also features individual tracking systems that help you stay on top of some of the most important factors linked to getting healthier, including your hydration levels, fasting, and movement. The Pilates challenge is already so popular that more than 179,000 have signed up to experience the Simple difference. People truly trust the program, with more than 18 million people downloading it (and an impressive 4.7 rating, too). You don't need to be anywhere special to perform these workouts, either. At home? On vacation? You're good either way, and you can take your pick from so many different exercises that target different areas of your body. Plus, they're low-impact — so there's no unnecessary strain placed on your joints. You choose what you want to do and go at your own pace. Patience is key during weight loss, and never has the old 'slow and steady' adage applied more. At the same time, if you stick with it, you can really expect to see results before you know it. In fact, you may be able to achieve it all in as little as 15 minutes a day, which is an amazing advantage for those who either don't love to work out or who are a little short on time. You may be stunned when you see (and feel!) those pounds falling off. But you won't know until you give the Simple app a try! Get started today and enjoy three free months added to your plan. *This is not medical advice. This is a personal experience. Results may vary. Please consult your healthcare professional for any medical conditions.
