• TIPS FOR WEIGHT LOSS

Walking and Weight Loss

If you like to take walks and wonder if walking can help you lose weight the answer is YES! Walking is fun, easy and FREE, you don’t have to pay to walk. You can go to the mall, the park, around the block or wherever you want. Walking and weight loss loss go hand in hand like they were made for each other and it’s so simple and convenient anyone can do it.

You might be wondering how much you have to walk to lose weight. If you walk 60 minutes a day you can shed a few unwanted pounds. You may need to start out easy and work your way up and that’s Ok. I started with 20 minute walks at a comfortable pace and gradually increased and within 30 days I was up to the full hour. If you like you can split it up 30 minutes in the a.m. and 30 in the p.m.

Another way to get in walk time is to park a little further away from your destination like when you go shopping. Every day I find myself looking for opportunities to walk no matter where I am or what I’m doing. And you can too.

Now, let’s look at what you need to prepare for your walk. First of all make sure you have proper shoes and comfortable clothing. The shoes need to fit well and be a half size larger than your dress shoes so that your feet can expand. A comfortable running shoe would be ideal. Similarly, your clothing should be loose fitting and in layers so that you can shed some if need be. Also be sure to invest in some high tech fiber socks to keep your feet dry and blister free. This is NOT a no pain, no gain form of exercise.

We don’t want pain we want results right? Would you like a motivational tip on how to really step up your walking and weight loss results? Get ready this is it: WALK UPHILL! If you have a treadmill that has an incline feature use it or go outside and find a few hills. Walking uphill can increase your calorie burn by 10% for each degree of incline. That’s a Wow!

Want another good tip? Well, here it is. If you have joint problems, walk slower, a slow to moderate pace is easier on the joints than a fast paced beat the pavement walk. The bottom line is just walk, get out there and do it and do it consistently. Walking  and weight loss has to become a lifestyle for it to work.  It can’t be a hit and miss thing. No excuses now go for it!

DO YOU HAVE PROPER SHOES FOR WALKING?

Count Calories

If you need to lose weight you have to count calories. That’s just the way it is so you might as well get used to the idea. It’s not as hard as you might think once you get used to it.

There is no magic number we should eat, however, if you eat about 1500 a day combined with moderate exercise you should be able to lose about 2 pounds a week. You see, the most important factor in getting your weight to do exactly what you want it to do is calorie intake. Not fat, not carbs, not certain foods. It’s calories.

Whether your goal is weight loss, weight gain or just maintaining your current weight, the one factor playing the biggest role in making this happen is the number of calories you are eating. This isn’t an opinion or a diet fad. This is the proven science of the human body.

The amount of calories you need depends on the size of your body and level of activity. One pound of fat has about 3,500 calories. A reduction of 100 calories per day will cause the loss of one pound of weight in 35 days. By just cutting out the calories equivalent to one slice of buttered toast from your diet, you can lose 15 pounds in one year and a half. Maybe now you can see why it’s important to count calories.

The best diet is one that can be maintained for many months or years until healthy eating habits become a way of life. As a general rule, your daily calories should not be reduced below 15 percent of the calories required by your target weight and activity level.

The first few days you count calories are the hardest because you have to look up the number of calories of each new food. It may seem that you are spending more time writing down what you eat than eating. Don’t be discouraged it gets easier as you go.

There is also a great e-book you can get called Burn the Fat Feed the Muscle you can check it by clicking here. You will be amazed when you count calories and exercise how much better you look and feel.

Sleep and Weight Loss

Did you know that sleep loss can increase hunger and affect your metabolism in a way that makes weight loss even harder than it is? Therefore, you might want to add better sleep to your agenda along with good eating habits and exercise. Now that you know sleep and weight loss are related you can do something about it. First of all you need to find out why you’re losing sleep and what you can do to prevent it.

These are some of the top reasons we lose sleep, see if any of them pertain to you:

1. Caffeine

2. Light

3. Noise

4. Eating too close to bed time

5. Illness

6. Stress or anxiety

7. Alcohol

8. Depression

9. Hectic schedule

10. Stimulant medications ( diet pills, allergy or cold remedies etc.)

Most people don’t consider sleep and weight loss a factor when they’re trying to lose weight simply because it isn’t mentioned like dieting and exercise is. We all know that large portions, too much junk food and not enough activity are major contributions due to all the attention placed on these issues. With this new found knowledge you need to make an effort to find out the reasons you lose sleep and do something about it.

So far we’ve talked about what not to do. Now let’s find out what we CAN do. First of all it should be a no brainer but here you go: Eat a healthy diet. I know you hear this everyday, but do you do it? Here’s another good tip: Exercise regularly, 3-4 times a week and do it well before bedtime.  I like this one: Do something that relaxes you just before going to bed like listen to calming music, take a warm bath, or do some light reading. And don’t forget to  create a peaceful sleep environment, darken the room and make sure the room temperature is comfortable. Last, but not least, give yourself more sleep time instead of trying to fit in more activity.

Not enough sleep could be why so many Americans are over weight. Getting enough sleep is not the only answer, but it is part of the solution along with healthy eating and a fitness program. Most people need between 7 to 9 hours of sleep, some more some less, but few of us get the minimum 7. For best results  we should prepare ahead of time and set a regular time to go to bed.

Of course, there will be times you can’t get to bed early and you’ll lose sleep. You just can’t let it become a habit, sleep and weight loss are related so you need to commit to a nightly sleep routine no matter what. This might be the way that you lose the weight you’ve been wanting to lose for a years and haven’t been able to do it. And the best part is, sleep is FREE! Fighting fat with sleep, who would have thought?

Fat Burning Exercises

If you want to lose weight it will benefit you to do fat burning exercises. If you have good muscle tone you burn more calories. Therefore, if you really want to lose weight you want more muscle. However, you can’t just gain muscle to lose weight.

In fact, you need these three things to lose weight and keep it off permanently:

1. You need some form of resistance training whether it be bands, your own body weight or weight training which would be machines and or free weights.

2. You need cardio and this can be in the form of cycling, elliptical, treadmill, aerobic workout videos, swimming or anything that keeps your heart rate up for 25-30 minutes.

3. You need to eat less calories preferably 1500 or less, but no less than 1200 or you may eat too little and your body will go into starvation mode then your metabolism slows down and you don’t want that because it’s very hard to get it back up.

There is no reason why you can’t make up your own program. All you do it get a calorie chart so you can keep track of all you eat and drink (write it down). Eat healthy foods and drink plenty of water. Then you decide which type of cardio appeals to you the most so that you will do it on a consistent basis. If you enjoy it you will do it more.

If you can also do some form of weight training you will lose faster. You don’t need heavy weights just a few dumb bells or invest in a Power Block. You can go to youtube and see what that is. Or you can purchase a set of elastic bands they’re very easy to use.

These are great tips, but if you’re REALLY serious check out Burn the Fat Feed the Muscle it’s currently the top weight loss product out on the market and it has a solid structure that if followed guarantees results. CLICK HERE to learn more about it…

Weight Loss Dance

Did you know you can dance weight off? There’s no specific weight loss dance method, but as you can imagine there are multiple styles of dance that will do the trick. It’s best to choose one that you enjoy so that you’ll do it on a regular basis. Personally, I have participated in several and I loved them all, of course, I love to dance so that makes a difference. Dancing can be considered exercise, but I see it as fun.  Why not lose weight and have fun doing it?

One of the most fun types of dance you can do is Dance Dance Revolution, also known as DDR. Just in case you have never heard of DDR, it’s an interactive game. Mostly kids do it, however, adults get involved along with the kids or can play on their own. You just plug it in, get on your dance mat and use the colored arrows as a guide to do your dance steps. The best thing to do is start out easy and work your way up so that you can get used to it and so that you won’t look like a clod. This energetic dance game is used all over the world to help obese kids lose weight and as a family activity.

If you don’t want to go the game route there are plenty of other options, for example, what about a dance class. There are all kinds of dance classes you can take. One of the first dance classes I ever took was a belly dance class. It was tricky getting used to the music and the costumes seemed somewhat brief at first, but in time you get used to it and it turned out to be a great learning experience plus I lost 10 pounds in 5 weeks. Another added bonus was I made some of my money back from the classes by dancing with a team of girls at several Greek restaurants.

And if belly dancing doesn’t appeal to you there’s always Ballet, Tap, Jazz,  Aerobics and the ever popular, Ballroom dance. I have done all of these at one time or other and I must say I really did love them all, however, the most fun one was ball room. To sum up: ballet took the most discipline, tap helped me to get rhythm, jazz was exciting, and aerobics helped me lose the most weight, due to the intensity of it. The best thing to do is consider what your goal is and make a decision based on that.

Additionally, you can learn all the new trendy/line dances and practice them at home either when no one is at home or have a friend or family member join you. This way when you go to parties you can impress everyone with all the latest moves and be the life of the party. Somebody has to do it so why not you? Finally, all forms of dance can help you lose weight it just depends on which one you enjoy most and of course, your weight loss goals.

Fast Weight Loss Tips

These fast weight loss tips will help you lose weight without the use of diet pills IF you do them. Many people expect to lose weight without effort on their part and that’s unrealistic. So we’re going to look at some realistic ways to lose weight fast without pills or fad diets. The good news is that these diet tips don’t involve starving, everyone hates that.

1. Drink water – Water works as an appetite suppressant by keeping the stomach full and keeps you from being dehydrated which can lead to hunger that isn’t real. Drinking water is one of the best things you can do to keep weight off long term.

2. Eat more often- It is better to eat more often and eat less ( watch portion size) when you do eat. If you eat five times a day instead of three it will keep you from feeling hungry. It’s when you feel hungry that you are willing to eat anything which can hinder fast weight loss. Additionally, make sure you eat breakfast so that you get a good start; breakfast is the most important meal of the day.

3. Adequate fiber helps- High fiber food is typically low in calories and quite filling, so you can reduce calories just by eating fiber rich foods. Furthermore, they make you feel fuller longer. Some foods rich in fiber are: beans, bran, brown rice, nuts, broccoli, chickpeas, strawberries, figs, and apples.

4. Carbohydrates- Forget what you’ve heard about no or low carb diets, carbohydrates can help you lose weight. Good carbs consist of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains that are low in fat and calories. Get the most natural source you can, no processing or refining. Sensible eating is one of the keys to fast weight loss.

5. Eat good fats- There are good and bad fats. The good fats help nutrient absorption, nerve transmission, maintain healthy cells etc. The good fats are called polyunsaturated fats and some good sources of those are: olives, avocados, nuts, peanut butter, sesame seeds and oils (canola, peanut, olive and sesame). However, calories are calories so you need to keep track of the good as well as the bad. The bad fats are saturated fats and they include: animal meats, lard, cheese, whole milk, pastries, chocolate and butter to name a few.

6. Quality protein- Will also help you lose weight fast since it’s filling and keeps you full longer, similar to high fiber foods; both take longer to digest. Additionally, protein maintains healthy muscle which helps in the fat burning process. Good sources are: cottage cheese, skim milk, white meats no skin, egg whites, beans, soy and fish.

These six fast weight loss tips will work all you have to do it do them.

If you need help get this amazing book on Amazon that will show you how to do it:
Eat This, Not That! Thousands of Simple Food Swaps that Can Save You 10, 20, 30 Pounds–or More!

Interval Training for Weight Loss

Using interval training for weight loss is a great way to increase metabolism and intensity in your workout. This is because you can do it a little at a time instead of it being a do or die mission. Many people simply start new workouts that are too hard for them.

Then when they strain or pull a muscle and end up in pain they’re afraid to exercise again out of fear. It doesn’t need to be like this if you increase the intensity a little at a time.

Interval training means that you increase the intensity of the workout for a few minutes then go back to a slower pace and you do this throughout the entire routine.

For example, if you’re on a treadmill walking then you walk fast for 10 minutes then slow for 10 and back and forth like this for say 30 minutes. Then you may increase it next time to 15 minutes of fast walking and 10 minutes slow this way you increase calories burned.

Another way to vary treadmill workouts would be to use the incline feature as a way to increase difficulty plus work other muscles in the legs as you do so.

The great thing about interval training is that you can use it in any type of exercise or training, since all you do is speed up and slow down or use heavy resistance or light. In addition, for more weight loss benefits you increase fast time minutes.

This way you burn more calories and lose more weight, so why not add interval training to your workouts? You could even do it at home cleaning house by cleaning faster and slower.

There really is no downside to interval training for weight loss because you have all the control, so if it gets too hard you can always slow down for a well earned rest.

Think about what you’re doing each day and how you can add the principle of interval training to make a difference on how many calories you burn.

Rapid Weight Loss Diets- Safe?

Rapid weight loss diets are popular because most people want to lose weight fast. Every time you turn around there’s a new diet pill or fad diet that claims to take weight off fast. And their claims may be true, but what else do they do? What are the possible side effects and will the weight stay off?

Those who are obese may rationalize rapid weight loss by thinking it will be better for them to lose the weight fast since there are all kinds of health risks that go along with being overweight and if they lose it they will somehow become healthier faster. However, doing this could make matters worse.

After all, there’s a multitude of health concerns involved that require supervision by a health care professional when you drastically change your eating habits. Not to mention, when you buy certain types of diet products online without knowing anything about them then combine the two.

What are the dangers of rapid weight loss diets? First of all, the longer you’re on it the more danger increases. Let’s say you’re just 20-30 pounds overweight, but otherwise healthy, a brief period of extreme calorie restriction may not hurt you, but if you do it for an extended time it will.

Of course, even then you should be doctor-supervised. Then there’s the problem that it could trigger bouts of anorexia by changing your eating habits so drastically. And as everybody knows anorexia can be quite dangerous, both physically and emotionally.

Other side effects of rapid weight loss diets include: dehydration, headaches, dizziness, malnutrition, constipation, fatigue, gallstones, slow metabolism, muscle and bone loss and to top it off most likely you will gain the weight back.

The main reason weight comes back is that you didn’t change your eating or lifestyle habits in a healthy manner. As a result, you end up in a weight loss weight gain cycle that is discouraging, defeating and unsafe.

It’s obvious that it can do more harm than good when you lose weight on rapid weight loss diets. Only you can decide if the risk is worth taking, however, you should at least research the product.  On the other hand,  it is considered safe to do it for short periods of time. For example, if you need to lose weight quickly to fit into your wedding dress.

The bottom line is don’t stay on  rapid weight loss diets for long periods of time. If you must do it then use wisdom and don’t put your health in danger.

Antioxidants for Good Health

Antioxidants benefits are too numerous to go into. For the sake of simplicity let’s just say that they’re the good guys that beat up the bad guys in our bodies. We need them to help us fend off sickness and disease. Eating fast foods and going at a non stop pace can wreck havoc on our health. So, we need these little soldiers to go to battle for us on a daily basis.

To get antioxidants benefits we need to consume them on a daily basis. If you already eat healthy then you may be getting enough. On the other hand, if not, then it’s time to go shopping for some antioxidant rich products.

Eat organic foods for higher antioxidant levels. Many people these days peel or get rid of the skins to lower risk of consuming pesticides. There is less worry of this with organic foods, however, since there is more precaution taken to keep pesticides out.

Choose foods with antioxidants that you enjoy, so that you will eat them more often. Most everyone loves fruit so why not select a few favorite fruits and stock up on them. Examples of fruits high in antioxidants benefits are: wild blueberries, cranberries, strawberries, plums, orange, grapefruit, pineapple, lime, lemon, grapes, dates, mango’s and red apples.

If you’re a veggie/legumes/nuts eater then go for red beans, pinto beans, soy beans, kale, corn, artichokes, broccoli, squash, spinach, carrots, sweet potatoes, russet potatoes, tomatoes, peppers, red cabbage, red beets, pecans, walnuts, hazel nuts and almonds.

Make juices with a vegetable and fruit juicer. These gadgets are great for making a glass of fresh juice that is chocked full of antioxidants. You might be amazed at how good a glass of carrot juice can taste. But why stop there, be creative and whip up a specialty drink or two.

Eat chocolate, especially the dark kind. Say what! That’s right, this is your chance to eat something you love and reap a benefit. However, don’t get carried away, since it’s full of sugar and fat as well as calories.

Take vitamins to get antioxidants benefits. If you get tired of eating foods with antioxidants then alternate days with a supplement instead. The three primary vitamins that have antioxidant benefits are vitamin C, E and A. All three of these vitamins have multiple benefits, so you really can’t lose.

Weight Loss Help

It’s pretty easy to find weight loss help, however, you need to be sure it’s a safe way to lose. There are all kinds of fad diets, drinks and pills that promise you that you will lose 10 pounds in a week, but let’s face it if you lose 10 pounds in a week it cant’ be safe.

Normal weight loss is about 2 pounds a week and that’s eating about 1000 -1200 calories. So it’s hard telling what would take off 10 pounds in a weeks time. The problem with starving yourself is that your body goes into starvation mode and protects itself by slowing down metabolism. Then once you go off the crash diet your metabolism is so slow you gain all the weight back really quick.

When you need weight loss help the best thing to do is research the product you’re buying to find out what it’s all about BEFORE you buy it. Don’t waste your time and money then end up on a gain lose weight cycle that is unsafe and discouraging.

Here’s some weight loss help you can count on to be safe that works:

*Chew your food slowly if you eat fast your stomach doesn’t have time to know it’s full.
*Always eat breakfast so that you don’t start off in starvation mode.
*Never skip meals because when you do eat you will overeat.
*Maintain an eating schedule if at all possible
*Watch your portion size and no seconds.
*Have healthy snacks available.
*Eat only when hungry.
*Limit alcohol intake it’s high in calories.
*Drink lots of water.
*Last but not least, keep moving don’t stay in park.

This is great free weight loss help all that’s needed is for you to take action. These 10 tips will take off 2 pounds a week without having to go on a diet. Most people don’t stay on a diet it’s too restrictive and they feel deprived so they give in and usually overeat.

Don’t feel too bad if you are guilty of doing this most dieters have done it, including me. Just get right back to your plan the next day and don’t beat yourself up.

One of the best books to read is Dr. Phil’s The Ultimate Weight Solution: The 7 Keys to Weight Loss Freedom. The link will take you to Amazon.

Exercise To Lose Fat

When you exercise to lose fat it helps you to lose it faster. It’s a combination of exercise and eating properly that will give you the best results. Then once you lose the weight you will be toned and not flabby. It also helps you to not have to starve yourself because exercise burns more calories so that means you can eat more.

The best way to do it is to start doing a physical activity that you enjoy. If you enjoy it you will do it. After all, if you dread doing a workout how long will it last? A month, 2  months tops?  Another tip is to do the workout in the morning. Many people are tired at the end of the day and don’t have the energy to do a workout so they don’t do it at all.

If you exercise to lose fat the best form of exercise to do is cardio or aerobic activity. When you get your heart rate up it helps to increase metabolism. A higher metabolism means you will burn more fat and if you work on building intensity you can even get your metabolism high enough to burn fat while resting. However, if you’re out of shape you need to take your time and build intensity slowly.

A great way to start is by using aerobic dance videos. For example, Billy Blanks routines work the entire body and you can start out with a beginner version and work your way up to more advanced. Then as you exercise to lose fat you will do it faster.

It also helps to have a friend or family member do it with you for support and motivation. Then you can workout together and maybe go out shopping or to a movie as a reward. You can also share ideas and diet tips on a regular basis to assist one another with goals.

Statistics show that people who exercise to lose fat with a partner have more fun, lose weight faster and keep the weight off instead of gaining it back.

To recap there are 4 tips and they are:
* exercise to lose fat
* aerobics is the best way
* morning is the best time
* workout with a partner

You can get Billy Blanks or The Biggest Loser
videos by clicking on their links which will take you to Amazon.

3 Top Diet Pills- Are They Safe?

There’s always a new diet pill coming out that supposedly will out do all the rest. I see them advertised everywhere and I know you do too. How does one go about sifting through all of them? First of all, I don’t think you can there’s so many you wouldn’t get anything else done. However, I did do a little research and came up with three worthy of mention.

The first one is Apidexin, its rated number one by experts and number two by consumers. Apidexin has 8 patented ingredients. You might wonder why that matters. Well, this is the deal, you can’t just pay for a patent you have to provide clinical evidence that the ingredients are safe and that you can actually lose weight with them. Other reasons why Apidexin is rated so high is that is has a money back guarantee and a 100% safety rating.

The number two diet pill is Fenterdren. This is the consumer’s number one pick contrary to the expert’s opinion who thought it should be number two. The main reason they believe they chose it over the Apidexin is because you can lose weight with it faster and it’s more effective. It sounds like a hardcore diet pill so if you need to lose weight fast this one is for you. It also has an 80% safety rating.

The third and last one is Fenphedra. This one surpassed weight loss results better than the now banned Fen-Phen. So it seems like some caution should be used if you decide to check it out. It has a few intense stimulants in it that help suppress your appetite and give you an overall happy feeling. It has a 90 day guarantee and a 79% safety rating.

Diet pills aren’t safe to use for extended periods of time unless you’re under doctors supervision. And if you have other health related problems you most likely shouldn’t use them at all. After all, they are considered a drug and caution should be taken. In addition, the weight you lose usually comes back, therefore, it’s a temporary solution.

If you’re serious about getting fit and trim, you’re going to need a solid plan. Burn the Fat Feed the Muscle is currently the top weight loss product out on the market and it has a solid structure that if followed guarantees results. CLICK HERE to learn more about it…

Weight Loss Motivation at Work

It’s true that weight loss can be hard, but it doesn’t have to be. Don’t forget why you wanted to lose weight in the first place? That’s when your weight loss motivation was at it’s highest point.  If you’re not careful you’ll lose motivation and that’s when it gets hard. Motivation at work is awesome it keeps you positive and helps you reach your goals with half the effort. Soon as you start to think you can’t lose weight motivation will begin to weaken and you can’t allow that to happen.

If you want to lose weight you will need to have a few motivational techniques
in place to help you achieve the results you want. These 5 motivational tips will help:

1. Get together with a support group of others who have the same goals (realistic goals).

2. Set up a plan to lose weight for a special day like your birthday, Valentine’s Day etc.

3. Make a list of all the reasons you want to lose weight; don’t forget your WHY!

4. Don’t use crash diet methods they work short term, permanent weight loss is the goal.

5. Most important of all lose weight for yourself not for someone else; this is key and powerful.

Caring for yourself enough to make the changes needed to be healthy should be one of the main reasons to lose unwanted pounds. Not to please your family, a man, a woman, friends, or anyone, it must be for YOU! Because you matter and you value yourself is the type of motivation that really works.

Weight management programs are another good way to lose weight and provide education needed to lose weight safely. If you’re a beginner a program is a great idea so that you have a course of action to follow and will be taught healthy eating habits along with exercise routines that are customized for your level of fitness. Furthermore, the guidance provided will help sustain your motivation to lose weight.

Of course, your level of motivation will determine how successful you are in your efforts to lose weight. Some days you will feel more motivated than others and this is normal, however, the focus should be on the positives not the negatives. Don’t allow your feelings to dictate your actions stick to the plan and you will build confidence in the fact that you can and will do it.

Remember your WHY! Be realistic! Do it for you! = weight loss motivation at work!

Weight Loss- Lose Stomach Fat

One of the last places we tend to lose weight is the stomach. Losing stomach fat can be tricky and requires a strategy. Just having a strategy, however, isn’t good enough, you need to act on it. Now, let’s look at some ways to lose overall body fat and lose stomach fat too.

Changing your eating habits is a good place to start when you want to lose stomach fat. This means an adjustment needs to be made when it comes to eating foods that are high in fat and calories. It doesn’t mean you have to give them up entirely, but eat them in moderation. For example, eat them only 2 days a week not 5 and eat smaller portions.

An increase in activity is also in order, aka the dreaded ‘exercise’ word. The results may not be immediate, but the weight will come off, slowly, which is the best way. When you lose weight quickly with pills and fad diets the weight comes right back creating a cycle of gain and lose that is discouraging, defeating and unsafe.

It’s recommended to exercise at least 4-5 days a week at 30 minute intervals. To lose overall body fat which includes stomach fat, aerobic activity is suggested. This could be in the form of cycling, walking , jogging, dancing and even weight training will work if you use super set techniques or do circuit weight training which elevates the heart rate. Of course, you need to be working your stomach as well doing crunches, leg raises and torso twists.

Naturally, with the combination of better eating habits and increased activity stomach fat will begin to disappear. Safe weight loss is about 2 pounds a week so in three months time you could be 24 pounds less. You’ll look great, feel great and get great compliments.

Why wait? Get started today by eating less at your next meal. Then just keep going one day at a time with small doable goals. You CAN lose your stomach fat so go for it!

Alcohol and Weight Loss

Alcohol and weight loss are they connected? Do you like to have the occasional drink now and then or do you drink like a fish? If you have a problem with gaining weight you most likely need to watch those alcohol calories that add up as fast as you guzzle them down. When you are on a you don’t have many calories to splurge with. So the bottom line is COUNT the calories that are in what you’re drinking if you can’t afford to drink them then don’t.

If you keep track of what you eat and drink you will have a much better chance of losing weight. If you’re binge drinking or binge eating this is where you can lose all the progress you’ve made. To do this a tad of discipline is needed especially when you’re at a party and you see a skinny person across the room drinking like there’s no tomorrow. And you wonder why they don’t get fat and you do. I’m sure you’ve done this before, I know, I used to do it too, but not anymore.

The thing is you shouldn’t be thinking about their weight anyway, but about yours. The sooner you do this the better. It isn’t good for anyone to compare themselves to others. Do what is best for you and keep the focus on you and YOUR weight loss program. What may work for someone else may not work for you, you need a personalized weight loss plan designed for you. And if alcohol fits into that plan then go ahead; relax, and have a drink.

It may take a little getting used to if you’ve been a heavy drinker to limit your intake of alcohol. Worse yet, you may find that you have a drinking problem when you try to limit it and can’t. In this case you need to seek professional help or think about a 12 step program such as Alcoholics Anonymous. The latter program is free and has helped many people to sober up and get their lives back under control and I’m sure many of them lost a few pounds as an added benefit.

If you don’t drink at all that’s great then you don’t have to worry about alcohol and weight loss. However, you may know someone who does, so it might be nice to share this information with them and help them out. Meanwhile, keep track of calories and do your best to stick to a weight loss program.

Healthy Food Tips

Healthy food tips aren’t any good unless you follow them. This is the problem and that is that many people know how to eat right, but they don’t do it. In this day and age when information is readily available online and everywhere you go on healthy food tips how can anyone not know how to eat the right foods. They know but don’t do!

Just for the heck of it I’m going to lay out the basics. It all starts at the grocery store. When you’re shopping for food you need to read the labels! You are looking for calories, fat, salt and sugar amounts of each food you buy.

Healthy food tips are right there for you to read if only you will. Before you go shopping you need to research and find out how much of each is the right amount for you. Obviously, if you’re trying to lose weight then you choose low cal, low fat foods.

You also need to know about portion control and not eat heaping helpings or multiple helpings. This is basic healthy eating 101, we all know this.

Always eat breakfast and eat several small meals a day not 3 great big ones. Keep track of what you eat it all counts! Do not allow yourself to get hungry, hungry people over eat. Stressed out people over eat, so stress and emotional eating is a no no.

Don’t eat just before going to bed use the 3 hour rule and eat your last bite of food three hours before bedtime. Drink more water and less soft drinks. Eat more fresh vegetables and fruits as well as less processed foods.

These healthy food tips are of no benefit to you if you don’t do them. If you choose to have poor eating habits then you will pay and you will pay dearly as time goes on.

Just eating right isn’t enough either you need to have a consistent exercise routine in place to reap the full benefits of healthy foods. Diet and exercise work together to maintain good health. If you don’t know this then you have been living in a cave.

The reality is that people know and don’t care, but they will care after a stroke or heart attack lands them in the hospital like it did my mother as well as my brother and father.

I’m determined that poor health doesn’t sneak up on me how about you? Don’t say I can’t afford it when in fact you can’t afford not to.

Weight Loss Routine

A weight loss routine is essential if you plan to lose weight and keep it off. A fad diet or diet pills may work temporarily, but the weight will come right back. Therefore, it makes sense to have a routine, something you do by a change in lifestyle.

A change in lifestyle is the only way to have permanent weight loss. It doesn’t have to be a drastic change, so that your life is turned upside down and you’re stressed out about it.

You can get a weight loss routine by changing one thing at a time this way it’s doable. Why set yourself up for failure? This is exactly why many diets and fitness plans don’t work. People attempt to make drastic changes and realize they can’t do it!

Or they may try someone else’s plan which won’t work either. It needs to be your plan a weight loss routine that you designed because only you know what you can and can’t do.

Okay, so where do you start? You start with the beginning of the day at breakfast. Just make it your goal for the week to eat a low calorie healthy breakfast, no donuts or junk. Did you know you can get rid of hundreds of calories just by doing this one thing?

After the week is up move on to doing lunch the same way; a low calorie healthy lunch for a week. The next week move on to dinner and pretty soon you will have a pattern of eating healthy. If you fall off the wagon a day or two just get right back on, don’t rest there.

While you’re doing this make it a point to add a little more activity each day like walking, playing with kids or maybe going up and down stairs at work or home. Something is always better than nothing. This is how you will gradually design a weight loss routine.

It needs to fit into your daily life, not something that totally disrupts and causes chaos by interfering with your job or family. I’m not saying there’s no effort, because there is and it’s all up to you to follow through. No reason to delay get started right away.

Weight Loss Exercises

All forms of exercise are beneficial and all can help you lose weight. The best thing to do is decide what type of weight loss exercises you like to do, if you like the exercise then most likely you’ll do it on a consistent basis and not dread it. Consistency is one of the keys to not just losing weight, but also keeping it off. If you  decide to join a health club ask yourself three questions:
1. What type of exercise? ( Aerobic or Resistance Training)
2.How difficult? ( easy, moderate, strenuous)?
3. How long? (short 15-30min. long 1-2 hours)

You can do a combination of all three and alternate them. For example, if you workout an hour you can do 20 minutes of aerobic exercise with 20 minutes of weight training by the time you add in a few abdominal exercises and a stretch warm up you have your hour in. You can also change up the intensity take it easy one day and make it a little harder the next. There are many variations you can do to keep boredom from setting in. Weight loss exercises can get tedious if you let them.

You don’t have to limit yourself to the gym or at home exercises no matter what type of exercise you do it’s beneficial. What about the easy/fun exercises like swimming, water aerobics and walking? If you really like the outdoors how about a nature hike? And did you know that playing with the kids (if you have kids) are weight loss exercises. That’s right you can play tag or tag football, give piggy back rides, jump rope or jump on the trampoline it all counts. Or be creative and take a dance class I used to take belly dance classes and it was a great way to have fun and exercise too. What about a Pilates or Yoga class? And if you like high intensity how about a Billy Blanks kick boxing video?

As you can see there are all kinds of ideas and types of exercise to consider. It doesn’t have to be something you hate to do. In fact, if you choose an exercise you like it could be the highlight of your day; something to look forward to. It doesn’t have to look like a workout to be a workout, it can look like fun and be fun. With that in mind get to work and come up with at least five different types of weight loss exercises that you would like to try and then DO at least two of them.

Lowfat Diets

Low fat diets can help you lose weight, however, you still need to watch calories and exercise. Most people know fat in their diet can raise cholesterol and put them at risk for heart disease, but keep eating high fat foods anyway.

Then there are people who know they have poor eating habits and are seeking to change them. If you’re eating foods high in fat you can make changes a little at a time. You don’t have to give everything up all at once and eat low fat diets.

Many people don’t start changing from high fat diets to low fat diets because they fear giving up their comfort foods like ice cream, chips, donuts, cake, pizza and other high fat foods.

They don’t seem to realize you can eventually exchange the old bad eating habits for new good ones by doing small doable goals. All you need to do is set a doable goal of no high fat food for 1 day then once you’ve done that you can go for 2 days then 3 and so forth.

You can alternate the days and eat your normal high fat foods one day and low fat foods the next. However, on the high fat food days you need to remember the long term goal is to cut these foods to a minimum. So, you may want to eat smaller portions than you used to.

Alright let’s look at some low fat diets foods. These are the foods that you want to start replacing the high fat ones with, but remember you need to also pay close attention to the calories, low fat doesn’t necessarily mean low calorie.

Low calories foods: Lettuce, carrots, tomatoes, strawberries, spinach, egg whites, baked potatoes, grapes, angel food cake, oatmeal cookies, breakfast cereals (some), watermelon, air-popped popcorn, tuna packed in water, green peas, wheat bread, pancakes, beans, rice, pretzels, vegetable soup, chicken soup with rice, 1% milk, low fat yogurt and low fat cottage cheese, lean meats/fish no skin, no frying.

Most all fresh fruits and vegetables are low fat except avocado’s and olives. Read labels for nutritional information while shopping and have a calorie/fat chart that tells you what’s what.

Once you get started you will be amazed at how much better you feel and look when you eat healthier and begin to lose weight. When you accomplish small doable goals you will ultimately reach long term ones rather than deprive yourself of everything all at once.

Low fat diets will help, however, calories must be counted and an exercise plan in place.

These are great tips, but if you’re REALLY serious check out Burn the Fat Feed the Muscle it’s currently the top weight loss product out on the market and it has a solid structure that if followed guarantees results. CLICK HERE to learn more about it…

How to Lose Body Fat

Once you learn the basics of how to lose body fat you can put a plan in motion to lose weight in a safe and healthy manner. Losing body fat doesn’t have to be hard, in fact, many people already know that you have to exercise more and eat less.

One problem is that many people look at one body part, the one they don’t like, and focus on that instead of overall weight loss. To lose body fat you need to work the entire body, I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but spot reduction is a myth it isn’t possible.

While working the whole body is one of the keys to losing body fat you also need to make sure that the exercise routine includes at least three to five days of aerobic activity. You want to get your heart rate up so that you elevate the metabolism. Furthermore, if you raise it high enough you will burn fat even when you’re resting.

Some moderate forms of aerobic activity are:
* Mowing the lawn
* Raking leaves
* Playing with the kids
* Taking stairs
* Short walks

More intense forms of aerobics are:
* Running
* Fast walking
* Bicycling
* Swimming
* Rowing
* Skating
* Aerobic dancing

You should take into consideration your physical condition before starting any exercise program its best to start easy and work your way up to a higher intensity.

It also helps to incorporate weight training into your routine. And since muscle tissue burns more calories than fat tissue, muscle is a key factor in weight loss. Love it or hate it working out with weights will help you lose body fat.

What you eat and how much you eat is another consideration when you want to lose body fat. The best thing to do is have a calorie chart and log what you eat and drink. All calories should be counted so that you will have accurate records of what you eat.

If you are consistent and stick with a weight loss plan you will lose body fat. You know what to do all you need to do is do it and keep doing it.

Maintain Weight Loss and Stay Healthy

If you want to maintain weight loss and stay healthy you can do it. The key is to stay consistent with the program that helped you get there. Many people gain weight back because they stop doing what they did to lose the weight.

They stop exercising and revert back to unhealthy eating habits. All this does is create a yo-yo gain and lose issue that can go on for years. When you do this it’s hard on your body and self esteem as well. Nobody feels good when they’re over weight.

Once you’ve reached the weight you desire it’s time to reevaluate weight loss goals. Now that you have lost the weight it’s time to maintain weight loss with a new plan.

The new plan will allow you to up calories a bit and not workout as hard as you did to lose. Only you know how many calories less you ate to lose, so only you know how many you need to maintain weight loss. If you feel comfortable with your workout leave it alone.

While you’re over weight you are out of balance and when you’re in the process of losing you’re out of balance too. However, now you want to create a balance.

Being in balance won’t feel natural at first because you’re used to being out of balance. You will want to under eat, over eat, exercise more, exercise less, back and forth like you have been. It’s a matter of habit more than anything, you crave being out of balance because that’s what you’re used to. This is what you’re up against to maintain weight loss.

The good thing is that now you know, so you can gain control over your emotions. Just because you want to do something doesn’t mean you have to do it. You can control your emotions with your mind. It’s called discipline!

Discipline is a foreign word to a lot of people, but it’s what you need to maintain weight loss. It will help to reset goals and write them down. It’s also a great idea to share them with another person who is going through the same thing, which will provide emotional support.

Remember it’s a lifestyle now not a diet and you’ve won the battle!

Weight Loss Toning

Weight loss toning makes sense doesn’t it? Really now who wants to lose weight and not tone their body while they do it? After all, if you don’t then you’re left with flabby upper arms for all to see as they jiggle along every time you wear a sleeveless top. Not to mention those flabby thighs that keep you from wearing your favorite shorts. As you no doubt know only exercise can tone your body and keep you looking your best so that no matter what you wear you look GREAT!

Toning the body doesn’t have to take a lot of time you just need to know what to do and how to do it. One of the best ways to tone is to use some type of resistance training. Resistance training can be done with weights, tubing or even your own body weight. All of these methods are effective, it’s just a matter of personal preference.

Another question you may have on resistance training is how often it’s done. Usually 2-3 days a week is sufficient depending on your goals and how much time you have to devote to it. Keep in mind muscles need at least 24 hours of rest for best results. This rule pertains primarily to resistance training not stretching or cardio exercises which can be done daily.

Now let’s go into bit of detail on how many repetitions and sets to start with. Beginners should start out at most doing 2 sets of 8-10 reps for all major muscle groups. The major muscle groups being: legs, back, chest, abs, shoulders and arms. Most likely you can be finished in 30-45 minutes minutes. Naturally, you want to do 5- 10 minutes of warm up exercises and or stretches before resistance training to prevent injury.

Finally, if you tone and lose weight at the same time you not only feel better, but look better too. Nobody wants sagging, flabby skin. Furthermore, it’s much healthier and faster when you combine toning exercises with a safe balanced diet than to do one without the other. For this reason weight loss toning will be a great asset to your weight loss plan.

Yoga for Weight Loss

If you’re thinking about yoga for weight loss then you should know that it can help, just as any exercise can, however, it’s not the best choice. The reason being is that it doesn’t get your heart rate up enough to burn fat.

For yoga for weight loss to work you would need to combine it with running or some other form of aerobic exercise. This is what a many others do in order to lose weight and reap the benefits that yoga has to offer. Yoga is good for strengthening muscles, improving posture and increasing flexibility. Yoga is also great for relieving stress.

There are a couple of styles of Yoga that can get your heart rate up more than the others. One is Power Yoga. This type of Yoga will most likely appeal to people who are already quite fit, enjoy exercising, and want a minimal amount of chanting and meditation.

Then there’s Ashtanga Yoga it also has rigorous movements like Power Yoga except for it follows a set series of poses with an emphasis on flexibility and strength. Once again this is usually for those who are already in pretty good shape and can follow with no problems.

If you’re determined to use Yoga for weight loss you can do it. Granted it may take a while to get where you want to be, but once you’ve got it down you can do it from home or anywhere.

One of the best DVD’s on power yoga is Total Body Workout with Rodney Lee the link goes to Amazon. It’s reasonably priced at $7.99. This DVD has 213 reviews with 98% of them good so I would say if want to use Yoga for weight loss this is the one for you.

Diabetes and Weight

Many times there is a connection between diabetes and weight. In fact, sometimes just by losing weight your blood sugar can go back to normal. This sounds like a good reason to lose weight to me. After all, why risk the dangers of diabetes if you can avoid it?

On the other hand, did you know that you can be thin and still get diabetes, especially if it runs in the family. So, it’s good to always stay aware and check any irregularities.

Whether you’re heavy or thin the best way to avoid diabetes and or weight problems is a change in lifestyle. This means analyzing what is and what isn’t healthy in your life.

One of the first things that needs to go is refined sugars. To do this you start replacing high fat, high calorie desserts with fruit. The best way to do it is to start with small doable goals such as eating fruit 2-3 days a week then 4-5 days a week etc.

Next eat smaller meals more times a day as opposed to larger meals that are harder to digest. In addition, use smaller plates this is a great weight loss tactic. Also, plan meals and keep a schedule when possible, so that there’s no chance to get hungry.

Additionally, don’t eat meals or snacks while watching TV many people tend to overeat doing this. It’s also good to have low cal snacks prepared ahead of time ready to go out the door with you. This way you won’t need to eat foods that are off limits.

Next, cut calories by 200 a day until you reach 1500 a day, but no less than 1200. As you adjust the diet cut back on sodas and other drinks and eventually replace them with water.

While diet is a major concern when it comes to diabetes and weight gain you also need to add exercise. A regular exercise program that you enjoy 3-5 days a week is ideal.

It may take a while to adjust to lifestyle changes, but be patient and tackle them one at time and it will not only be doable, but also not as hard as you first thought.

Exercise the Heart and Lose Weight

To exercise the heart you need to do some form of cardio. This is good news because there are many different types of cardio to choose from. You’re sure to find something you enjoy. One of the best ways to find what type of cardio you like is to visit a fitness center.

When you visit a fitness center they will give you a tour so you can see what’s available. You can try them out and maybe even join the facility. Or if you like a particular machine you can buy a similar one at Sporting Goods store and workout at home.

Whether you’re at home or in the gym to exercise the heart you need to get your heart rate up. In addition, you want to do 25-45 minutes depending on age and health condition. For example, a teenager could go 45 minutes, whereas, an elderly person may only be able to do 15-25 minutes.

If you have joint issues it’s better to go with little or no impact. The elliptical machine has become quite popular for this reason. It’s also easy to use and you can do any level of intensity you choose. Beginners should start out at an easy level and work their way up.

On the other hand, if you’re not limited to low or no impact you can opt for the treadmill. If it has an incline feature you can make it harder for interval training. Which means, you can do incline for 2 minutes or however long you choose then go back and forth from flat to incline for the entire routine. Interval training is great way to exercise the heart.

You can also exercise the heart on a stationary or regular cycle. Cycling is a no impact exercise, therefore, easy on joints. A stationary bike is great in bad weather so you can exercise indoors. I have both indoor and outdoor.

You can also do aerobic videos to exercise the heart. Billy Blanks has excellent videos that work the entire body. He will indeed get your heart rate up and has beginner to advanced workout. There are many other videos that do the job just as well. The best way to find a good one is to go to Amazon and read the reviews.

Swimming is another option, however, it’s seasonal unless you belong to a fitness center that has an indoor pool. Swimming is a great way to exercise the heart; no impact and you work the upper body as much as the lower.

Cardio doesn’t have to be serious it can be enjoyable. You can have fun and exercise the heart at the same time. Working the heart muscle is vital to good health. Don’t put off what you know you need to do, get busy and start today. What are you waiting for?

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