Eat to Lose Weight and Live Longer

By Chris Chenoweth

Eating a nutritious diet and getting enough physical activity can reduce your risk of many diseases and help you live a longer, healthier life. Heart disease, some types of cancer, obesity, high blood pressure and diabetes can be prevented or controlled simply by following a healthy diet and lifestyle. It is never too late to start eating right. Here are some helpful tips.

*EAT A LARGE NUTRITIOUS BREAKFAST. This will rev up your metabolism and make it easier for your body to burn fat.

*EAT AT LEAST 5 SERVINGS OF FRUIT AND VEGETABLES EVERY DAY. Eating vegetables in their most natural state (raw) is more nutritious for your body but cooked vegetables are fine, too. If it is a struggle to get that many fruits and vegetables into your daily diet, try vegetable soups or fruit smoothies made in a blender.

*EAT WHOLE GRAINS. Avoid white bread and white rice as they have had the fiber processed out of them. Use only food made with whole grain such as whole grain breads, cereals, wheat germ, barley and brown rice. Whole grains are high in fiber and help prevent constipation and keep your bowels toxin-free.

*CUT OUT WHITE FOODS (sugar, flour, donuts, crackers, etc.). These foods are over-processed and have no nutritional value. They raise insulin levels, protecting your stored fat instead of burning it off. If you have these foods lying around in your kitchen, get rid of them! They will only provide temptation for you.

*DRINK LOTS OF WATER, at least 8 glasses a day, instead of soda or other sweetened beverages. Water flushes out the system and eliminates harmful toxins. It forces the body to run more efficiently, speeds up metabolism, and makes it easier to lose weight and burn fat.

*EAT PROTEIN. Lean meat, poultry, fish, eggs, and dried beans all provide protein. Make sure you take the skin off of poultry and eat only lean meats.

*EAT ONLY GOOD FATS. Unsaturated fats do not raise cholesterol levels. Foods with unsaturated fat include olive oil, vegetable oils, fish, avocados, and many nuts.

*WATCH PORTION SIZES. Always be aware of how much you are eating. Never choose super-sized portions at restaurants.

BE ACTIVE

Physical activity helps you feel better and improves your health. Use some of the tips listed below:

*Walk! Every day, take a walk, inside or outside, alone or with a friend or family member. Walk as briskly as you can and swing your arms. Breathe deeply. You will start to feel better almost immediately. Shoot for a mile a day. Try to increase it just a little each day. The more you walk, the easier it becomes and the more you will want to do it.

*If you work in an office, use the stairs instead of the elevator. Park your car in the farthest parking space from the building. Get up and walk during your break instead of sitting down and eating a snack.

*If you have access to an indoor swimming pool, use it several times a week. Swimming, along with walking, is an excellent aerobic exercise that gets your heart pumping and revs up your metabolism.

*Go bicycling with your kids. Bicycling is another aerobic exercise that provides fun, relaxation and quality time with your family. Ride your bike to work! If you cannot bicycle outside, try a stationary bike. Watch TV or listen to music while you pedal.

*Take up roller-skating (or ice-skating or roller-blading), another aerobic exercise that is so much fun! Bring your kids with you.

*Take a fitness class, a Yoga class or take dancing lessons. All are fun and provide great exercise.

Any and all kinds of physical activity will help you stay healthy. Aim for 20 to 30 minutes every day. The more active you are, the healthier you will become.

Eating your way to good health is not as difficult as you think. If you can make some changes in your eating habits and your lifestyle, you are on your way to a healthier you.

Chris Chenoweth, author of the DO-IT-YOURSELF HOME, HEALTH & MONEY GUIDE, writes articles pertaining to diet, exercise, health, and business.

Food Cravings and Weight Loss

By Chris Chenoweth

We all have them; food cravings that jeopardize our efforts to lose weight and our long-term health. Why, because the cravings are nearly always for foods that are high in sugar, salt, fat and calories. What causes food cravings, why do we have them, and how do we eliminate them?

Simply put, food cravings are an intense desire for a specific food. Nearly always, our cravings are for food that is very sweet, salty, fatty or loaded with carbohydrates. The cravings can differ according to gender, age and/or personal tastes.

Some of the most common food cravings are for chocolate, ice cream, potato chips, pizza, and pasta. Most of us only have food cravings once in a while. However, food cravings can become an addiction, leading to obesity, depression, eating disorders, and increase the risk for many diseases and conditions.

What causes food cravings? Actually, there can be many possible causes. Identifying the possible causes for your cravings will help you find the solutions for eliminating them. Food cravings can be caused by emotional or physical factors.

EMOTIONAL CAUSES

*Anger, resentment, bitterness or frustration.

*Stress, anxiety, tension or fear.

*Boredom or emptiness.

*Depression.

*Loneliness.

*Chronic fatigue.

If you suffer from any of these problems chronically, your food cravings will remain.

PHYSICAL CAUSES

*RESTRICTIVE OR HABITUAL DIETING. If you are trying to follow a very restrictive diet, your body will become nutrient deficient. It will try to fill this deficiency in the form of food cravings.

Consequently, if you are constantly on a diet, you will constantly be craving certain foods. This is why diets based on too many food restrictions cause us to put on more weight instead of lose weight.

*HABITS. You always eat candy bars and popcorn at the movies, you always eat dessert after a meal, you always eat way too much food at your favorite restaurant, etc.

*LOW BLOOD SUGAR LEVELS. If your blood sugar levels are low, your energy levels are low. This can signal your body to crave certain foods.

*SENSORY TRIGGERS. Sometimes your body may respond to a smell like walking past a bakery.

ELIMINATING FOOD CRAVINGS

There are many changes we can make to help deal with food cravings. The following tips will help you with the physical factors that cause cravings.

*EAT A WELL-BALANCED DIET. By eating a wide variety of nutritious food, eating in moderation, and never skipping meals, our bodies will not feel deprived or lacking in the nutrients it needs. NEVER skip breakfast!

*DO NOT EAT AT NIGHT. This is the time when the greatest number of food cravings occurs. If you must eat, have a healthy snack like a piece of fruit or a yogurt.

*AVOID HIGH-SUGAR FOODS. Sugar causes a steep rise in blood sugar levels, immediately followed by steep declines.

*DRINK LOTS OF WATER. Water keeps you feeling full, keeps your body hydrated, and flushes unhealthy toxins out of your system. You may think you are hungry, when your body is actually telling you it needs water.

*GET PLENTY OF SLEEP. Get at least 8 hours of sleep each night. This way your body will feel rested.

*BRUSH YOUR TEETH. If you brush your teeth every time you eat, it will discourage you from eating too much.

*If you suffer from compulsive eating and cannot satisfy your craving by eating a small portion of the food you crave, you should completely avoid the food.

The emotional causes of food cravings are more difficult to deal with as they can be very complicated and difficult to overcome. Some of the tips listed below may help you.

*AVOID STRESS. You must make efforts to reduce your stress level. Take up a new hobby, something that you think you would really enjoy. Try knitting, crocheting, working puzzles, playing games with your kids, read, take walks. Use relaxation techniques like yoga or learn how to meditate. Get a massage every week.

*KEEP TRACK OF THE FOOD YOU EAT. Write down everything that you eat in a day. You may be appalled at how much you are actually eating each day. What times do you eat the most? What can you do instead?

*ADDRESS EMOTIONAL ISSUES. If you are angry, depressed, frustrated, etc., deal with what is causing the feeling. Try to find a solution. Remember that eating is not the solution.

*GIVE YOURSELF A BREAK. If you do give into your cravings occasionally, go easy on yourself and try to do better the next time. No one is harder on us than ourselves.

If you suffer from food cravings, you are not alone. However, if they are controlling your life, discover why they are controlling your life and do something about it. No one can help you unless you help yourself.

Chris Chenoweth, author of the DO-IT-YOURSELF HOME, HEALTH & MONEY GUIDE, writes articles pertaining to diet, exercise, health, and business.

The Secret To Lasting Weight Loss

By Serena Tan

Have you been yo-yo dieting to no avail? Do you find that you get some results while you are on a diet, but the minute you stop, the kilos start piling on?

If this has been your experience, here is a piece of good news for you.

The key to lasting weight loss is something so basic, yet so easily overlooked, that chances are you've never heard it mentioned by dieticians, doctors or weight loss experts.

The key lies in your liver. Not many people are aware that the liver is the major fat-burning organ in the body. Much less do they know that it is the condition of your liver that determines whether you are able to lose excess body weight and keep it off.

In her groundbreaking 1997 book The Liver Cleansing Diet – Love Your Liver and Live Longer, Dr. Cabot prescribed an 8-week plan comprising liver-friendly meals to cleanse the liver so that it can efficiently perform its 2 main functions: regulating metabolism and burning fat. The underlying philosophy is a simple one. It is not how much you eat but what you eat that is critical. If you eat the right foods, your metabolism will start to improve and you will burn fat. You do not even need to count calories or control your portions to ensure weight loss. If, however, you eat the wrong foods, your liver will make more fat, causing your body to store fat. That is exactly the situation you want to avoid.

How does the liver burn fat? By first converting fat into cholesterol, then into bile, which is eventually passed out through your intestines. If your diet is high in fibre, this excess fat will pass out of your body through your bowel movements. Conversely, if your diet is low in fibre, most of the cholesterol and bile acids are reabsorbed from the bowel and recycled back to the liver, resulting in high cholesterol levels.

A healthy liver manufactures a special coating for fat called lipoprotein which allows fat to travel around in the blood stream. If your liver cannot do this efficiently (because it is sluggish or diseased), the result is a fatty liver and an increasing inability to lose weight.

Dr. Cabot's book is peppered with testimonials from people who have used the Liver Cleansing Diet successfully not only to lose weight, but also to heal their bodies, resolve long term health concerns and restore energy levels. The diet is safe and beneficial for long term use, especially for persons with liver disease or immune system problems. However, if you have serious or chronic medical conditions, you should only follow the diet under the supervision of your doctor. The diet is also not designed with pregnant or lactating women in mind, although there is a testimonial from one breastfeeding mother who found the diet helpful for her son's eczema.

In conclusion, the health of your liver is key to your ability to lose weight. Forget fad diets, appetite suppressants and weight loss supplements. They are quick fixes with no guaranteed results. Start the New Year on a new note. Give your liver an internal spring cleaning, and watch the kilos melt away like magic.

Note: Dr. Cabot's book is available at the library, on Amazon.com and on her Weight Control Doctor website.

Serena Tan is a writer, network marketer and work-at-home-mum with an interest in health and wellness issues. To learn why you should read the ingredient labels on your next trip to the cosmetics counter, visit http://www.greenfamilyorganics.com

Selecting a Safe and Effective Weight Loss Plan

By Sara Aponte

Choosing from the never ending amount of weight-loss programs is a difficult task. There are many weight loss plans that are introduced to the public everyday as a quick, easy, effective way to lose weight. One plan that might work wonders for one person might be completely ineffective for another. The ultimate goal of any weight-loss plan isn’t just to lose weight, but to keep it off.

Too many people who are trying to lose weight jump back and forth from a restrictive diet to their normal, unhealthy eating habits after they have experienced some weight-loss. This sort of “yo-yo” dieting puts enormous amounts of stress on your body and can make future weight loss more difficult. It also makes weight gain far too easy because it throws your metabolism off. For this reason, it is important to select a weight-loss plan that will help you make changes to your eating habits that will last a lifetime.

For you to be able to succeed in achieving your weight loss goals, first you must ensure that your goals are clear and reasonable. Write all the details down in a weight-loss journal. These goals will serve as a contract to yourself to help you persevere until you achieve your goals.

Make yourself familiar with any available weight loss plans. It’s crucial to gather as much information as you possibly can before starting any plans. Research the company or person offering the plan. Make certain that the person or company offering the plan is credible and respectable in the health department. This task is easily done on the Internet, but can be done by asking a relative or friend, consulting your doctor, or a respectable health expert.

Many weight-loss plans are expensive because they require you eat specific foods. It’s recommended to opt for a plan that allows a wide variety of foods if you need a program that works with your low budget. This usually allows you to get a larger variety of nutrients than some strict eating plans. Weight-loss plans that say you can lose 20 pounds in a week are tempting to anyone, but how true will those results be in a month from now? Choosing a weight-loss plan thats provides you with steady, healthy weight loss helps you adapt to the lifestyle change for a long lasting result.

It’s certainly helpful to select a weight-loss plan that offers support groups. Achieving true weight-loss means changing your lifestyle. Being involved with a support group greatly increases your chances of weight-loss success. Support groups are great if you have any questions that you would like to ask, or need some clarification on any information. Anytime you are having trouble with your weight-loss plan, you have someone to talk to. Support groups can offer solutions to your problems because they have already experience what you are going through.

Unfortunately there are no magic drinks or diet pills that can reduce your body fat in an instant. Motivation and dedication are important aspects when you engage yourself in a weight loss and diet program.

My name is Sara and i was born in the USA. For more information visit my weight loss blog.

8 Metabolism Boosters for Weight Loss: Do They Work?

By Craig Ballantyne

Metabolism is the foundation of fat loss. It keeps burning and burning fat 24 hours a day...the only problem is, do you have a fast metabolism? And if not, what can you do about it to boost your metabolism and burn fat to lose weight?

Your metabolism is basically how many calories you burn each day. Children have faster metabolic rates than adults, and we all know about the legendary metabolism's of teenage boys. That's the metabolism you wish you had.

And while it is inevitable that your metabolism decreases with age, it doesn't doom you to gaining weight. It might even decrease 30% over your life, but really, is that any reason to become overweight? No way.

Here are 8 possible metabolic boosters and the truth about whether each works.

1) Strength training

Claim: Boosts metabolism up to 10% after a training program

True!

In fact, despite what many men and women think, harder exercise is better for your metabolism. However, please note that 1 pound of muscle does not burn 50 calories per day.

In one study, women received a greater metabolic boost from using 8 repetitions per set rather than traditional high-rep (12 reps) sets. So stick to harder exercises (pushups and more advanced versions) or even dumbbell exercises.

2) Breakfast

Claim: Because it stops your "fasting", it can boost metabolism

True? Maybe yes, maybe no. Your metabolism won't go into "starvation mode" without breakfast, but it is associated with successful weight loss. So make it a habit to consume some protein, fiber, & fruit at this time. This will keep your appetite in check till your next break or even lunch.

3) Green Tea

Claim: Burns an extra 80 calories per day

True? Not really. It has been shown to burn 80 calories per day in young men on the first day of supplementation, but will this affect last once your body gets used to it? I don't think.

After all, take a look at caffeine. You can find studies that show it increases metabolism as well. But really, is anyone losing fat with caffeine? The revolving doors at Starbucks say "No!".

Coffee is okay in moderate doses, and I recommend Green Tea to everyone, but for health reasons, not for fat loss. The only way you will lose fat with Green Tea is if you replace a 300+-calorie Frappucino with an iced, unsweetened Green Tea. Otherwise, don't count on it for much in terms of metabolism.

4) Fat Burners

Claim: Boost your metabolism big time!

See above. Fat burners are simply caffeine pills with a few other ingredients thrown in. You'll get an increase in mental energy, but that doesn't mean it will significantly boost metabolism or burn fat.

5) Ice Cold Water with Lemon Juice Squeezed into it

Claim: The body will burn calories warming up the water and the lemon juice also burns more fat.

Truth? Nice in theory, short in practice. Nobody is losing fat with ice cold water. If it sounds too good to be true - you know the rest of the story.

6) Eating 6 small meals per day

Claim: Boosts metabolism and can help control cholesterol.

True! Simple and effective, and true! Try and split your meals up into smaller meals that can be eaten over the course of the day. This might be part of the breakfast magic...

7) Protein

Claim: Burns more calories (uses more calories in digestion than carbohydrates or fat).

True!

Now I'm not sure if this is significant, but protein also helps fill you up longer. And that's where the real benefit comes in - preventing overeating. And if you want details, another study showed that animal protein results in more energy burned than vegetable protein.

8) Interval training

Claim: Interval training causes a greater increase in post-exercise metabolism than regular cardio.

Whether its true or not, I do know this. A recent study from Australia found that a shorter interval program led to more weight loss than a twice-as-long aerobic training program. This confirms the original interval training study from as far back as 1994 that showed greater results from a shorter interval program when compared to a traditional cardio program.

Bottom line: Intervals work!

So we see that hard work and diligent eating burn more calories and that magic pills and potions don't work.

But that shouldn't be a surprise to anyone. My advice? Add strength, intervals, mini-meals, and protein to your weight loss plan and you'll be leaner and warmer thanks to your faster metabolism.

Craig Ballantyne is a Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist and writes for Men's Health, Men's Fitness, Maximum Fitness, Muscle and Fitness Hers, and Oxygen magazines. His trademarked Turbulence Training fat loss workouts have been featured multiple times in Men’s Fitness and Maximum Fitness magazines and all over the Internet, and have helped thousands of men and women around the world lose fat, gain muscle, and get lean in less than 45 minutes three times per week. For more information on the Turbulence Training workouts that will help you burn fat without long, slow cardio sessions or fancy equipment, visit http://www.TurbulenceTraining.com

6 Ways to Stick to Your Weight Loss Workout

By Craig Ballantyne

Weight loss will be yours this year! Provided you don't drop out of your fat loss program, of course. So what can you do to keep your motivation to exercise and workout and stick to your nutrition program, rather than dropping out like last year?

Let us help you. Here are some tips that will keep your motivation and commitment high longer than ever before.

And don't think I'm singling you out. About 50% of people (seems like more!) fail at their exercise resolutions.

1) Our first tip? Don't get too sore!

Don't overdo it the first week back. Stick to just one set per exercise, and don't try running 6 days per week for 30 minutes. That will just give you shin splints. Instead, just focus on being consistent and moderate in the gym, and focus on your nutrition changes instead. Your nutrition is where you will see the biggest impact immediately anyways.

2) Avoid intimidating training environments.

You don't like gyms? Exercise at home. You can do a lot with your bodyweight only. Add a set of adjustable dumbbells and you have your own gym at home. You don't need fancy machines, you just need the ability to train consistently. There are dozens of exercises you can do at home. Plus, you'll save a lot of time.

3) Cut your workout time in half.

You don't need to train for 90 minutes per day. You don't even need an hour. You can get a lot of work done in 20 minutes. If you workout at home, you've also cut the drive time down. So what are you waiting for? Clear 20 minutes from your schedule and be consistent.

4) Don't get bored.

Change your workout every 4 weeks.

5) Avoid the dreaded plateau.

First of all, are you properly recording these three things?

a) Your body composition
b) Your food intake
c) Your training

If not, then how do you know if you are progressing or if you are really being consistent?

6) Workout with a partner.

Not only will it give you a reason not to cancel, but you will also have more motivation and an even greater chance of succeeding.

Here's why: In one study, researchers found that subjects that brought a workout partner also lost more weight if the workout partner successfully lost weight.

Feed off each other's motivation and success and this will be the year you stick to your resolutions.

Workout hard, fast, and lose fat!

Craig Ballantyne is a Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist and writes for Men's Health, Men's Fitness, Maximum Fitness, Muscle and Fitness Hers, and Oxygen magazines. His trademarked Turbulence Training fat loss workouts have been featured multiple times in Men’s Fitness and Maximum Fitness magazines and all over the Internet, and have helped thousands of men and women around the world lose fat, gain muscle, and get lean in less than 45 minutes three times per week. For more information on the Turbulence Training workouts that will help you burn fat without long, slow cardio sessions or fancy equipment, visit http://www.TurbulenceTraining.com

3 Weight Loss Traps - How to Burn More Fat

By Craig Ballantyne

More than half of weight loss programs fail. It is the cardio, the workout, the nutrition, or your bad metabolism? What is stopping you from burning fat and losing weight?

What factors sabotage your nutrition and exercise plan?

1) Nutrition compliance

Do you track your eating? If not, chances are you are eating worse than you think. No one wants to admit its their own fault, but take a look and see if you are eating right 90% of the time. Draw a grid of all your meals for a week and mark an X when you fail. Then see if that is more than 10% of the time. If it is, then you simply need more discipline on the nutrition.

2) Liquid Calories

Still drinking juice and soda? Those calories can add up fast. Knock them out of your program, eat whole fruits instead, and you'll be full faster and leaner.

3) Lack of planning

If your fridge is empty, your stomach will be too. Until you grab the first crappy food at the food court or vending machine. But that will ruin your fat loss plan. So shop, plan, and prepare. Spend 2 hours on an off day at the store and in the kitchen.

4) No variety in your workout program

Change your workout every 4 weeks to keep adding a new stimulus to your muscles and metabolism. Get it from a magazine or better yet, a professional trainer in person. Or look for a good program on the internet that changes regularly.

5) Get social support

Don't try and do this on your own. You need encouragement and motivation. Get a friend or family member with the same goals on your team. Get started together and you'll succeed.

Craig Ballantyne is a Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist and writes for Men's Health, Men's Fitness, Maximum Fitness, Muscle and Fitness Hers, and Oxygen magazines. His trademarked Turbulence Training fat loss workouts have been featured multiple times in Men’s Fitness and Maximum Fitness magazines, and have helped thousands of men and women around the world lose fat, gain muscle, and get lean in less than 45 minutes three times per week. For more information on the Turbulence Training workouts that will help you burn fat without long, slow cardio sessions or fancy equipment, visit http://www.TurbulenceTraining.com

Weight Loss Motivation

By Craig Ballantyne

In order to succeed and lose fat, you need to keep your motivation and commitment to your weight loss program. There are some tips and tricks to help you.

First, focus on what has worked in the past for you. If you know you can stick to a walking program, start there and then try to add in new stuff like strength training. Don't signup for a gym if you know you hate it. Then, stay positive knowing that you are using what works for you - and look at the extra strength training as a bonus. Don't let any negativity creep into your mind.

Keep that picture of success in your mind at all times. With a positive attitude, you'll be more open to trying new exercise methods and nutritious foods.

Second, write down your goals and re-visit them everyday. Keep them in mind all the time, and you'll choose activities that take you closer to your goals rather than away from them.

Be specific and realistic with your goals, and keep them framed in a positive light. Visualize reaching those goals, and visualize a reward you can have for reaching the goals. Again, these are all powerful, positive images.

Third, get a group involved as your social support. Get as many people as possible supporting you, and hang around only the positive people. Negative people will only get in your way and bring you down. So at work, only eat with the people that respect your goals, or better yet, want to reach the same goals.

Same with exercise. In fact, research has shown that you will succeed if your workout partner succeeds. So get that group together and stay positive.

Craig Ballantyne is a Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist and writes for Men's Health, Men's Fitness, Maximum Fitness, Muscle and Fitness Hers, and Oxygen magazines. His trademarked Turbulence Training fat loss workouts have been featured multiple times in Men’s Fitness and Maximum Fitness magazines and all over the Internet, and have helped thousands of men and women around the world lose fat, gain muscle, and get lean in less than 45 minutes three times per week. For more information on the Turbulence Training workouts that will help you burn fat without long, slow cardio sessions or fancy equipment, visit http://www.TurbulenceTraining.com

Morning Cardio - Necessary for Weight Loss

By Craig Ballantyne

Q: I read that it is best to do cardio first thing in the morning on an empty stomach, so that you burn more fat. Is this true?

Answer: Thanks for the email. It is always worth going over again.

Here's the deal.

9 times out of 10, exercising first thing in the morning wont' help you lose fat faster. On the other hand, it probably won't make you lose muscle (which has always been one of the knocks against early morning cardio).

You might burn a little bit more fat proportionally, but in the big picture, that probably doesn't mean much.

But there's only one way for you to find out. Give it a try for 3-4 weeks. That will be enough time for you to make a solid judgement about this training method and how it works for YOU.

I've found that simply following a program of strength training followed by interval training has worked as well or better (and always faster) than the slow cardio approach.

I want you to think like a bodybuilder. Every bodybuilder knows that they don't gain muscle during a workout. Heck no, during the workout they breakdown the muscle so that it can recover and grow during the post-exercise period.

And that's how fat loss works with strength and interval training. Here's what happens. During the intense, but short workout, you deplete your muscle energy stores and you cause some muscle damage. That makes your body burn a good amount of calories during the workout, but it burns even more calories after your workout during the post-exercise period.

And that increases in calorie and fat burning can last for over 24 hours.

Normal cardio doesnt do that. It only burns calories during the session.

So that's why we dont' bother with normal cardio, let alone cardio on an empty stomach.

Craig Ballantyne is a Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist and writes for Men's Health, Men's Fitness, Maximum Fitness, Muscle and Fitness Hers, and Oxygen magazines. His trademarked Turbulence Training fat loss workouts have been featured multiple times in Men’s Fitness and Maximum Fitness magazines and all over the Internet, and have helped thousands of men and women around the world lose fat, gain muscle, and get lean in less than 45 minutes three times per week. For more information on the Turbulence Training workouts that will help you burn fat without long, slow cardio sessions or fancy equipment, visit http://www.TurbulenceTraining.com

Abs - Are You Doing the Right Weight Loss Workouts?

By Craig Ballantyne

One day last summer, on the first hot, hot day of the season I spent some time in the park playing ball with a client. Over the course of the afternoon not one, but two old friends came over to see us. But they didn't even greet us, they just went straight to the ultimate fitness compliment for my friend.

"I saw your abs from across the park, you've lost a lot of weight."

They didn't even bother to say "Hello" to him because his physical changes have been that impressive. Now what would you give to get those kinds of compliments?

According to recent research*, my friend is doing everything right to keep the fat off - "successful weight maintenance is associated with more initial weight loss, reaching a self-determined goal weight, having a physically active lifestyle, a regular meal rhythm including breakfast and healthier eating, control of over-eating and self-monitoring of behaviours."

*Elfhag, K., and S. Rossner. Who succeeds in maintaining weight loss? A conceptual review of factors associated with weight loss maintenance and weight regain. Obes. Rev. 6: 67, 2005.

Are you making these changes to your lifestyle?

How did my friend achieve his successful lifestyle change and his best body ever? Simple. He used strength training and interval training for his workouts, and he spent time on the weekends shopping and preparing his food for his work week. Very simple, but very very effective.

And he also spends more time hanging around people that support his goal than those that get in the way of him living a healthy lifestyle. Gone are the smokers and drinkers and in are the exercisers and good nutritious cooks.

Do yourself a favor and get some good nutrition advice, follow a fast, effective program of strength and interval training, and surround yourself with like-minded healthy people that you can count on.

Craig Ballantyne is a Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist and writes for Men's Health, Men's Fitness, Maximum Fitness, Muscle and Fitness Hers, and Oxygen magazines. His trademarked Turbulence Training fat loss workouts have been featured multiple times in Men’s Fitness and Maximum Fitness magazines and all over the Internet, and have helped thousands of men and women around the world lose fat, gain muscle, and get lean in less than 45 minutes three times per week. For more information on the Turbulence Training workouts that will help you burn fat without long, slow cardio sessions or fancy equipment, visit http://www.TurbulenceTraining.com

How to Trim the Extra Weight

By Isabelle Epstein

It just started

Happy Holidays, Happy New year

I hope you are ready to start right NOW, because it just started. And the first thing that must be crystal clear is that THERE IS NO WAY BACK. It is not another New Year resolution that we are going to forget about in a few weeks.

We cut off all the bridges, we can only go forward. Forget the past, forgive the past. Bless your past for all the goodness and the joy of life it brought into your life. Bless it and now forget it. Forget your past, because we have to learn from scratch. We need new eating and new drinking habits. We need new exercise habits. We need new beliefs. We need a new Mindset and motivation all day long, all year long.

You can start right now enjoying and loving the new YOU. Because today you are like a new born. All the opportunities lie in front of you, everything is possible. Start having faith again, faith in yourself and your abilities to lose the extra weight and to manage your weight permanently.

Do you remember your childhood? Do you remember your dreams as a child? Do you remember how everything seemed possible? Do you remember dreaming what you would become when growing up? Back then you probably believed you could grow up to be what ever you choose to be. You know what, nothing is changed. You can still become what ever you want to be, you will. Just remember you can and you will.

Now is the time to invest in your future. Now in the time to invest your efforts and your thoughts toward the gorgeous healthy fit body you will have in the future. Today and everyday, you will eat a healthy nutrition that will nourish your body; and you will exercise to strengthen and shape your body. Everyday you will keep motivated to regain your health and the body you deserve.

Once your mind is set, you are unstoppable. There is no other possible outcome, you are trimming the extra weight, a little everyday; you are regaining a healthy, fit and slim body.

Happy New Year. Make 2007 the best year ever, the year you regain a healthy and fit body.

Isabelle Epstein, Dedicated to healthy nutrition and a healthy life style. If you would enjoy motivation and tips for a healthy weight management, sent directly to your inbox, sign up for Isabelle's free newsletter at: http://www.healthynutrimania.com/ HealthyNutriMania.com

The Real Reasons People Become Overweight

By Steve Polk

This is a discussion about the most common reasons why people become overweight.

Now, the answer would seem to be that they are just eating too much. But let’s take a closer look at the subject!

To understand why people become fat it helps to know a little about energy intake and energy burned off.

To remain alive your body needs energy to power the vital functions of breathing, heartbeat, heat control, digestion and excretion. Your body needs energy to replace worn out or dying body tissues. Most of all, your body needs energy to meet all other unconscious activities that make up your resting metabolic rate.

If your body absorbs more energy from food than you expend in your daily activities, the surplus energy is stored in your body as fat. Gain too much fat and you put on weight!

It boils down to an imbalance between your intake of calories, and calories that you use up each day!

Your intake of calories represents the amount of energy in your food, as opposed to the amount of energy you burn up. So if you eat fewer calories than your body uses, you will lose weight.

Basically, the main way to lose weight means you have to stick to a certain amount of calories and watch your fat content carefully.

You can also lose weight by doing controlled exercises to burn off more calories while you target the specific areas, which you want to change!

Food should be fun to eat and enjoy. Let’s be honest, you do not want to force yourself to stick to a strict diet regime forever to stay slim!

The key is to change the way you eat, gradually and permanently! You must have a good healthy eating plan that will give you a good balance of foods and allow you the occasional indulgence!

Remember it’s your overall diet that matters at the end of the day!

Steve Polk writes and produces articles about safe weight reduction. To learn more tips on safe weight reduction, please visit: http://www.safeweightreduction.com

Efficient Fat Loss

By Andreas Lillebo

There are no secrets when it comes to efficient fat loss. Efficient Fat Loss is a combination of intense work and dietary changes. Don’t think that chemical products can somehow magically remove your fat. Many companies offer these solutions, but don’t trust them. Instead of burning off your hard earned money on TV-shop products that doesn’t help you a bit, you should try to contact your doctor to find out what the best way is for you to burn off your fat instead.

To be able to achieve this, you will need to know how healthy weight loss looks like. Rapid fat loss isn’t always the way to the best results. You should focus on replacing your fat with muscle and replacing muscle with tissue. You need to ensure that you offer your body a balanced outlook and that you present balanced diet and exercise goals in front of yourself to meet the requirements of your physician’s weight loss plan. This way you will achieve the fit feeling and the body changes you need to get healthier. It is also often a good idea to consult with your doctor during your progress.

It is important that you remember the good weight loss techniques every day to lose weight properly. If you lose your fat using irregular procedures with chemicals, you may solve your fat loss problem nearly instantly. However, this is really not recommended, as it very often causes many other health issues and will add up to an incredibly stressful problem on the body itself. You need to slowly nurture your body to adopt the serious body changes. Without easing your body in to something new, you will be shocking your system, which of course, is something that should be avoided.

Shocking your system is something that you don’t want to do when you want to lose weight. You need to ensure that your body is listening to what you are asking it to do. You must ask your body with a realistic plan of attack. Instead of ordering your body to quickly lose fat through rapid fat loss products, you need to ease your body into a new routine involving exercise and gradual dietary changes that will help your body learn new patterns that will hopefully work for the rest of your life.

Andreas Lillebo is the creater of Efficient Fat Loss, a website covering fat loss facts, diets, supplements and more.

Lose A Dress Size Quickly - Lose 10 Pounds Too Quickly And You May Be Shopping For Plus Sizes Soon

By Adam Tijerina

There are several ways to drop 10 pounds in a week. Imagine starting on Monday and losing a dress size by the following Monday. Imagine how great you'd look and feel. You'd get a lot more looks and second looks as you gracefully walk down the street with your new confidence and slimmer look.

Yes, it is possible. Is it healthy? No, not really. Plus, it will probably all come back and then some. Most people struggle to keep weight off once they've lost it. This has been proven time and time again. If you lose weight too quickly through unorthodox methods you are bound to gain it all back once you get back to your normal eating habits.

If you lose 10 pounds in one week, that is not healthy. That is too much for your body to handle. It probably didn't take you a week to gain 10 pounds so it should stand to reason that you should not try to lose that much in such a short period of time. It won't work. The results will only be temporary.

A more reasonable way to lose weight is to lose it slowly but surely. If you lose 2 pounds a week you'll be on the path to sustained weight loss. As long as you see results, even if it's only 1-2 pounds a week, you will stay motivated and keep going.

And as you get closer and closer to your goal, you will be more excited and satisfied that you did it than if you lost quickly but gained it all back as well.

There are ways you can lose up to 2 dress sizes in a month or two safely and effectively. That's about 20-30 pounds. You have to do it in a way that you don't starve yourself and you get complete nutrition. One method is with meal replacement. You've seen the commercials with Dan Marino saying how he lost 20 or 30 pounds in 6 weeks with a meal replacement program. You also have to add moderate exercise to your daily routine. This must become a lifelong habit.

Imagine a slimmer, smaller, happier you looking good in a new smaller dress size. Dropping just one size will help keep you motivated to reach your ultimate goal. Along the way, you'll pick up the necessary habits to keep the weight off.

About the Author:

Adam Tijerina reviews popular weight loss methods on Lose 10 Pounds, a blog dedicated to losing 10 pounds without diet pills or risky surgery. Discover how to lose 10-20 pounds and keep it off.

5 Ways to Boost Your Metabolism for Weight Loss

By Craig Ballantyne

Even if you are convinced that you are cursed with a slow metabolism, you can do something about it. In fact, basic lifestyle changes can give you a revved up metabolism capable of burning a lot more fat and calories 24 hours a day.

And your metabolism does not have to suck just because you are over 30. I am often asked if there is anything that can be done about the decrease in metabolism that happens as we age. Well, the following tips will help you increase your metabolism as much as possible. Eating properly and exercising can keep your metabolism at optimal levels for several decades - you are never too old to lose fat, gain muscle, and get lean.

1. Interval training

This type of exercise is far superior to traditional cardio for boosting metabolism. Once you stop moderate aerobic training, your metabolism quickly returns to normal. But the turbulence from interval training helps your body burn more calories for hours after the workout.

2. Gain muscle and lose fat.

Now while it is true that putting on muscle mass will help your metabolism at rest, it is NOT true that each pound of muscle will help burn an extra 50 calories per day. That is a pipe dream. But having more muscle will allow you to exercise harder and create more turbulence in your body. Plus, muscle looks good on men and women.

3. Eat more protein.

No surprise here, bodybuilders have known this for a long time and have been using protein to help them achieve their lean bodies. A recent study showed that a high-protein, low-carbohydrate shake led to a greater increase in metabolism than a low-protein, high-carbohydrate drink.

Scott, C., and R. Devore. Diet-induced thermogenesis: variations among three isocaloric meal-replacement shakes. Nutrition 21: 874-877, 2005.

4. Don't starve yourself or skip meals to lose weight.

Reducing your food intake could lead to a slower metabolism. That will stop your fat loss program and will lead to rapid weight re-gain when you return to a normal eating pattern.

5. Eat 6-8 mini-meals per day, rather than 2-3 large meals.

A new study showed that eating 6 times per day was associated with eating fewer calories per day, lowering cholesterol levels, and lowering post-meal insulin levels. Eating several small meals per day might even help you burn more calories.

I recommend combining an increased meal frequency with an increased protein and fiber intake. That's a guaranteed way to lose fat and gain muscle. I cover how to make these changes in Get Lean, my most advanced fat loss manual.

Farshchi, H., et al. Beneficial metabolic effects of regular meal frequency on dietary thermogenesis, insulin sensitivity, and fasting lipid profiles in healthy obese women. Amer. J. Clin. Nutr. 81: 16-24, 2005.

Do all of these simple steps and you'll increase your metabolism and succeed on your weight loss program.

Craig Ballantyne is a Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist and writes for Men's Health, Men's Fitness, Maximum Fitness, Muscle and Fitness Hers, and Oxygen magazines. His trademarked Turbulence Training fat loss workouts have been featured multiple times in Men’s Fitness and Maximum Fitness magazines and all over the Internet, and have helped thousands of men and women around the world lose fat, gain muscle, and get lean in less than 45 minutes three times per week. For more information on the Turbulence Training workouts that will help you burn fat without long, slow cardio sessions or fancy equipment, visit http://www.TurbulenceTraining.com

Weight Loss for Women

By Craig Ballantyne

Fat Loss and Weight Loss Info For Women

Q: I am primarily interested in reducing the size of the lower body, developing strength and getting faster. I am trying to gain more strength so I can run a 5K in relative ease and faster. My best time has been 33:42 and I'd like to get my time under 30 minutes.

I currently do 60 static lunges each side, 3 sets of squats 16 reps with 10 lb dumbbells, step-ups 3 sets with 10 lb dumbbells, then 1 set 8 reps of forward lunge immediately followed by 8 reps of dips then repeat on other side. I do this lower body routine 2 times a week.

I also go to a 1 hr cardio kickboxing class each Wednesday and a 1 hr yoga class on Thursday.

Answer: Thanks for the info. Your current workout is not going to get you very far. I'm sorry, but that is the truth. I just had a similar conversation with another client - she also does too many high rep sets with too little resistance, and she is not improving her body either.

I strongly recommend you use strength training and interval training - these are the workouts that help women lose fat and run faster. You can also use challenging bodyweight routines and more efficient and effective cardio workouts (interval training) - this is better than doing light weights and high reps.

I also know that you are much stronger than the 10 pounds that you use in your exercises. If you add weight, you will get stronger and more muscle, and more importantly less fat and smaller arms.

And we can't forget nutrition. If there is added sugar in your diet, get rid of it. If you don't eat at least 1 serving of fibrous vegetables at every meal and snack, then you should start. And if you aren't getting enough protein, you must change that. Be honest with yourself and I will bet that you will find some weaknesses in your daily eating plan. Fix them, and you will get results! If you stick to whole, natural foods you can't go wrong.

Craig Ballantyne is a Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist and writes for Men's Health, Men's Fitness, Maximum Fitness, Muscle and Fitness Hers, and Oxygen magazines. His trademarked Turbulence Training fat loss workouts have been featured multiple times in Men’s Fitness and Maximum Fitness magazines and all over the Internet, and have helped thousands of men and women around the world lose fat, gain muscle, and get lean in less than 45 minutes three times per week. For more information on the Turbulence Training workouts that will help you burn fat without long, slow cardio sessions or fancy equipment, visit http://www.TurbulenceTraining.com

Weight Loss and Breakfast

By Chris Chenoweth

Most people think that if they skip breakfast, it will help them lose weight. Actually, the opposite occurs. If you deprive your body of food in the morning, it will shift into starvation mode and burn fewer calories, resulting in a slower metabolism.

Make sure you eat a protein-packed breakfast within one hour of rising. This will jump-start your metabolism and put it in hyper-drive for the next three hours. The best breakfast contains protein and complex carbs like oatmeal and/or other whole grains.

There is a direct link between eating breakfast and successful weight loss. Those who eat breakfast eat fewer calories throughout the rest of the day, have better nutritional habits, and generally weigh less.

The secret to successful weight loss is to get your metabolism revved up first thing in the morning. The only way to do that is to eat a healthy breakfast. Not only does skipping breakfast lower metabolic rate, it lowers blood sugar levels, resulting in a lack of energy.

Low blood sugar levels generally lead to feeling very hungry and overeating and snacking during the rest of the day. Eating breakfast eliminates that feeling and decreases the risk for overeating during the day.

There are many excuses that people use to skip breakfast. The two most common excuses are not enough time to eat and eating first thing in the morning upsets your stomach. If either of these two excuses belongs to you, consider the following tips:

NOT ENOUGH TIME

*If time is truly an issue for you (if you cannot rise earlier in the morning), eat something that does not require any time to prepare. Drink a glass of orange juice, eat a piece of fruit or eat a container of yogurt. There is always SOMETHING you can pick up and eat quickly. Remember, anything is better than nothing.

*Prepare your breakfast the night before. If you are going to have a bowel of cereal, lay out your bowl, the box of cereal and your spoon. The same rule applies for eating toast, oatmeal, etc. Have everything ready that is possible to have ready.

*Pack it up and take it with you. Drink some juice at home and put some toast or cereal in a container and take it with you to work or keep breakfast food in your drawer at work.

UPSETS YOUR STOMACH

*If eating breakfast makes you sick to your stomach, find something you CAN stomach or get up earlier and wait awhile before you try to eat.

*Eat a plain bagel or a plain piece of toast, both bland enough that they will not upset your tummy.

*If you love peanut butter sandwiches, have one on whole wheat bread for breakfast. It has protein and whole grains, a good, healthy combination.

*Eat some yogurt. Yogurt is very good for you and should not upset your tummy.

*If you really cannot find something that does not upset your stomach, try some cheese crackers. They are not the best choice but they will keep you from starving yourself.

*If you are not hungry in the morning or food upsets you, perhaps you are eating too much at night. Eating sugar-laden foods are terribly unhealthy and can upset your system, making it very difficult to eat breakfast the following morning.

*If you must eat at night, try eating a piece of fruit, a yogurt, or a warm cup of milk flavored with chocolate. Try this and see if it helps you the next morning.

Eating breakfast is about getting your metabolism revved up and starting your day in a healthy manner. You will lose weight easier and your body will thank you. Once you are used to eating breakfast, you will wonder why you did not do so earlier.

Chris Chenoweth, author of the DO-IT-YOURSELF HOME, HEALTH & MONEY GUIDE, writes articles pertaining to diet, exercise, health, and business.

Water: Gain Health And Lose Weight

By Jane Ester

Weight loss with water? Seems strange! But it is as true as your existence. Water plays an immense role in facilitating the proper functioning of the body. The more fresh water we drink, the healthier we remain & the quicker we lose weight. By now your mind must be choked with questions without any clear-cut answer for them. How the intake of water helps in weight loss? How we become healthier with more of water intake? Let me ease your mind by summing up things in the following way:

Beautiful Skin

High intake of water gets you a much toned, hydrated & clear skin. Water takes away all the impurities from your skin & hydrates your skin cells making them plump & fresh. Water provides you a glowing & beautiful skin.

Appetite Suppressant

Water doesn’t contain any calories or fat and moreover it is a wonderful natural appetite suppressant. So, if you drink a glass of water before taking up every meal, you would notice that your consumption of food falls. High intake of water is beneficial as well as required for the body to work properly.

Adieu Ailments

Water helps in preventing many exhausting physical tribulations, like headaches, migraines, allergies, depression, colitis stomach pain, lower back pain & low energy levels, lower back pain, chronic fatigue syndrome, asthma, rheumatoid, arthritis, hypertension, cholesterol, hangovers, neck pain, muscle pain, joint pain, bloating, constipation, ulcers, low energy levels, stomach pain, confusion and disorientation.

Bodyguard

Water regulates the body temperature. It guards our body by removing toxins, eliminating the waste products, lubricating the joints and reducing risk of kidney stones. It defends body tissues, organs and spinal cord from shock as well as damage.

Fat Reduction

When you are low in consumption of water, functioning of kidneys suffer. Kidneys require plenty of water to work efficiently and if kidneys are deprived of water, then liver has to assume the job of kidneys along with its own, which leads to lowered productivity of liver. Liver metabolize the body’s stored fat. So water deprivation is likely to pile up fat on your body. Generally muscles are largely composed of water. Thus the high intake of water increases the muscle mass. It also enables proper muscle contraction leading to appropriate exhaustion. Thus water prevents fat deposition.

Enzyme Friendly

Water is a must for every enzymatic reaction in the body. Proteins and enzymes of body become more efficient in dilute solutions, thus helping in weight loss and fitness. Furthermore, it also transports hormones, nutrients, oxygen and antibodies through the blood stream and lymphatic system.

How Much Water a Day?

You should drink at least 8 glasses water in a day. It is necessary for the proper functioning of body. Don’t let yourself get thirsty. Drink even when you are not thirsty. If you can’t drink enough water then go for flavored water, lemon. No doubt other drinks can hydrate your body but they gift you extra sugar, calories, etc. You should emphasize on losing fat rather than losing water from your body. Make a habit of drinking water. You will be self motivated once you see the wonders done to your body.

The author addresses health and fitness related issues. If you wish to seek help for your healthy lifestyle and fitness related problems, you can log on to http://www.phentermine-effects.com/ for more information and advice.

Fast Fat Loss

By Craig Ballantyne

What is the biggest determinant of success in a fat loss program? What has been shown in research to be the main factor in a woman's weight loss success? You'll be surprised.

Certainly nutrition is a key component. You can't eat at the burger joint every day and expect to fit into your swimsuit (unless you are 14 years old). No way. You need to eat right with protein, fruits and vegetables, healthy fats (yes, fats can be healthy!), and lots of water. Avoid any foods from a bag or a box. Those processed carbohydrates will not help you burn fat or lose weight.

So now that we've covered nutrition, surely your mind has turned to exercise. That has to be the biggest factor in a weight loss program, right? After all, a good training program can boost metabolism, burn fat, build muscle, and help you get lean, sleek abs, right?

Darn right! I totally agree. However, there remains one more factor that is even more important than strength training and interval training. Notice I didn't say aerobic training or cardio training. The traditional fat loss method of cardio might not be as necessary as some trainers would believe. In fact, I listed exercise second because it's not as important as nutrition. You can workout hard for an hour to burn 500 calories, but you can totally wipe that out in about 5 bites of a Big Mac.

See how easy it is for nutrition habits to totally destroy the benefits of exercise? So don't rely on exercise alone.

Heck don't do anything alone.

And that's the secret factor.

Not going it alone. Get social support.

In a research study from Stanford University, and in other recent studies, researchers are finding that social support from health professionals and successful gym buddies is the biggest determinant of your success.

If you have a good doctor, or knowledgeable trainer, or certified nutritionist in your corner, you'll do better than if you tried to figure out everything yourself.

Ditto for your actual exercise sessions. One study found that if you workout with someone that also loses weight, then your chances of losing weight are greater.

There is nothing like a helping hand, and that goes for fat loss as well. Get some social support and you'll succeed in your weight loss program.

Craig Ballantyne is a Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist and writes for Men's Health, Men's Fitness, Maximum Fitness, Muscle and Fitness Hers, and Oxygen magazines. His trademarked Turbulence Training fat loss workouts have been featured multiple times in Men’s Fitness and Maximum Fitness magazines and all over the Internet, and have helped thousands of men and women around the world lose fat, gain muscle, and get lean in less than 45 minutes three times per week. For more information on the Turbulence Training workouts that will help you burn fat without long, slow cardio sessions or fancy equipment, visit http://www.TurbulenceTraining.com

Dieting Tips

By Kim Jamieson

Are you searching for answers to help you with weight loss? I want to share a few tips that will help you achieve weight loss. Try a tip each week, and watch the weight drop as you work towards great health and avoid many women’s health issues.

-Put your food on a small plate and sit down for your meals. It will make the portions seem bigger. And as you adjust to your new portions, it will feel more like a meal.

-Drink plenty of water. It is a good rule to reach for water whenever you are thirsty. It may help you feel fuller.

-Limit the amount of caffeine that you intake. No more than two cups of coffee or soda each day. Also be sure to use low fat milk and artificial sweetener.

-No alcohol for the first two weeks of your weight loss eating plan.

-Stick to vegetable juices (no carrot or beet). Fruit juices have too much sugar in them, however if you cannot live without them, use sparingly to spruce up a bottle of water, or sparkling water.

-Exercise regularly. Take a twenty minute minimum, brisk walk daily. This will help you to achieve the desired effect as efficiently as possible.

I wish you great success. Just work hard to get through each day, you will be even closer to your weight loss goal, and better health.

Kimberly Jamieson www.healthypainfreeliving.com has achieved success in living and maintaining a healthy fit lifestyle and has helped thousands achieve this success by using her fitness, diet, lifestyle and motivation tips. She is committed to helping women‘s fitness, and women’s health and wellness and helping others achieve ultimate health and wellness.

Food Choices For Dieting

By Kim Jamiesonz

Have you ever wondered what to eat while you are dieting? Well today is your day. These are just a few suggestions for you to supplement on those tough days.

Food Choices Meats: avoid using anything cured or processed with honey. You may try boiled ham. If you would like to purchase lunch meat these are great too, but use only low fat or fat free. All the lean cuts are legal, as long as they are prepared using healthy methods.

Chicken is permitted as well as turkey but limit the quantity of dark meat. You may want to snack on rolled up lunch meat wrapped in lettuce. Add a bell pepper, scallion or some avocado to add a little flavor. You may want to add condiments that do not have sugar. Stay away from ketchup unless it is sugar free.

Try adding a little fish and shell fish. You can have 1% or fat-free cottage cheese, milk, or plan yogurt, but remember no more than two servings a day. Remember to stick to cheeses containing no more than six grams of fat per serving. Use egg whites and egg substitute. Try scrambling two egg whites with a small amount of vegetables, or eat a hard boiled egg. Eat as many as you would like!

Vegetables are a great choice. Cut up and dip sparingly into hummus (see website for recipe) or some fat free, sugar free dressing. Good snacks are cauliflower, cucumbers, snow peas, zucchini, celery, and asparagus. Try a few nuts. Peanuts (20 small), pecan halves (15), and pistachios (15) are all great snacks to eat during the day. These items are suggested to supplement your diet. Please use them sparingly, so it does not hinder your weight loss goals. To your success in living healthy,

Kimberly Jamieson www.healthypainfreeliving.com has achieved success in living and maintaining a healthy fit lifestyle and has helped thousands achieve this success by using her fitness, diet, lifestyle and motivation tips. She is committed to helping women‘s fitness, and womens health and wellness and helping others achieve ultimate health and wellness.

The Best Cardio Machine for Weight Loss

By Craig Ballantyne

Cardio machines are very helpful for weight loss. If you use interval training, you can get more results than if you did traditional aerobic cardio. But that's another story for another time. Let's take a look at which machines burn the most calories.

An okay choice: Elliptical Machines.

The biggest reason to choose elliptical machines - you've got a bum knee. I have worked with clients with extreme osteoarthritis and we were able to use these for a decent workout without pain.

But other than that, I am hardly impressed by the elliptical machine for fat loss. If you go into any gym, compare the bodies on the ellipticals to the ones on other machines...most of the time, the people on the ellipticals make no progress from month to month. Sorry, I just don't like these.

But if you have bad knees, or if you are an exception to my experience, feel free to keep rocking the elliptical!

Up next...The Stationary Bike

The bike can be easy on your knees as well, particularly if you are overweight and can't support your bodyweight at this time.

But personally, I like the stationary bikes a lot. The set up allows you to do a large amount of mechanical work during your interval training - and that is what puts Turbulence on the muscle and allows you to increase your post-exercise metabolism. In fact, when I first started designing the interval workouts back in 2001, I used stationary bikes exclusively.

I also think that the bike allows you to work very hard with less risk of injury. Sprinting requires an extensive warm-up due to the explosive nature of the activity.

I recommend starting with the bike unless you are an experienced runner that knows your body well

In addition, here are three more key points about the bike.

a) Stick to the upright version if possible. When using a recumbent bike for intervals, your hips tend to rock too much and your body tries to get into awkward positions in order to push hard against the resistance. That's my experience. The upright bikes are set up better for intervals.

b) For intervals, increase the resistance against your pedalling, and not the speed of your pedalling. I don't like high RPM spinning. I think you'll get more results and do more work when you keep the RPM between 80-100 and work against a harder resistance. Forget that high-RPM spinning stuff...I think it is rough on your hips and knees.

c) When on the upright bike, sit as upright as possible for the recovery intervals or even stand for some of the work intervals. Just avoid a rounded over posture as that can be hard on your low back.

And the winner is...The Treadmill.

The treadmill can burn almost 20 calories per minute of exercise during your workout. That's a big burn, but of course only advanced fitness levels can achieve that - but hopefully you fit that category now or you will someday with consistent training and nutrition.

Some tips: Don't go crazy on using an incline (as that can lead to tight calves), but if you are able to run at more than 10mph, use a 1% incline to help offset the need for more speed. The last thing you want to do is end up in a crazy video on YouTube with you flying off the end of a treadmill into an elliptical machine.

So as with all types of sprinting, be careful.

Honorable mentions go to...The Rowing Machine and Stairmaster...these can be used in place of other machines for variety and are still effective. Better yet, if you are able, use your body as the best fat burning machine. I highly recommend bodyweight circuits for interval training. These are fun, effective, and perhaps even better at sculpting your body.

Craig Ballantyne is a Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist and writes for Men's Health, Men's Fitness, Maximum Fitness, Muscle and Fitness Hers, and Oxygen magazines. His trademarked Turbulence Training fat loss workouts have been featured multiple times in Men’s Fitness and Maximum Fitness magazines and all over the Internet, and have helped thousands of men and women around the world lose fat, gain muscle, and get lean in less than 45 minutes three times per week. For more information on the Turbulence Training workouts that will help you burn fat without long, slow cardio sessions or fancy equipment, visit http://www.TurbulenceTraining.com

Filling Foods That Help You Lose Weight Before Your Wedding

By Kathleen Terrana

When choosing a diet to help you lose weight it is important to consider “fullness factors.” Foods that contain large amounts of fat, sugar and/or starch are so easy to overeat because they have low fullness factors. Foods that contain large amounts of water, fiber, and/or protein have the highest fullness factors and do a better job of satisfying your hunger. Most vegetables, fruits and lean meats fall into this category.

Green vegetables such as lettuce, cabbage and bokchoy have so few calories that you can fill up on an unlimited quality because they are considered “free foods.” The fiber in beans and lentils trigger stretch receptors in our stomachs which signal to our brain that we have eaten a full meal. Whole oats are more filling than instant oatmeal. Soak the raw oats overnight and then microwave them for 1-2 minutes in the morning.

Choosing foods with texture helps trick the stomach into feeling full. Eating a big apple will suppress the appetite because the bulky fiber fills up your stomach and turns off your appetite control hormones. Plus, apples contain vitamins and minerals, as well as being a good source of folic acid. Chopped apple is more filling than applesauce, while mashed potatoes are less filling than whole boiled potatoes.

Fibre, protein and the fluid content of food help determine the fullness factor. If you reach for processed foods (chips or cookies, for example), and eat until you feel full, you may have consumed 1,000 calories or more. This is almost half the the calories you need for the entire day. Drinking lots of fresh water, plenty of leafy vegetables, fresh fruit, and lean protein will make you fill up quicker and stay satisfied longer.

Kathleen Terrana is the owner of Beautiful Bridal specializing in discount tiaras, veils and bridal jewelry.

Weight Loss & Fat Burning For Busy People

By Craig Ballantyne

To a busy man or woman, finding time to exercise for weight loss is just another form of daily stress. But without exercise, you'll have less energy to devote to your family, less clarity in your important decision making processes, and more time spent away from work dealing with illness and poor health. And in this business world, you can't afford any of that.

As a writer for Men's Health and Men's Fitness, millions of office workers across America and the world have improved their health and fitness with my workouts. I want to show you how to lose fat, gain muscle, eat better, have more energy, and be able to get great workouts at home or even in the worst hotel gym in the world. It is possible to train and lose weight on the road!

By using an efficient combination of strength and interval training, you'll be able to cut down on your workout time and spend more time on your business projects and more importantly, at home with your family.

In order to do that, I want you to understand that you have to make nutrition your main focus in the fight against fat loss. It is far more important than exercise.

Given that, you can now understand why you don't have to do marathon workouts in the gym 5-6 days per week in order to lose weight and look better. All you need are 3 workouts per week, taking no more than 45 minutes. That is the maximum amount of time needed for my system, but you can do it in even less time if you are busy.

You need 5 minutes for a bodyweight warmup (do some easy bodyweight squats, an easy version of pushups for you, and an exercise called stick-ups to mobilize your shoulders - after all, you are probably tight due to computer use).

Next up, choose 4 basic, total-body strength exercises and perform them in 2 supersets. This will cut down time and allow you to work all of your body in only 20 minutes. Finish up the workout with 20 minutes of interval training. That's it.

By improving your health and fitness, you can have more energy; more energy to devote to your work and business, and more importantly, more energy to dedicate to your family.

The job performance benefits of health and fitness are also undeniable. Sharper mental focus, improved mental and physical endurance, enhanced self-confidence, and impressive changes in your appearance are just a few of the well-known effects of a good training program.

Unfortunately, a lot of men and women leave their health and fitness until it is too late. In fact, I've seen many prominent business-people and lawyers struggle through the simplest of physical tasks. Simply because they let the typical unhealthy executive lifestyle overwhelm them.

Don't you think these executives would gladly trade some of their wealth for the opportunity to have even an average level of fitness? Instead, long hours and poor eating have left them overweight, unfit, and looking and feeling 15 years older than they really are.

But it doesn't have to be that way for you, no matter how busy you are.

The first thing to know is that your workouts don't need to last an hour and half each day to be worthwhile. You can achieve great results by training for less than 60 minutes three times per week. You'll be able to reduce your workout time by up to 2 hours per week when compared to traditional, inefficient training programs, and you'll feel better and have more energy within days.

A strength and interval workout will decrease your stress levels, increase your mental focus and endurance, enhance your self-confidence, and drastically improve your appearance - all in record time.

Adding regular exercise to your lifestyle is known to improve work performance and personal satisfaction. Business owners that exercise regularly are 14% more likely to make the income they desire when compared to sedentary business owners. They're also 10% more likely to achieve personal work satisfaction. It's all thanks to the ability of exercise to make people more confident and give them more energy.

And research has shown that an executive lifestyle plan can result in dramatic health improvements such as:

Decreased bodyweight = -5.5 lbs.

Decreased systolic blood pressure = -17 mmHg

Decreased total cholesterol = -28 mg/dl

Decreased LDL cholesterol = -16 mg/dl

Decreased triglycerides = -45 mg/dl

Decreased fasting blood glucose = -26 mg/dl

Now all that scientific jargon just means that a good program will help you lose weight and will leave you feeling 10-15 years younger than you would without exercise and proper eating. It's incredibly simple, yet too many men and women neglect to make a strategic investment in the future of their health.

It's time to take action. Armed with this knowledge, you have the opportunity to improve your health, fitness, and energy level. Your first step is to review your current lifestyle and get your physician's approval to begin a new lifestyle. After that, you can gradually and consistently improve your daily activity and eating patterns. Changes in your energy and well-being will be immediate.

As you progress with your strength and interval workouts, your new lifestyle will become an easy to follow habit, and your old lifestyle a distant memory. On a daily basis, you'll notice improved performance and the benefits of a balanced lifestyle. You'll soon regain physical strength and endurance that you haven't enjoyed in years.

That's a small investment now in order to live a longer, more energetic, healthier life. You'll be able to keep up with your grandkids, not only your own children. I guarantee strength and interval workouts will add energy to your life while taking inches from your waist.

Craig Ballantyne is a Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist and writes for Men's Health, Men's Fitness, Maximum Fitness, Muscle and Fitness Hers, and Oxygen magazines. His trademarked Turbulence Training fat loss workouts have been featured multiple times in Men’s Fitness and Maximum Fitness magazines and all over the Internet, and have helped thousands of men and women around the world lose fat, gain muscle, and get lean in less than 45 minutes three times per week. For more information on the Turbulence Training workouts that will help you burn fat without long, slow cardio sessions or fancy equipment, visit http://www.TurbulenceTraining.com

Your Weight Loss Plan for 2007

By Craig Ballantyne

Most people think they have to starve themselves and do hours of cardio to lose fat. But that's not true. You can lose weight and increase your metabolism with a hard diet or boring exercise plan. I strongly recommend a diet of whole, natural foods combined with fast strength and interval training workouts to help you get results in a hurry.

Q: How much fat can I lose with strength and interval training?

Answer: The short answer is, 'a lot'. To be more specific, you should be able to lose one pound of body fat each week (in addition to following sound fat loss nutritional practices). At the same time, you should expect to gain or maintain muscle. Overall, total weight loss will be about a pound per week.

Q: Why should I only use each version of a workout for 3-4 weeks?

Answer: We want to keep the element of variety in the training program to achieve consistent fat loss (see the above article). Nothing, except poor eating, halts fat loss like staying on a training program for too long. By switching it up on a frequent basis, you'll avoid fat loss plateaus and keep making gains in strength and fitness at the same time.

Q: I'm starting strength and interval training today and I'm unsure what is meant by interval training. Also, as I improve can I reduce the low intensity time to 30 seconds, and then if I improve further can I add more sets?

Answer: One set of interval training is defined as: Each time you do an interval and follow it with a rest period. Therefore, to do 3 sets means you will do three intervals and you'll rest three times.

As for improving, focus on increasing the intensity of the intervals. As you get fit, the once relatively hard interval will soon be an easy interval. Therefore, you will just need to increase the resistance. As we improve, simply use a higher level on the stationary cycle.

You can reduce the rest periods to 60 seconds, but we don't often reduce them any further. The key to success is the work interval intensity. Don't sacrifice work intensity by reducing the rest interval too much. We might also increase the duration or number of work intervals, but we don't do any more than 12 intervals in a workout.

Q: What is the rationale for the eating plan?

Answer: 1. Recent research* has shown that subjects lost more fat mass and had a greater reduction in their systolic blood pressure when they substituted almonds for complex carbohydrates in their diet. *Wien, M., et al. Almonds vs complex carbohydrates in a weight reduction program. Int. J. Obes. 27: 1365-1372, 2003.

2. The post-workout nutrition was chosen based on John Berardi's recommendations given in the last newsletter. According to John, "During the post-workout period, the body makes a distinctive metabolic shift. It shifts toward fat oxidation (burning) at the expense of carbohydrate. In other words, most of the energy your body uses during recovery comes from fat. At the same time, carbohydrate storage becomes a priority; the body's attempt to refill those muscle and liver glycogen stores."

3. Recent research** has shown that, "the American-healthy pattern was characterized by high intakes of green, leafy vegetables; salad dressings; tomatoes; other vegetables (eg, peppers, green beans, corn, and peas); cruciferous vegetables; and tea."

**Kerver, J., et al. Dietary patterns associated with risk factors for cardiovascular disease in healthy US adults Amer. J. Clin. Nutr. 78: 1103-1110, 2003.

Craig Ballantyne is a Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist and writes for Men's Health, Men's Fitness, Maximum Fitness, Muscle and Fitness Hers, and Oxygen magazines. His trademarked Turbulence Training fat loss workouts have been featured multiple times in Men’s Fitness and Maximum Fitness magazines and all over the Internet, and have helped thousands of men and women around the world lose fat, gain muscle, and get lean in less than 45 minutes three times per week. For more information on the Turbulence Training workouts that will help you burn fat without long, slow cardio sessions or fancy equipment, visit http://www.TurbulenceTraining.com

Dieting and Weight Loss Resolutions

By Bill Schuchman

For many of us, the New Year is a time of reflection. Reflecting on what has happened in the past and on dreams and desires for the future. These dreams and desires often become New Years resolutions.

I admit that for many years each time a New Year rolled around I would make a resolution to lose weight and get back into shape. Each year I would try a different diet and each year I would fail. Some years I would keep my resolution for several weeks and lose some weight. Unfortunately, my willpower would inevitably falter and before I knew it, I would be back to where I started.

Each time this happened I felt the failure at my core. I blamed myself and started believing I was weak. After all, other people were losing weight, why wasn't I? Then it dawned on me. Why do most New Year's resolutions fail? Why do most people on diets ultimately fail? Could it be that we are all weak? That we are all failures? I started thinking, maybe we weren't weak. After all, there's strength in numbers. What if it was the diet that was weak? If not the diet, what about the whole diet approach? Think about it.

Then I began to notice the disclaimers that were included in every commercial for every diet center like Jenny Craig and Weight Watchers. The commercials usually show a before and after picture, an overweight person and then a picture of that person magically transformed to a slim, healthy and happy person. Then the disclaimer in very small print appears at the bottom of the commercial. The disclaimer usually reads something like “These results are not typical.” These results are not typical which means that most people will not succeed on this program. How many different diets or plans have you tried only to end up with the same results? There had to be a better way.

This led me on a journey to discover a more effective way to lose weight. Keeping it simple, I discovered that in order to change our appearance on the outside, we first need to change on the inside. Our body is a reflection of our thoughts and our beliefs. We need to change the way we feel if we are top have any chance at losing weight. This type of approach is consistent with what many great thinkers, leading edge doctors and psychiatrists are saying:

The greatest discovery of my generation is that a human being can alter his life by altering his thoughts. - William James

Who looks outside, dreams; who looks inside, awakes. - Carl Gustav Jung

What lies behind us and what lies before us are small matters to what lies within us. - Ralph Waldo Emerson

Emotions are important because it is how we feel about who we are and what we are doing that determines the success or failure of our efforts. Dr. Candace Pert

To change on the inside you need to begin to change your focus. I'm sure you think all the time about how heavy you look, or what you next meal will be or how much you weight. These thoughts run though you mind day in and day out. When you catch yourself thinking these thoughts, stop and think of something pleasant. It would be best if you could think of something you liked about yourself or your body.

Change those negative thoughts to hopeful empowering positive thoughts. Each time you think a negative thought concerning your weight, catch yourself and immediately change it. For example: “I feel fat” would be changed to “I am burning calories and getting thinner at this very second” “I will never lose weight” would be changed to “I can do anything I put my mind to, I am losing weight at this very moment” “I really want to eat that doughnut” would be changed to “Nothing tastes as good as thin feels, I will only eat foods that support a healthy fit and trim body”

There are natural tools that can help you to change yourself from within. Some of these tools include; -Hypnosis, Listening to hypnosis recordings can quickly change you way you think of yourself and view the world. Hypnosis can release hidden potential you never realized you had. -EFT, Emotional Freedom Techniques is a process where by tapping on specific body points you can release the negative emotions, feelings and thoughts that keep playing over and over again in your mind. -Affirmations, when properly written to that their believable affirmations can reprogram the negative thoughts and beliefs to positive one. The key to affirmations is that they must be believable.

So forget about those weight loss centers or diets that by their own admission don't work and begin to change you from the inside.

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Set realistic goals for weight-loss resolutions

By MARIANNE CARTER, Special to The News Journal

Each January, millions of people make resolutions to change their eating habits. Many have good intentions; unfortunately, few succeed in making long-term changes.

One problem is that people set unrealistic goals. Trying to lose 30 pounds in the next two months is hardly feasible. The recommended rate of weight loss is about 1 pound per week.

Vowing to give up your favorite foods and eat an entirely different way also is unrealistic. Our eating habits are something we have "practiced" for many years. Drastic changes are usually short-lived.

When making nutrition-related New Year's resolutions, it's best to proceed in a "step-wise" fashion.

The first step is to identify your overall goal.

Goals should be specific; they also should be something you can measure, such as pounds on a scale, days of physical activity per week, or number of servings of fruits and vegetables you consume daily.

After deciding on a goal, write down on an index card all the reasons why you want to meet this goal. Carry it in your wallet to remind yourself of all of the positive benefits of achieving your goal.

In order to make your resolution a reality, the next step is to identify specific behaviors that will help you to reach your overall goal.

For example, if you're trying to lose weight, you might need to cut down on portion sizes, start a walking program or limit desserts. Break your overall goal into smaller attainable changes. Select one or two of these smaller goals to work on initially.

Other ideas for step-wise changes include eating more fruits and vegetables, limiting second helpings and drinking more water.

Similar to playing a musical instrument, you can't become a pro the first time you try to play -- it takes practice. To adopt healthier eating habits, it helps to "practice" small changes, master them and then move on.

Give yourself time to get used to the new behavior so it feels comfortable, then select additional changes to work toward.

Often, trying to do something different than usual requires more thought and effort. Until the new behavior becomes a habit, it helps to take steps to remind yourself to make the change.

For example, if your resolution is to start exercising more, a week could easily go by without you setting aside time to do this, especially if you had previously been inactive. To keep the new goal on your radar, it's helpful to actually make appointments on your day planner or calendar.

The first week you might schedule a trip to the gym and two walks after dinner. As you feel comfortable, increase the frequency of exercise so you're doing something as many days a week as possible.

Making an appointment for yourself puts the goal at the same level of importance as a meeting at work or a doctor's appointment. You may be less likely to miss it if it's written down on your schedule.

As you make progress, reward yourself for your efforts. Try to relate the reward to your healthier behavior and stay away from food rewards.

Trying to change too much too fast can get in the way of success. Modest healthy changes, however, can add up to positive lifelong habits.

Marianne Carter, a registered dietitian and director of the Delaware Center for Health Promotion, has a nutrition practice in Newark. Her column appears biweekly. Contact health@ delawareonline.com or Weigh In, Box 15505, Wilmington, DE 19850. Although mail cannot be answered personally, readers' questions may be dealt with in future columns.

Calorie-counts, activity matter in weight loss

For many people, losing weight will become a high priority come Jan. 1. According to a recent Calorie Control Council survey, 33 percent of Americans, or 71 million people, are on a diet - the highest number of dieters in the past 15 years.

With hundreds of quick-fix diets on the market, it is often hard to know what works and what does not. Most health professionals agree it is calories that count when it comes to weight loss.

"Consumers must be aware of the calories they are consuming and the calories they are expending," says Robin Steagall, a registered dietician and the council's nutrition communications manager. "By choosing lower-calorie foods and beverages and incorporating exercise into the daily lifestyle, weight loss and improved health can be maintained for life."

What trends will dieters and weight controllers face in 2007? The council is predicting the following top five dieting trends for the coming year:

Restaurants will serve more low-calorie and reduced-fat foods.

A recent report from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration encouraged restaurants to market lower-calorie foods and increase awareness about the calories in foods at restaurants. In 2007, the restaurants industry will heed the advice of the FDA and begin to serve lower-calorie and reduced-fat options. New York City is leading the way and recently passed legislation that requires restaurants with standardized menus to clearly label the calorie content of each item.

Consumers will create personalized eating plans. Americans are beginning to realize it is not practical to cut out an entire food group or survive on a liquid diet for a long period of time. Instead, people will begin to ignore the fad diets and focus on sensible nutrition and controlling calories. To create low-calorie, customized meal plans, people will seek assistance through online dieting Web sites. These sites, such as the council's www.CaloriesCount.com, have become very popular.

Exercise will become part of the "everyday." As Americans get busier everyday, fitting exercise into a demanding schedule can be difficult. However, many people will begin to make small changes to incorporate fitness into the daily lifestyle. For example, taking the stairs instead of the elevator and parking far away in the parking lot are simple ways to burn calories throughout the day. These small changes will make a big difference in the activity levels of busy people.

Healthy living will become a family matter. In 2007, major steps will be taken to diminish the growing rate of childhood obesity. Many families will choose to make proper nutrition and exercise a priority for the entire family. Thanks to government education efforts, more and more parents will teach children about the importance of eating right and exercising while acting as positive role models for their children.

Overall, according to the Council, 2007 will be a year of positive change when it comes to weight loss and weight maintenance. "By focusing on calories in and calories out and not being misled by the latest weight loss fad and instead adopting healthy long-term habits, the New Year can be happy and healthy," Steagall says.

Staying Healthy Need Not Diet But Exercise

By Ng Peng Hock

When one’s weight is increased beyond healthy range, the normal advice from the doctor is to go on diet and exercise more regularly to avoid the possibility of developing heart disease, diabetes, etc. But, now some British researchers have advised clinically obese women don’t go on diet but change the way they eat, and they can eat whatever they want in moderation to improve their health.

A program, designed by a research team from Leeds Metropolitan University and the University of Hull, encouraged women not to diet but to participate in exercise classes did improve their health and mental well-being significantly. The 62 women aged 24 to 55 took part in the study all had a body mass index of more than 30, which is classed as clinically obese. They were also taught about good eating habits, such as how to cook, and received social support.

During the program, these women were required to do 4 hours a week of exercise, such as Taiji, aqua aerobics or circuit classes. Educational sessions were also included to teach them how to read food labels and cook food, and behavioral therapy to help the women respond to body cues such as hunger and feeling full. Over the course of a week, participants were encouraged by the dietitian to eat a chocolate bar in small portions. Other than that, women were encouraged not to diet and to eat whatever they wanted in moderation.

After the first 3 months, participants lost a small amount of weight from 108 kg to 104 kg; whereas women in the control group put on an average of 3 kg. Despite of losing only a small amount of weight, the participants ended up significantly fitter: blood pressure, heart rate and cholesterol fell and respiratory fitness increased. Furthermore, the participants also felt better in terms of general well-being, body image, self-perception and stress.

The important thing to note from the study is that people are not set up for failure, hence their psychological and physical health and metabolic risk factors greatly improved. The program was sustainable because participants were taught skills in the exercise classes and given discounts to encourage them to continue with physical activity after the 12-month period finished.

People of all sizes and shapes can in fact reduce risk of cancer, stroke and heart disease by adopting healthy lifestyle. Fitness can be improved without losing weight as one gains muscle and loses fat while weight can remain the same or even increased.

Perhaps the health professionals may need to seriously consider shifting their focus from weight loss to helping people become healthier.

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Weight Loss and the Choices You Make - What's Behind the Two Doors?

By Dean Carlson

Oftentimes on our journey toward healthier living we are faced with choices, two doors, if you will. Behind one door is a path that leads us closer to where we want to be, and the other door leads us in the other direction. When confronted with these choices, or doors, I would suggest there are three possible courses of action.

Do Nothing

By far the most popular choice, because it is the easiest. Change is difficult. Remember back to science class, where we learned Newton’s laws of motions? The first law went something like this - objects at rest tend to stay at rest. Sounds more like the first law of why I have no energy and two chins! Reminds me of something that Einstein said - "Nothing happens until something moves". I think we can agree that "Do Nothing" is not particularly helpful to reaching our goals.

Reinvent the Wheel

Ahh yes, we all like to be innovators. I can figure it out by myself, we say, how hard can it be? Well to be blunt, how are you doing with that? How long have you been trying to lose the weight, or gain the muscle, or eat a healthier diet on your own? Yes, there is a tremendous amount of information out there, just Google "weight loss" and you will come up with about 71,500,000 results. I am not sure how many calories you can burn by reading, but you are going to be there for awhile. It think it was Vince Gironda who said "If you could do it yourself, you would have done it by now". Which leads me to:

Ask someone who knows

It really can be that simple. Ask someone who has been there, had success, and knows how to communicate that success to you. Solomon, the wisest man to ever live, wrote "There is nothing new under the sun", and that is a fact. We all learn from someone. That being said, there are better ways to do things, and more efficient ways to get things done. I don’t know the first thing about fixing a car engine, and if I tried I would probably do more harm than good. Your body is a whole lot more complicated than the most exotic sports car. Doesn’t it make sense to seek someone out who knows how to tune your body for peak performance?

Remember Newton's law? We didn't talk about the second half - Things in motion tend to stay in motion. Once you make the choice to get moving, it is easier to stay moving. In fact, once you build up momentum, you are unstoppable! I would urge you to make the choice, get the help you need, and get moving today!

About Dean: Fed up with the way he looked and felt, Dean Carlson decided enough was enough. After wading through the conflicting diet and fitness information, and through much trial and error, he found himself 80 pounds lighter and with a new outlook on life. His desire to help other people get healthy and fit without going it alone led him to start Cr8 Health & Fitness, where he shares his knowledge and passion for fitness with others looking to get off the diet roller coaster.

Dean is a Certified Professional Fitness Trainer with the National Exercise and Sports Trainer Association.

Website: www.cr8health.com