Sunday, March 1, 2009

8 Easy Ways to Lose Weight


Over the years, I have shared a lot of my favorite weight loss tips. Recently, I asked everyone I know who has lost weight (and kept it off!) for the top skill in their weight loss arsenal. My friends, family, and some other real "losers" shared these easy weight loss tips:

  1. Keep temptation at bay: "I make labels for my kids' lunches with their name on them. When I purchase treats for them at the grocery store, I attach one of the labels to the actual food package; that way, it's already truly theirs and I consider it completely off-limits." - Olivia, 49, lost 18 pounds
  2. Clock your miles: "I never leave home without my pedometer. A goal I set was 10,000 steps a day and now I am up to 12,000. It gives me such a sense of accomplishment to log my steps in my calendar each day." - Gibson, 30, lost 20 pounds
  3. Take control: "I struggled with stress and emotional eating for many years. I finally decided that it was about being 'bigger' than my feelings. I can't describe how great it feels to know now that I am completely in control of what I eat. My emotions have no power over what I put into my mouth." - Mark, 41, lost 39 pounds
  4. Have a realistic goal: "I always heard having a realistic goal was important, but I didn't realize what that truly meant. I struggled for about a year to lose about 15 more pounds. It took me a lot of soul-searching to realize the goal I had set for myself just was not doable. I will never wear the same size I wore to my senior prom. I lost five more pounds and I am completely happy at this size." - Shannon, 51, lost 45 pounds
  5. Downsize your dinner: "I have one fool-proof tip. Eat supper off a smaller plate, like a salad plate." - Jane, 29, lost 24 pounds (and still going!)
  6. Talk yourself up: "I had a terrible habit of talking myself down, you know, like, 'I can't walk 20 minutes, much less 45.' or 'I'll never be able to stop binge eating at night.'. I had to learn to focus on the positive and say to myself, 'Look how far you've come.' instead of thinking about how far I'd yet to go." - Wendy, 40, lost 51 pounds
  7. Bye-bye bread: "Before, I ate bread with every meal and even between them. Now, I only have it once a day and it's always whole-grain varieties. I have lost 10 pounds already. I figure it's also because doing without the bread means I'm cutting a lot of butter, too." - April, 30, lost 10 pounds (and still going!)
  8. Hit the snooze button: "When I started making an effort to get at least eight hours of sleep at night, it made a noticeable difference. I can't swear I've lost weight directly as a result of it, but it certainly feels easier to lose now. I think being more rested keeps me more focused and in control of my eating habits." - Allison, 32, lost 40 pounds

More Easy Weight Loss Tips: 8 Easy Ways to Lose Weight, Lose Weight on a Budget, Take the First Steps. Related Articles: 100 Easy Weight Loss Tips, 100 Easy Weight Loss Tips, 100 Easy Weight Loss Tips, 100 Easy Weight Loss Tips, Losing Weight - Easy Tips for Losing Weight.

Sponsored Links: Safe Weight LossControl appetite, optimize nutrient absorption, increase metabolism! yogic-slim.com. Get Rid Of That Big BellyI Had The Same Problem As You Then I Have Found A Way To Solve It. www.fatburningfurnace.com. Diet Tips to your successTips and information about diet diet and weight loss. programshealth.cncservice-china.de. Free Weight LossFind all there is about Free Weight Loss here.loseweight.e-siq.info. World's Fastest Workout10 Exercises - 5 seconds each All the muscle you want. Free Info. www.PrecisionTraining.com

Source: weightloss.about

Friday, February 27, 2009

Exercise Melts Body Fat

Exercise Melts Body Fat
If you want to reduce your body fat, focus on increasing the amount of exercise you get rather than decreasing your food intake. A recent national study was done using two groups of sedentary men, one group in their 20's and the other over age 65. A lot was learned from this accumulated data and it is interesting to note that there was a significant relationship between lack of physical activity and fat. Not surprisingly, the most sedentary men had the most body fat.

These studies have also indicated that the governments current recommended daily allowance for calories does not correlate with the body's actual energy needs. For example, although 2400 calories have been calculated for older men, they in fact burned an average of 2800 calories daily.

The leading experts now recommend that people who want to lose weight start increasing their physical activity. Just being more active in general (such as climbing the stairs instead of taking the elevator, moving around instead of sitting still, sitting up instead of lying down as well as showing some excitement and enthusiasm instead of boredom), are things that more effectively burns calories and reduces body fat. Everyone seems to have lost sight of the value of being active. Consider this, a half-hour aerobic workout accounts for far less energy expenditure than our minute-to-minute movement in the office or at home.

Millions of Americans are trying to lose weight, spending approximately $30 billion a year on diet programs and products, often they do lose some weight. But, if you check with the same people five years later, you will find that nearly all have regained whatever weight they lost. A national panel recently sought data to determine if any commercial diet program could prove long-term success. Not a single program could do so.Being seriously overweight and particularly obesity predisposes individuals to a number of diseases and serious health problems, and it's now a known fact that when caloric intake is excessive, some of the excess frequently is saturated fat.

People who diet without exercising often get fatter with time. Although your weight may initially drop while dieting, such weight loss consists mostly of water and muscle. When the weight returns, it comes back as fat. To avoid getting fatter over time, increase your metabolism by exercising regularly.

Walking is one of the best exercises for strengthening bones, controlling weight, toning the leg muscles, maintaining good posture and improving positive self-concept. To lose weight, it's more important to walk for time than speed. Walking at a moderate pace yields longer workouts with less soreness - leading t more miles and more fat worked off on a regular basis. High intensity walks on alternate days help condition one's system. But in a walking, weight-loss program, you are not required to walk an hour every day as some people would have you believe.

When it comes to good health and weight loss, exercise and diet are inter-related. Exercising without maintaining a balanced diet is no more beneficial than dieting while remaining inactive.

Submitted by Joe R.