Nobody Wants to Do It - But Most of at Least Think About it!
You've heard the adage, 'Work is a 4-letter word!' There is another foul 4-letter word - nastier than the worst of the worst. It may shock you, but women are even guiltier of using this word than men. In fact, females are notorious repeat offenders.
Curious? Here it is: D-I-E-T. Yes, I hate the 'diet' word, too - which is why I'm writing this article.
Something occurred to me while I was watching yet another rerun on TV. It requires a reduction of 3500 calories to lose one pound. So, how many calories would a person have to cut every day to lose one pound per year? The math is simple: 3500 divided by 365 equals about 10 calories per day. Ten calories! That's not much!
Yes, So What?
Here is where it gets interesting. If you can cut 10 calories from your daily food consumption, you will lose one pound over the coming year. Hey - I put ten times that number of calories on a piece of buttered toast! If I could do without one piece of toast a day, I would eliminate about 100 calories of butter. Add the actual calorie count of the bread (100 calories for the brand I like), and I cut a total of 200 calories. By eliminating just this one thing, I could lose 20 pounds over the next year without really dieting!
See how easy it can be? The key point is that you must be willing to accept a slow, sustained weight loss. You probably didn't gain the weight all in one month - so why would you expect to lose it in one month? Slow weight loss that doesn't change your lifestyle too drastically is easier to manage, and is kinder to your heart.
By the way, be sure to check the link at the end of this article for a longer version with even more tips - and links to websites with calorie-counters and food nutrition data.
Some Realistic Examples
Do you pick up a coffee on your way to work every morning? How many sugar packets and creamers do you use? Cut out one creamer and one sugar packet for a net saving of 45 calories, or 4 1/2 pounds per year of weight loss.
If you drink 2 cups of whole milk daily and switch to 1% instead, you will save 80 calories per day, or 8 pounds per year.
If you grab a chocolate bar on your way home from work, start reading labels. You may be able to change to a different brand and cut 50 calories or more - for a loss of 5+ pounds per year.
Order a McDonalds Big Mac without the cheese and save 70 calories.
Turn yourself into an avid label reader. Know which brands and restaurant meals will save you a few calories. Remember - the saving doesn't have to be huge. The idea is to make small changes without feeling deprived or cheated. Once you start looking at your eating patterns, you may be amazed at how many naughty habits you have acquired - resulting in all that excess padding on your body.
Add Some Spice to Your Life
Scientific studies show that spicy foods such as chili and cayenne pepper boost the metabolism for as many as 3 hours after ingestion.
Let's Review the Math
10 calories per day x 365 days per year = 1 pound of weight loss
Be a label-conscious consumer.
Check the Internet for restaurant menus with calorie counts.
Pick up a pocket-sized calorie counter.
Try spicy foods whenever possible.
Rome Wasn't Built in a Day
Take it slow and don't make dramatic lifestyle changes that you won't be able to maintain.
Don't deprive yourself of all the goodies and desserts you like - just go for modified versions or smaller portions.
Consult your physician if you need to lose a large amount of weight or if you have any medical concerns that must be addressed.
You can do it! Live the healthy life you want and deserve.
(c)Copyright Kathy Steinemann: This article is free to publish only if this copyright notice, the byline, and the author's note below (with active links) are included.
Read a longer version of this weight loss article at 1st Rate Articles. Kathy is a webmaster and author who writes travel articles and German-English short stories.
A GREAT Era in Fitness & Weight Loss
In today's world, it seems that almost any topic is open for debate.
While I was gathering facts for this article, I was quite surprised to find some of the
issues I thought were settled are actually still being openly discussed.
Fitness has evolved tremendously since the early days of round cement dumbbells and jump
ropes. Now all the luxuries of home are provided for you in your workout experience,
to help make it more convenient, enjoyable and have it feel less like, well, working out,
as possible. Cardio machines now come equipped with numerous amenities, from personal
televisions to fans. People now can seclude themselves from the rest of the world with
head phones that connect to televisions’ as they workout. Strength equipment has also
advanced with more user friendly resistance machines that provide every possible way in
which to target a muscle.
Yes, our society has defiantly advanced, at least in terms of the equipment we use.
However, some how, even with all of our technological advances we are still more over
weight and obese than ever. Many people sit and wonder to themselves how could it be that
movie stars can obtain and maintain such fit and beautiful bodies? They have access to much
of the same technological advances as the rest of us do in our fitness centers and home
equipment. After all, is it not about how much you do and not what you do? This is far
from the truth; movie stars, models, performers, their just like you and me. They have
cravings, they get too tired to workout and they have access to similar equipment.
So again, how is it that with their hectic schedules, being constantly bombarded with rich
foods, and being only human, that they can look so good, all the time! The answer is that
they have access to something most people do not, a great personal trainer! I know what
people will be thinking when they read this, “I can’t afford a personal trainer” or
“I don’t have time to meet on a regular basis with someone.” Online personal training is
the solution to much of the nations’ health problems.
Online personal training can provide people with the direction they need to help them
reach their goals. They can do this with access to a certified personal trainer, but
without the cost and time needed to acquire one. Online personal training is the New Era
of the fitness industry and can get you where you need to be, on the fast track to a
healthier more attractive body!
Sometimes the most important aspects of a subject are not immediately obvious. Keep reading
to get the complete picture.
Here’s how it works. Participants obtain access to an online training website. From their,
the participant selects the plan they prefer most (prices usually increase depending on the
type of program selected). Once a program is selected, a simple questionnaire is required
to be filled out to determine you current health status, preferences and future goals.
You are then set up with you own login screen name and password that gives you access to
your programs online. The trainer will send you your workout plan periodically through
email and post it on your login access online. Participants can print out their workouts,
which consist of a picture of each exercises start and finish positions, written directions
on how to perform each exercise and the correct order to perform each one are all provided.
How many sets and reps to perform are included as well. For more detailed explanation of
an exercise, clients can even access their program online and watch a video of a model
demonstrating each exercise start to finish properly.
Another great advantage to online training is that you have constant access to a personal
trainer via email or phone, to ask questions about your program or any general health and
fitness inquiries. The benefits seem endless, depending on the program one chooses,
nutritional components are also supplied in different degrees. The nutrition component is
based on your goals and eating habits. A licensed nutritionist supplies you with a daily
meal plan and grocery list in which to choose healthy options based on your goals and
health needs.
The best features’ of online training is that it is affordable, convenient and
made specifically for you. You too can have the advantages of a personal trainer without
the time commitment and cost. Online training truly is the New Era of Health and Fitness!
That's how things stand right now. Keep in mind that any subject can change over time,
so be sure you keep up with the latest news.
For the technical edge on fitness and the attainment
of your weight loss goals. For ways to reach your personal fitness goals faster you can
visit http://usmuscles.iscool.net
GET your Great Muscles!!! Andrew Peterson
Never Too Overloaded To Exercise
Who doesn't gripe about how hurried our lives are these days? Exercise often takes a back seat to everything else that we have going on. At a time when most of us are engaging in inferior and inferior visible exertion and eating greater and augmented prepared convenience foods, fitting some exercise into our regular schedule is becoming increasingly critical. If you find yourself falling into this type then here are five elementary ideas for fitting a miniature exercise into your working day.
1. Try 'working out' instead of 'vegging out'. At the end of most working days there are usually a couple of programs on the television that can help you unwind and relax. Instead of stretching out on the couch (probably with a bag of chips and soda pop) try doing some exercise and watching the television at the same time. This can be as mild as doing some stretching exercises, sit ups or light weight lifting or, if you are really contemplative about your exercise, why not set up a limited home gym in the house and watch your main program while using an exercise bike or a treadmill?
2. Try to decrease the number of coffee breaks you have during the day. It is surprising how coffee breaks can eat into the day! If you make a note of how long you spend on coffee breaks in an standard day you will probably be amazed at just how much time you could be doing productive work. One idea might be to frankly roll these breaks up into just a couple of longer breaks each day and use this time to take some exercise, even if it is just walking around your office building or climbing a straggling flights of stairs. You will also obtain that the endorphins which your body produces as a by-product of even a tiny bit of exercise will do greater to enliven you than your cup of coffee!
3. Take a packed lunch with you to work. Most of us gou outside the office for lunch, often with some of our co-workers, and often choose less than nutritious food options which we wash down with a large cup of coffee or two. Why don't you try taking your packed lunch out for a walk (or greater still a run) and, when you get tired, stop off to eat.
4. Make exercise part of your social life. We all like to get out with our friends and gab about the problems of the world. Instead of sitting around in your local bar or coffee shop to do so, why not find a increased challenging venue and combine your socializing with a game of badminton, squash or even bowling (my prized)?
5. Try a little housework. Okay, I can hear a lot of you throwing up your hands in horror but various forms of housework such as cleaning the kitchen, washing down the bathroom, mowing the lawn (not with your adored ride-on lawn mower), and digging over the vegetable patch are all huge forms of exercise. Those dust bunnies won't go away by themselves! They don't do your house any harm either.
These are just a straggling plain ideas and I am sure that you can come up with bountious increased of your own. It really doesn't matter what you do, as long as you fit some exercise into your common method. And remember, if you haven't done any exercise for a while, take it stall at basic and build yourself up gradually.
Hamza Davis is a top distributor with Juice Plus. He is committed to promoting health and wellness. To receive greater information, please visit http://www.juiceplus-vitamin.com.