10 Ways For How to Lose Weight Fast At Home

There are many diets out there that will show you how to lose weight quickly. The problem is that many of the claims of rapid weight loss are false and could be hurting yourself if you reduce too quickly. Small changes in your lifestyle can definitely help shed those extra kilos. We will find easy answers to the question “how to lose weight fast at home?
1. Flush toxins from your body. The quickest way to start losing too much weight is to detox your body eliminate toxins that are clogging your colon and poisoning the whole body. Some say that death begins in the colon, so that detoxification is important for everyone, not just those who need to lose weight.
2. Avoid any carbohydrate that is - or can be - white. The following foods are therefore prohibited, except within 1.5 hours of completing a workout of resistance training at least 20 minutes, bread, rice, cereals, potatoes, pasta, and fried foods with bread crumbs. If you avoid eating anything white, it is safe.
3. Always good to have support when you are trying to lose weight. Find a friend who wants to lose weight and compare notes, weighing together and maybe even a contest.
4. Dumbbells, barbells, rings, ball exercises, etc are relatively cheap but equally effective in weight loss. Cardio workouts at home without equipment can also help you lose weight. You can also use jump rope or you can do jogging or running exercises. Crunches, push ups, jumps and squats are known for their good effects on the muscles and form part of some effective ab exercises at home.
5. When shopping, do not go on an empty stomach and you will be less likely to buy junk food. Keep junk food free ‘home so that will not be tempted to fall.
6. To lose weight quickly, you must include food products mentioned in this list of low calorie foods in your diet. Avoid junk and processed fatty foods. Reduce intake of sweets and desserts, and avoid sugary drinks as well. Eat lots of vegetables and fruit as a diet high in fiber can help you lose weight quickly. Includes lean cuts of meat in their diet. In addition, the liquid diet can also help you lose weight quickly. Eat healthy foods and fresh, and whole grain products. For example, whole grain cereals, breads, healthy, nonfat yogurt, etc.
7. Set a deadline to lose weight and write it down. For example, “DEC 14/04 that will weigh 150 pounds or less. Put it somewhere where you see every day. This is one of the best natural weight loss .
8. If you drink a soda or 2 a day you are adding empty calories. If it is difficult to completely stop, reduce and drink water first instead.
9. Drinking lots of water and as much unsweetened iced tea, tea, diet soda, coffee (without white cream), or other beverages no-calorie/low-calorie as you want. Do not drink milk, regular soda or fruit juice. I’m a fan of wine and have at least one glass of wine every night.
10. Consume most of your calories earlier in the day and always eat breakfast. Do not eat after 8pm and
not only to avoid the calories, but added that sleep better.

6 Effective Weight Loss Diet Tips

You may want to find some simple tips for your weight loss plan , so you need a simple and effective diet program for weight loss, it should include a nutritious meal plan along with a simple and easy exercise. The following are some effective weight loss diet tips that will help you:
1. You must avoid high sugar, calories, fat and junk food. It is best to avoid fatty and processed foods such as ice cream, chocolates, pizzas, burgers, fries and chips because they are rich in calories. These foods have no nutritional benefits and are not good for your health. It would be better to change this type of fatty and sugary products to safe and nutritious items that are low in calories.
2. Eating small amounts at regular intervals. It is very effective consumption of foods in small amounts at regular intervals, rather than having large meals 2-3 times a day. This not only burns fat bonus, but also helps in digestion, reduces anxiety and increases metabolic rate.
3. Drink plenty of water a day. Water is an essential factor in any diet. Not only replenishes the body but also helps in achieving weight loss. It allows the body to eliminate toxins and directly submit the excess fat in the body. It is recommended to drink 8-10 glasses of water a day will help you achieve the desired results.
4. Exercise regularly everyday. This is necessary to lose weight and improve overall health. Besides weight loss, regular and easy workouts to help build strength and endurance, increase flexibility of the body, develop a good mood and reduce tension and stress. Exercise is the key to success losing weight .
5. Take sufficient of sleep. Sleep, but without effort, is an important aspect of a weight loss plan. It is believed that sleep deprivation increases levels of hunger greatly, resulting in overeating. It is necessary to sleep for 8 hours a day, which helps maintain a good balance between the level of leptons and helps you lose weight.
6. Use specific nutritional supplements. There are many nutritional supplements available in health food stores that help you lose weight. These supplements also tend to avoid life-threatening disease and premature aging. It is, however, consult a physician before using any of these supplements.
The development of a simple weight loss diet plan requires planning and an active lifestyle to lose excess body fat and maintain a healthy and fit. If you have a good lifestyle, you’ll avoide fat body easily. So keep a good and healthy lifestyle!

How To Lose 50 Pounds Fast

To lose 50 pounds is never an easy thing to do. But people have done it before you, so it’s entirely within your power. I say this only to be straight with you: it’s not going to be easy for you, but you can succeed if you set your mind to it. I can only suggest a way in which you can do it.
To lose 50 pounds fast, you need a diet which will provide a fast and continuous weight loss. Fast because you want to get thin as soon as possible, continuous because it takes time to lose 50 pounds. To do so, you need a diet which will work in the long term and not just in the short term. That’s why you need to be extra careful when choosing a diet to follow, since most diets will only work short term and not long.
To lose 50 lbs as fast as possible, I recommend a diet called Fat Loss 4 Idiots. Why do I make this recommendation? Because this diet provides a fast and continuous weight loss, just as we decided you need in order to achieve your goal.
How does this diet work? Fat Loss 4 Idiots is an online diet, which means that you download it to your computer. You get an ebook with diet tips and guidelines for you to follow, and a unique menu generating software through which you get a personal menu which is based on foods selected by you. The reason it’s called Fat Loss 4 Idiots is that you just need to stick to the menu (which has 4 meals each day) in order to succeed. It’s so simple an idiot can do it.
Fat Loss 4 Idiots is based on the Calorie Shifting diet method. This is a scientific method by which you maintain a high metabolic rate by eating different types of calories throughout the day. That way your metabolism remains running high, unlike many other diets which cause the metabolism to slow down.
How much can you lose with this diet? The diet says you can lose 9 pounds every 11 days. I say that even if your lose 6-7 pounds in that time frame, you should be very happy. According to this weight loss rate, you can expect to lose 50 pounds in as little as 4 months which is very impressive.
I hope I’ve given you something to consider when you ask yourself how to lose 50 pounds fast. I wish you the best of luck.

3 Steps to Get a Six Pack Abs

One of the most common questions you see asked on fitness forums is what is the best way to lose stomach fat? It’s an all too common question that many people are asking on TV, radio, online and even infomercials have used it with great effect to get people to buy weight loss products, abs stretchers etc.
There are no secrets on how to lose stomach fat. Here are 3 steps you can take to get that 6 pack abs you want and that works.
Step 1. Abs Training
Many people do not realize they are overly training their abs. They do crunches and abs every day and yet see little difference. The problem is the abs muscles are underneath your stomach fat and unless you get rid of your stomach fat, your muscles won’t show up.
That is why nutrition and cardio training is also important in overall weight reduction. Once you lose overall body fat, your 6 pack abs will show. Focusing on spot weight reduction will not help you lose stomach fat.
Step 2. Cardio Training
Cardio workouts are effective in burning overall body fat. The best exercise is interval training. Cardio workouts also increase your body metabolism making it easier and faster to lose body fat as you progress.
For cardio workouts, I recommend you start off slowly and build up slowly over time. For example, you can start with a 1 mile run and slowly increase that over time.
Step 3. Nutrition
Most people who wants to lose stomach fat often neglect how important nutrition is to your abs building efforts. Most people that want to get rid of belly fat workout all day at the gym and do all kinds of cardio but forgot how many calories they take each day.
In fact, I would 90% of your weight loss can be attributed to nutrition.

10 Tips For Fast Weight Loss

Losing weight can be a challenge, especially if you have many pounds to shed. It can be difficult to sift through all the fad diets, and downright dangerous supplements and pills on the market today. How do you know what works and what doesn’t? Whom should you believe?
Here are 10 no-nonsense tips for fast, healthy weight loss :
1) Drink 8-10 glasses of water each day - this helps flush your body of impurities and fat. You can also substitute a few glasses of water for green or herbal tea.
2) Break up your meals into 5 or 6 smaller ones - this will help speed up your metabolism and keep you from getting too hungry in between meals.
3) Increase your fruit and vegetable intake - these are packed with vitamins.
4) Decrease your fat intake - try for no more than 20 grams per day.
5) Exercise for 30 minutes each day - take a walk, or play a game with your kids. Just get moving.
6) Find a hobby - take up knitting or painting to keep your hands busy.
7) Don’t eat that late night snack - Try not to eat for at least 2 hours before going to bed.
Listen to your body - your body will tell you when it is full, hungry, stressed, tired. Learn the signs and obey what your body is telling you.
9) Increase your fiber - choose whole grain pasta and bread.
10) Cleanse and detoxify - this may be the most important. Rid your body of harmful toxins and chemicals, while allowing it to function normally.
Cleansing is an important part of long-term weight loss success. Our bodies are laden with insecticides, pesticides, lead, and dozens of other harmful substances. These chemicals clog our internal organs and our bodies respond by coating these chemicals with layers of fat.
One way to cleanse your body of harmful impurities is by using Acai Berry. This fruit is a nutritional powerhouse and will get your body functioning normally again, so it can fight illness and disease. It will also allow your body to burn calories and fat faster and more efficiently. You will see a faster rate of weight loss, and you will be able to keep it off.
Acai berry has many health benefits as well, including increased circulation, increased metabolism, and increased mental clarity and focus.

Why Most People Fail At Losing Weight

Why do so many people fail at losing weight? Is it because they are lazy? No. Is it because they are addicted to food? No. Is it because they aren’t good at exercising? No. Failure at weight loss stems from a few main factors:

• People don't truly understand the risks of being overweight. Why do most want to lose weight? Most would say to look better. Looking better certainly is a benefit of losing weight, but this shouldn’t be the sole reason to lose weight. There is a 1000 pound gorilla in the room and it’s often ignored. Being overweight for a long period of time kills thousands of people each year. Thousands of studies have shown and proven without any doubt that losing body fat will improve and lengthen your life. Knowing the dangers of being overweight is a tremendous motivator to not only lose fat, but to keep it off.
• People don't commit to permanent lifestyle changes. So many people think of a "diet" as something temporary. When they are on a "diet" they restrict themselves so much that they are miserable. Sooner or later failure is inevitable because of the unreasonable demands of most "diets." Some of these diets force you to only eat certain foods (e.g., no carbs, special soups etc…) You, like myself, have probably tried them before. The key to losing weight long term is to make gradual lifestyle changes you can stick to forever.
• Most individuals are not provided the truthful facts of losing weight and becoming healthier. With the conflicting information in the media, and all of the different lose weight quick fad diets, it’s understandable why so many people really don’t know the truth about losing fat and keeping it off long term.
• Most people don't understand they are constantly either gaining fat, or losing fat. There is no in-between. Some people justify binging or giving up because they hit a small road-block. This isn’t an all or nothing game. For example, when I was overweight, if I ate an unhealthy lunch, I’d go ahead and eat an unhealthy dinner since I already "messed up" the day. Or I’d say, I’ll start eating healthy on Monday since I’ve already eaten poorly this weekend. Every person at times eats too much. The successful people will not let a road bump completely derail their entire lifestyle change. If you are not implementing positive lifestyle changes and losing weight, you are gaining weight. Again, there is no "in-between."
• Most people don't realize what they consume each day. So many overweight people eat thousands of extra calories and fat without realizing it. It’s tough to know if you are gaining weight or losing weight each day unless you are keeping an eye on what you’re consuming.
  
  This article was written by Mandy, the creator of FreeWeightloss.com, and the author of the

Diets Don't Work!

By Chad Tackett
Many Americans view a healthy lifestyle as something difficult to attain--and something that's not much fun. Traditional diets have taught us that to lose weight, we must count calories, keep track of everything we eat, and deprive ourselves by limiting the amount--and kinds--of foods we eat. Diets tell us exactly what and how much food to eat, regardless of our preferences and individual relationships with hunger and satiety. Dieting can help us lose weight (fat, muscle, and water) in the short term but is so unnatural and so unrealistic that it can never become a lifestyle that we can live with, let alone enjoy!
While very few diets teach healthy low-fat shopping, cooking, and dining-out strategies, many offer unrealistic recommendations and encourage health-threatening restrictions. Even more important, diets don't teach us the safest, most effective ways to exercise; they don't teach us how to deal with our cravings and our desires, or how to attend to our feelings of hunger and fullness. Eventually, we become tired of the complexity, the hunger, the lack of flavor, the lack of flexibility, the lack of energy, and the feeling of deprivation. We quit our diets and gain back the weight we've lost; sometimes we gain even more!
Each time we go on another diet of deprivation, the weight becomes more difficult to lose, and we become even more frustrated and discouraged. Then we eat more and exercise less, causing ourselves more frustration, discouragement, depression. Soon we are in a vicious cycle. We begin to ask ourselves, "Why bother?" We begin to blame ourselves for having no will power when what we really need is clear, scientifically-based information that will help us develop a healthier lifestyle we can live with for the rest of our lives.
Deliberate restriction of food intake in order to lose weight or to prevent weight gain, known as dieting, is the path that millions of people all over the world are taking in order to reach a desired body weight or appearance. Preoccupation with body shape, size, and weight creates an unhealthy lifestyle of emotional and physical deprivation. Diets take control away from us. .
Many of us who diet get caught in a "yo-yo" cycle that begins with low self-acceptance and results in structured eating and living because we lack trust in our body and are unwilling to listen and adhere to our body's signals of hunger and fullness. On diets, we distrust and ignore internal signs of appetite, hunger, and our need to be physically and psychologically satisfied. Instead, we depend on diet plans, measured portions, and a prescribed frequency for eating.
As a result, many of us have lost the ability to eat in response to our physical needs; we experience feelings of deprivation, then binge, and finally terminate our "health" program. This in turn leads to guilt, defeat, weight gain, low self-esteem, and then we're back to the beginning of the yo-yo diet cycle. Rather than making us feel better about ourselves, diets set us up for failure and erode our self-esteem.
The attitudes and practices acquired through years of dieting are likely to result in a body weight and size obsession, low self-esteem, poor nutrition and excessive or inadequate exercise. Weight loss from following a rigid diet is usually temporary. Most diets are too drastic to maintain; they are unrealistic and unpleasant; they are physically and emotionally stressful. And most of us just resume our old eating and activity patterns. Diets control us; we are not in control. People who try to live by diet lists and rules learn little or nothing about proper nutrition and how to enjoy their meals, physical activity, and a healthy lifestyle. No one can realistically live in the diet mode for the rest of their life, depriving themselves of the true pleasures of healthy eating and activity.

We Don't Fail Diets; They Fail Us!

Decades of research have shown that diets, both self-initiated and professionally-led, are ineffective at producing long-term health and weight loss (or weight control). When your diet fails to keep the weight off, you may say to yourself, "If only I didn't love food so much . . . If I could just exercise more often . . . If I just had more will power." The problem is not personal weakness or lack of will power. Only 5 percent of people who go on diets are successful. Please understand that we are not failing diets; diets are failing us.
The reason 95 percent of all traditional diets fail is simple. When you go on a low-calorie diet, your body thinks you are starving; it actually becomes more efficient at storing fat by slowing down your metabolism. When you stop this unrealistic eating plan, your metabolism is still slow and inefficient that you gain the weight back even faster, even though you may still be eating less than you were before you went on the diet.
In addition, low-calorie diets cause you to lose both muscle and fat in equal amounts. However, when you eventually gain back the weight, it is all fat and not muscle, causing your metabolism to slow down even more. Now you have extra weight, a less healthy body composition, and a less attractive physique.
Diets require you to sacrifice by being hungry; they don't allow you to enjoy the foods you love. This does not teach you habits which you can maintain after the diet is over. Most diet programs force you to lower your caloric intake to dangerously low levels. The common theory is that if you eat fewer calories than you burn, you will lose weight. But when you eat fewer calories than your body needs to maintain its life-sustaining activities, you're actually losing muscle in addition to fat. Your body breaks down its own muscles to provide the needed energy for survival.
Traditional diets which use calorie restriction to produce weight loss are no longer appropriate. Most weight-loss programs measure success solely in terms of the number of pounds lost per weight loss attempt. Diets don't take into account the quality of the process used to achieve that weight loss or the very small likelihood of sustained weight loss. For long-term good health, you need to move away from low-calorie diets and focus on enjoyable physical activity and good nutrition. Exercising regularly and eating lean-supporting calories, protein and carbohydrates, and reducing fat-supporting calories will not only help you look and feel better, it will also significantly reduce your risk of disease.
America spends billions of dollars on different ways to fix people. If we focused more on prevention and on improving our day-to-day behaviors, we could cut health care costs in half. Contrary to popular belief, leading a healthy lifestyle doesn't have to be difficult; it doesn't have to painful or time-consuming. Making gradual, simple changes in your diet and physical activity will make great improvements in your health and well-being, and they can drastically reduce your risk of disease.
If your weight management program is to be a success, everything you eat and every exercise you do must be a pleasurable experience. If you're not enjoying yourself, it is unlikely that you'll continue your program. It's that simple. These small, gradual changes are not painful or overwhelming but rather the core of an exciting lifestyle that you will look forward to.
Take the frustration, guilt, and deprivation out of weight management, and allow yourself to adopt gradual, realistic changes into your life that will make healthy eating and physical activity a permanent pleasure. You will soon discover what your body is capable of and begin to look, act, and feel your very best. Good luck and enjoy all the wonderful benefits of a healthy, active lifestyle.
* Be sure to check with your health care professional before making any changes in your activity habits.

There's No Such Thing as Cheating

By Chad Tackett, President of Global Health and Fitness
There's no right or wrong way to eat. Healthy eating is all about motivation, balance, and flexibility. There will be times when you eat a high-fat meal or eat beyond fullness, or when your schedule gets so busy that you miss a work- out. This happens. It's normal. But it's very important that you don't get down on yourself and abandon your new healthy lifestyle when this happens.
If you're like most people, your reaction to these diet/ fitness obstacles is guilt. You feel as if all your hard work has been for nothing. "I blew it; I was doing so well. Oh well, I might as well enjoy this weekend and start over on Monday." Or even worse: "I just don't have the motiva- tion or will power to start over and be successful. I quit." Feeling defeated, many people discontinue the healthy living and return to their old routine until some mythical time in the future: "Maybe this spring will be a better time to start over again." This kind of scenario is a perfect example of the diet mentality at work..
An all-or-nothing attitude is why so many people have so little success; we choose structured programs because they relieve us from making choices for ourselves. A properly designed program makes sense, but expecting to stick to a structured eating and exercise plan for an extended period of time without ever deviating makes no sense at all. In fact, this is so unrealistic as to be a set-up for failure. If you begin to change your habits with the assumption that any deviation from your plan will ruin it, you might as well not even begin. Life is full of unplanned obstacles, distractions, and temptations. Your best approach is to prepare for them, keeping an open mind and maintaining a positive attitude.
It's very important that you begin your healthier lifestyle with an understanding that there will be days when you will stray from healthy eating and exercising. Before you begin, tell yourself that no matter what happens, rather than abandoning your new lifestyle, you'll resume your healthy habits as soon as you can; it is equally important that you feel confident, not guilty, about doing so. What- ever the temptation or obstacle is, keep in mind that it's not wrong or bad to eat fattening foods once in a while or to miss a workout. Just remember to resume your healthy lifestyle. If you keep moving forward and you don't let guilt and discouragement stop your program all together, you'll eventually have improved eating and exercise habits.
With this approach, there is no such thing as cheating. When we feel we are cheating, we often punish ourselves; we make ourselves feel guilty, frustrated and defeated. Replacing the negative concept of "cheating" with the idea of "straying from healthy habits" takes away the all-or- nothing emphasis on right and wrong. If you treat every deviation from your plan as a failure, you won't get very far
Substituting the idea of a brief straying away from your plan instead of feeling guilty, and learning to return more and more quickly to healthier habits, is more realistic. It's also easier and more enjoyable.
In the non-diet approach, all foods are legal. There are no "good" foods or "bad" foods. You must believe this. Sudden changes and/or drastic restrictions of high-fat foods when you have a preference or craving for fat will result in feelings of deprivation. No one can or should go through life depriving themselves of foods they really enjoy. You must learn how to make gradual healthy changes to the foods you love while experimenting with and learning to appreciate new flavors and textures.
A recent survey showed that more than 75 percent of people feel guilty about eating so-called "bad" foods. The greatest obstacle to adopting healthy eating habits is guilt. Attaching a value to foods only makes you feel bad for eating them. When you do decide to eat a high-fat food, enjoy it. Don't beat your- self up over it. Just make a special effort to eat low-fat the rest of the day. Remember, there is nothing wrong with splurging now and then. It can even be good for you if the satisfaction of a higher-fat meal that you've been craving helps you stick with a low-fat lifestyle the rest of the time.
If you're having a special diet meal that's different from what the rest of your family or friends are eating, you'll feel as though you're being punished. In order to be successful in changing your eating habits, you must look forward to and enjoy each meal you eat. This doesn't mean that you have to learn to like rice cakes and celery. It means you must learn how to make simple changes in the foods you love.
Perhaps one of your favorite meals is fried chicken, a baked potato, and salad. Small changes in how the food is prepared can turn this traditionally high-fat meal into a low-fat well- balanced one. Simply marinating a skinless chicken breast in sweet and sour sauce, rolling it in bread crumbs, and baking it makes the chicken a lot less fattening than if it's fried. Instead of butter or regular sour cream on your potato, try low-fat or nonfat sour cream or a reduced fat ranch dressing. Try using a non-fat or low-fat salad dressing rather than a regular dressing and adding as many vegetables to your salad as possible for their additional flavor, texture and nutrients. Any or all of these changes drastically reduce the amount of fat in the meal without sacrificing flavor or feelings of satisfaction.
Healthy eating patterns can only occur when you're enjoying all the foods you eat. If you're eating low-fat foods just to be healthy but without enjoying the flavors and textures or how they make you feel, this most likely won't be a permanent change. However, if you begin enjoying healthy foods, you're far more likely to stick with healthy eating for life.
Many people also enjoy eating out but associate this with being "bad" or eating "illegal" foods. Fortunately, it is very possible to eat a healthy, low-fat meal in a restaurant. You don't need to forego your favorite foods or eat before you go out with friends or family. The same decision-making process occurs whether you eat at home or go out to a restaurant. Many people think that they have two options when eating: eating for taste and pleasure or eating for health. As you learn and practice healthy eating techniques, these two options will become one and the same. Good luck and enjoy all the wonderful benefits of a healthy, active lifestyle.
* Be sure to check with your health care professional before making any changes in your activity habits.

Benefits of Flexibility Training

By Chad Tackett, president of GHF
Flexibility is a joint's ability to move through a full range of motion. Flexibility training (stretching) helps balance muscle groups that might be overused during exercise or physical activity or as a result of bad posture. It's important to clearly understand the many benefits that result from a good flexibility program.

Improved Physical Performance and Decreased Risk of Injury

First, a safe and effective flexibility training program increases physical performance. A flexible joint has the ability to move through a greater range of motion and requires less energy to do so, while greatly decreasing your risk of injury. Most professionals agree that stretching decreases resistance in tissue structures; you are, therefore, less likely to become injured by exceeding tissue extensibility (maximum range of tissues) during activity.

Reduced Muscle Soreness and Improved Posture

Recent studies show that slow, static stretching helps reduce muscle soreness after exercise. Static stretching involves a slow, gradual and controlled elongation of the muscle through the full range of motion and held for 15-30 seconds in the furthest comfortable position (without pain). Stretching also improves muscular balance and posture. Many people's soft-tissue structures has adapted poorly to either the effects of gravity or poor postural habits. Stretching can help realign soft tissue structures, thus reducing the effort it takes to achieve and maintain good posture in the activities of daily living.

Reduced Risk of Low Back Pain

A key benefit, and one I wish more people would realize, is that stretching reduces the risk of low back pain. Stretching promotes muscular relaxation. A muscle in constant contraction requires more energy to accomplish activities. Flexibility in the hamstrings, hip flexors, quadriceps, and other muscles attaching to the pelvis reduces stress to the low back. Stretching causes muscular relaxation, which encourages healthy nutrition directly to muscles; the resulting reduction in accumulated toxins reduces the potential for muscle shortening or tightening and thus reduces fatigue.

Increased Blood and Nutrients to Tissues

Another great benefit is that stretching increases blood supply and nutrients to joint structures. Stretching increases tissue temperature, which in turn increases circulation and nutrient transport. This allows greater elasticity of surrounding tissues and increases performance. Stretching also increases joint synovial fluid, which is a lubricating fluid that promotes the transport of more nutrients to the joints' atricular cartilage. This allows a greater range of motion and reduces joint degeneration.

Improved Muscle Coordination

Another little-known benefit is increased neuromuscular coordination. Studies show that nerve-impulse velocity (the time it takes an impulse to travel to the brain and back) is improved with stretching. This helps opposing muscle groups work in a more synergistic, coordinated fashion.

Enhanced Enjoyment of Physical Activities

Flexibility training also means enhanced enjoyment, and a fitness program should be fun if you want to stick with it. Not only does stretching decrease muscle soreness and increase performance, it also helps relax both mind and body and brings a heightened sense of well-being and personal gratification during exercise.
As you can see, flexibility training is one of the key components of a balanced fitness program and should be a part of your exercise routine. Without flexibility training, you are missing an important part of overall health. Flexibility training provides many important benefits that cannot be achieved by any other exercise or activity. Good luck: I hope you enjoy all the wonderful benefits of an effective flexibility training program.
* Be sure to check with your health care professional before making any changes in your activity habits.

The Dangers of Excess Body Fat

By Chad Tackett
Most people's primary motivation for weight management is to improve their appearance. Equally important, however, are the many other benefits of proper nutrition and regular exercise.
Weight management through reduction of excess body fat plays a vital role in maintaining good health and fighting disease. In fact, medical evidence shows that obesity poses a major threat to health and longevity. (The most common definition of obesity is more than 25 percent body fat for men and more than 32 percent for women.) An estimated one in three Americans has some excess body fat; an estimated 20 percent are obese.
Excess body fat is linked to major physical threats like heart disease, cancer, and diabetes. (Three out of four Americans die of either heart disease or cancer each year; according to the National Health and Nutrition Examination survey, approximately 80 percent of those deaths are associated with life-style factors, including inactivity.)
For example, if you're obese, it takes more energy for you to breathe because your heart has to work harder to pump blood to the lungs and to the excess fat throughout the body. This increased work load can cause your heart to become enlarged and can result in high blood pressure and life-threatening erratic heartbeats.
Obese people also tend to have high cholesterol levels, making them more prone to arteriosclerosis, a narrowing of the arteries by deposits of plaque. This becomes life-threatening when blood vessels become so narrow or blocked that vital organs like the brain, heart or kidneys are deprived of blood. Additionally, the narrowing of the blood vessels forces the heart to pump harder, and blood pressure rises. High blood pressure itself poses several health risks, including heart attack, kidney failure, and stroke. About 25 percent of all heart and blood vessel problems are associated with obesity.
Clinical studies have found a relationship between excess body fat and the incidence of cancer. By itself, body fat is thought to be a storage place for carcinogens (cancer-causing chemicals) in both men and women. In women, excess body fat has been linked to a higher rate of breast and uterine cancer; in men, the threat comes from colon and prostate cancer.
There is also a delicate balance between blood sugar, body fat, and the hormone insulin. Excess blood sugar is stored in the liver and other vital organs; when the organs are "full," the excess blood sugar is converted to fat. As fat cells themselves become full, they tend to take in less blood sugar. In some obese people, the pancreas produces more and more insulin, which the body can't use, to regulate blood sugar levels, and the whole system becomes overwhelmed. This poor regulation of blood sugar and insulin results in diabetes, a disease with long-term consequences, including heart disease, kidney failure, blindness, amputation, and death. Excess body fat is also linked to gall bladder disease, gastro-intestinal disease, sexual dysfunction, osteoarthritiis, and stroke.

Reducing Body Fat Reduces Disease Risk

The good news is that reducing body fat reduces the risk of disease. At the University of Pittsburgh, researchers studied 159 people as they followed a weight management program. The subjects were under age 45 and 30-70 pounds overweight. Those subjects who were able to shed just 10-15 percent of their weight and keep it off during the 18-month study showed significant improvement in HDL cholesterol and triglyceride levels, waist-to-hip ratio, and blood pressure. In fact, according to the New England Journal of Medicine, body fat reduction is a more powerful modulator of cardiac structure than drug therapy
For people with a family history of heart disease, an active lifestyle can slow or stop the process for all but those with serious genetic disorders. Studies by Dean Ornish, MD, have shown that a comprehensive intervention program that includes regular physical activity, a low-fat diet and a stress reduction program can even reverse the heart disease process.
Evidence also shows that an active lifestyle and its help in reducing body fat is associated with a reduced risk for some types of cancers: prostate for men, breast and uterine cancers for women. (Frisch, et al 1985)
In addition, regular physical activity and a low-fat diet are successful in treating non-insulin dependent diabetes (NIDDM); for some patients, it has reduced or eliminated the need for insulin substitutes. In general, regularly active adults have 42 percent lower risk of developing NIDDM.

Gaining Weight Happens to Most of Us

The average American gains at least one pound a year after age 25. Think about it. If you're like most Americans, by the time you're 50, you're likely to gain 25 pounds of fat, or more. In addition, your metabolism is also slowing down, causing your body to work less efficiently at burning the fat it has. At the same time, if you don't exercise regularly, you lose a pound of muscle each year. Consequently, people are not only increasing their body fat stores, increasing their risk of disease, but they're also losing muscle, increasing the risk of injury, decreasing activity performance, and further slowing down metabolism.
Very few Americans exercise in any significant way. The President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports estimates that only one in five Americans exercises for the healthy minimum of 20 minutes, three or more days a week. In fact, the average American gets less than 50 minutes of exercise per week. Even worse, two out of five Americans are completely sedentary.

The Answer: Healthy Eating and Physical Fitness

But there is hope. Moderate weight loss--of fat, not muscle--and a healthy and active lifestyle--not dieting--have been found to lower health risks and medical problems in 90 percent of overweight patients, improving their heart function, blood pressure, glucose tolerance, sleep disorders, and cholesterol levels, as well as lowering their requirements for medication, lowering the incidence and duration of hospitalization, and reducing post-operative complications eight times less likely to die from cancer than the unfit, and 53 percent less likely to die from other diseases. Fit people are also eight times less likely to die from heart disease.
So, are you willing to be patient and make gradual changes in your life that will lead to a healthier, happier you? Once you have made the decision to go forward and accept change, the hard part is over. Sure, there is plenty of work to be done, but it really doesn't matter how long this new process takes. If you allow changes to take place over several years, your body will adjust comfortably, and you will be more likely to maintain the healthy lifestyle permanently.
When you begin achieving improvements in energy and physical and psychological performance, the fun and excitement you experience will make the change well worth the effort. Action creates motivation! Good luck: I hope you enjoy all the wonderful benefits of a safe and effective weight management program.
* Be sure to check with your health care professional before making any changes in your activity or eating habits.

Chad Tackett, the President of Global Health and Fitness (GHF), has degrees in Exercise and Heath Science and Nutrition, is a Certified Personal Trainer, and is a regular guest lecturer to both professional and lay audiences on the principles of effective exercise and good nutrition. Visit GHF (http://www.global-fitness.com) and you'll find easy to follow fitness recommendations, hundreds of exercise instructions and video demonstrations, customized programs, healthy recipes and meal plans, a free nutrition analysis, health club and personal trainer directories, and much more!

Choosing a Treadmill

By Kay Cross, MEd, CSCS
You have just decided a good electric treadmill is exactly what you need to maintain your commitment to regular aerobic exercise. But you find there are dozens of different treadmills, ranging in price from $399 to over $3,000. What accounts for the huge difference in price? What do you look for when buying?
Don't Leave Home . . .
First, before going anywhere, decide where you will put your new treadmill--and measure the space. You'll need some free space around the machine itself--and some head room if you're going to get a machine that inclines
Second, dress in loose, comfortable clothing and workout shoes. You'll want to try out several machines before you buy. Finally, head off to a specialty fitness retail store.

Construction

The deciding factor in the life of a treadmill is the motor. If you want your treadmill to last, look for the larger, heavier motors.
"Horsepower" is applied to two different ratings--"peak duty rating" and "continuous duty rating." The peak duty rating is advertised on a treadmill tag. The continuous duty rating is stamped directly on the motor and is the rating that determines its quality and duration.
In general, the larger and heavier the motor is, the cooler it will run and the longer it will last. Penn State Sports Medicine Newsletter recommends purchasing a machine with at least 1.5 continuous duty horsepower--higher if you weigh more than 185 pounds or plan to run on the treadmill. (But be sure to check the voltage. Some treadmills with heavy motors are 220, which won't work in most homes.)
The thickness of the walking deck and the size of the walking track should also be high on your list of priorities. The thickness of the deck affects the comfort of the legs and feet with prolonged use. Choose a treadmill that has a deck thickness of at least 3/4 inch, or one inch if you plan to do both walking and jogging.
The walking track needs enough length (at least 48 inches) and width (at least 17 inches) for you to walk comfortably without stepping off the track. If you plan to run on your new treadmill, you may want a longer track. Test it while you are in the store. .
The "buzz" feature these days is definitely shock absorption. To provide effective cushioning for the legs, feet and back, the treadmill's suspension must be directly under the walking deck. (Some treadmills may have "shock absorbers" on the legs of the treadmill so you can see the frame bounce while you are walking. This is not effective shock absorption!) The padding can be made of foam or rubber. Foam is softer and more compressible than rubber, but requires more time to return to its original thickness after impact. Rubber instantly recovers to full thickness and is better able to maintain its energy absorption level. Again, test the machine yourself.

"Perks"

After you've checked out the physical construction, you can look at a treadmill's electronic board. Here's where you can economize, if necessary. The less expensive treadmills have the basics: speed, distance, incline, time and calories. The more expensive treadmills also have a range of special preset exercise programs that automatically alter speed and incline, varying high-intensity effort with lower-intensity effort. Some treadmills even measure your heart rate! Ask yourself, will electronic programs and feedback motivate you to keep exercising? If not, and/or you're on a limited budget, you can buy a less expensive machine and a separate heart rate monitor, and develop your own programs.

Service and Warranties

Ask the dealer about delivery and setup. Sometimes this is included in the price--and other times, it's not. Also, check out the service and warranty policies.
The minimum warranty on a fairly good treadmill is 90 days parts and service. The better treadmills will carry a three-year warranty on the motor and two years on the drive train. As for who will be responsible for servicing a treadmill when it has problems--the store you purchased it from. So if the store offers a good guarantee, chances are the machine won't need servicing very often!
If you choose a quality electric treadmill, it will last for years and provide great versatility for your cardiovascular program. Find a good specialty equipment store in your area that can help you find the treadmill you need. And then by all means, use it!
*Be sure to check with your health care professional before making any changes in your activity habits.
Chad Tackett, the President of Global Health and Fitness (GHF), has degrees in Exercise and Heath Science and Nutrition, is a Certified Personal Trainer, and is a regular guest lecturer to both professional and lay audiences on the principles of effective exercise and good nutrition. Visit GHF (http://www.global-fitness.com) and you'll find easy to follow fitness recommendations, hundreds of exercise instructions and video demonstrations, customized programs, healthy recipes and meal plans, a free nutrition analysis, health club and personal trainer directories, and much more!

Get Fit on a Shoestring Budget

Aside from all the health benefits of exercise, a good exercise program can also help you save money and possibly make more money....and you can implement an effective, comprehensive exercise program with very little expense..
Research has demonstrated that people who exercise on a regular basis save thousands of dollars in medical expenses over a lifetime. Because exercise improves your immune system, exercisers usually experience fewer colds and other respiratory infections and thus have fewer "down days" and doctor bills. Exercisers also have fewer sprains and strains, and the incidence of heart attacks, strokes, and certain cancers is lower in exercisers!
Exercise also increases mental acuity, reduces fatigue, and improves the quality of sleep...leading to improved productivity and thus more income for many people.
A comprehensive exercise program consists of two components; aerobic and anaerobic. They work together to give you all the benefits you can derive from an exercise program.

• Aerobic exercise refers to exercises like brisk walking, jogging, swimming, aerobic dance, outdoor cycling, stationary cycling, rowing, stair climbing, etc. The benefits of aerobic exercise are numerous including increased caloric expenditure, increased metabolism, increased energy levels, decreased incidence of cardiovascular disease, etc.
  
  The simplest, most liked, and usually least expensive of these is walking. Or, If you already have the required equipment such as a rower or stationary cycle, or access to a swimming pool, these would also be inexpensive options. If you're interested in buying exercise equipment, never buy it new! Free classified type newspapers around the country are LOADED with used exercise equipment! I've gotten some great deals by keeping an eye on those classified papers.
  
  I recommend doing some form of aerobic exercise on a daily basis, preferably first thing in the morning. Forget this "twice a week" stuff! Our bodies were "designed" to be active on a daily basis! When we are, all sorts of wonderful things happen, including the fact that our metabolism soars!
  
  Although you should try to average about 45 minutes per day, even if you can only do 10 minutes some days, that's alot better than doing nothing! Get in the habit of exercising everyday...just like brushing your teeth. Ideally, your heart rate should be in your "target range" for most of your aerobic exercise session. That can be calculated as follows... (220 - age) x .6 is your lower limit and (220 - age) x .8 is your upper limit. For example, if you're 40 years old, your lower limit would be 108 beats per minute (180 x .6) and your upper limit would be 144 beats per minute (180 x .8).
• Anaerobic exercise is the second component of a comprehensive exercise program and refers primarily to resistance exercise like weight training to tone and strengthen your muscles. Weight training is loaded with benefits such as increased metabolism, improved appearance, increased fat burning 24 hours a day, increased sense of well-being and confidence, decreased incidence of osteoporosis, etc....
  
  Weight training can be done at a health club or less expensively at home. For less than $20 you can usually buy the dumbells (small weights) needed for an effective home weight training program. You should weight train three days per week and it can be accomplished in 20 to 30 minutes. If you'd like my guide to developing a safe and effective home weight training program, mail a $6 check to... Greg Landry, M.S., 5253 Dijon Drive, Suite C, Baton Rouge, LA 70808.
  
  My experience over the years is that most people try to "buy" a successful exercise program....they believe that if they "buy" the "latest and greatest" exercise gadget or if they "buy" the magical new supplements that burn five pounds of fat a day, or if they "buy" a health club membership, they can acieve their exercise goals. The fact is that an effective, comprehensive exercise program can be implemented with very little expense! Get started! :)
  
  * Be sure to check with your health care professional before making any changes in your activity habits.

12 Keys To Super-Charging Your Metabolism For Weight Loss!

You hear it all the time - "metabolism", but what is it? It's the process of converting food to energy (movement and heat). Metabolism happens in your muscles and organs and the result of it is what we commonly refer to as "burning calories". Metabolism is essentially the speed at which your body's motor is running.
"Basal metabolism" is the metabolic rate or caloric expenditure needed to maintain basal body functions such as your heart beating, breathing, muscle tone, etc. It's how fast your "motor" is running when you're still in a reclined position or sleeping. Basal metabolism accounts for about 75% of the calories you expend on a daily basis!.
The good news is that there are 12 ways you can "boost" your metabolism! The more of these you're able to incorporate into your life, the more you'll boost your metabolism. That means you'll be expending ("burning") more calories 24 hours a day!.

• Always eat breakfast! Skipping breakfast sends the message to your body that you're starving because you haven't had food in 18+ hours. As a protective mechanism, your metabolism slows down. Food, especially complex carbohydrates, fuels your metabolism.
• Eat earlier in the day! Research has demonstrated that you can lose weight simply by eating a substantial breakfast and lunch, and a light dinner. Dinner should be eaten as early as possible, preferably at least four hours before bedtime.
• Never eat less than 1200 calories per day! Less than 1200 is usually not enough to support your basal metabolism and thus will slow your metabolism.
• Snack frequently! Complex carbohydrates (fruits, vegetables, and grains) fuel your metabolism. Also, snacking prevents you from becoming too hungry. The hungrier you are, the less control you have over what and how much you eat.
• Eat more carbohydrates (food from plants), and less fat (food from many animals and other food with added fat)! Carbohydrates boost your metabolism and have fewer calories per weight than fat.
• Do some type of aerobic exercise (walking, jogging, swimming, stationary cycling, aerobic dancing, etc.) on a daily basis (preferably in the morning)! Forget this twice-a-week stuff. Our bodies were designed to be active on a daily basis! When we are, our metabolism soars!
• In addition to your regular aerobic exercise, take a brisk 10 to 15 minute walk at lunch or in the evening. This serves to boost your metabolism even more!
• Tone your muscles with weight training three days per week. Toned muscles send your metabolism through the roof. Do it!
  
• Look for situations to be active. Park as far from the store as you can rather than looking for the closest parking spot. Use the stairs rather than the elevator, a broom rather than a blower, etc. Look for the "hard" way to do things!
• Avoid alcohol! Alcohol depresses your metabolism and stimulates your appetite.
• Drink 60+ ounces of water a day. Your metabolism needs plenty water to function properly. Carry a bottle of water with you and drink frequently throughout the day.
• Avoid the"3 P's".....pills, powders, and potions! There are NO quick fixes!
  
  Get started today! You'll feel better and your metabolism will be in "great shape"!

Focus On The Healthy Stuff

Last summer, A lady called me about her frustrating attempts at weight loss. She said she had gone from diet to diet for over 25 years...only to end up fatter and with a slower metabolism after each "diet".
We talked for a long time, but the gist of it was this; I told her to "dump the diets" and start focusing on pursuing fitness and health. We talked about a few fruits and vegetables she really liked. We talked about all the benefits we get from fruits and vegetables and how we forget how good they really taste...because we're bombarded with fat-laden foods day after day.
She mentioned that she reeeeeally liked tomatoes... which also happens to be a favorite of mine. I mean I'm a tomato fanatic. I absolutely love them! I grow several varieties in my backyard and several types of cherry tomatoes indoors when it's too cold outside! So, we had quite a conversation about tomatoes. We talked about her focusing her eating on some fruits and vegetables she really liked and doing some creative things with tomatoes. I also told her to start walking EVERY morning...even if it was only 10 or 15 minutes some mornings, but to try toget 30 to 45 minutes in every day. I also told her todo a basic weight training program at home with dumbells.
Well, I hadn't heard from her in nine months and she called me last week. She's lost 48 pounds in nine months. She said she focused on some fruits and vegetables she likes, but went crazy with fresh tomatoes. She used over 10 healthy recipes that use lots of tomatoes...she even ate tomato hash browns (without oil) and tomato sandwiches for breakfast sometimes! :) She was so excited and said she has never felt so good in her life!
Now, I'm NOT suggesting that you only eat one or two foods, but I am suggesting that you find the delicious fruits and vegetables that you like and a few that you REALLY like... and focus on these wonderful foods that God has given us. These are the REAL, naturally low fat foods that we should be eating! We've forgotten how good so many fruits and veggies really taste...yes even without fat-laden sauces, cheeses, butter, etc. I challenge you to re-discover the delicious fruits and vegetables you really like.
Cook a huge pot of several veggies you like...they'll be available all week, without alot of preparation time when your hungry. Maybe mix them with some brown rice and squeeze some fresh lemon juice over them... there's nothing better! :)
You can do the same with fruits. Make a big fruit salad with three or four fruits you enjoy. Keep it in the frig for quick access when you're hungry

Here are some of my favorites (and some resources)...

• Lemons are one of my favorites...you can do so much with them. My kids love squeezing them for fresh juice that we use for a variety of things...salads, vegetables, rice, to make salad dressings, lemon aid, etc.
  
  >>FREEBIE: Sunkist publishes a fantastic free pamphlet called "150 Ways To Use A Lemon" - you'll find some great ideas in here. Call 1-800-248-7875 Mon - Fri 8:30 - 5:00 PST. Press #2.
  
  Grow your own lemons and other citrus indoors or out on true dwarf citrus trees. Call Four Winds Growers for their catalog of dwarf citrus trees... 1-510-656-2591
• Tomatoes are really high on my list...nutritious and great for salads, sandwiches, vegetables, sauces, etc. I put tomatoes on practically everything! :) Call these companies for their catalogs of 100's of varieties of tomato seeds you can grow at home, some even indoors year-round...
  
  Tomato Growers - 1-888-478-7333
  Totally Tomatoes - 1-803-663-0016
• Garlic is loaded with health benefits and can aid your weight loss efforts by giving flavor to numerous foods! Call the Garlic Information Center for their brochure... 1-800-330-5922.

Exercise In The Morning!

If I had to pick a single factor that I thought was most important in a successful exercise or weight loss program, it would be to exercise first thing in the morning... every morning! Some mornings, you may just be able to fit in a 10 minute walk, but it's important to try to do something every morning.

So why mornings?...

• Over 90% of people who exercise *consistently*, exercise in the morning. If you want to exercise consistently, odds are in your favor if you exercise first thing in the morning.
• When you exercise early in the morning, it "jump starts" your metabolism and keeps it elevated for hours, sometimes up to 24 hours! That means you're burning more calories all day long just because you exercised in the morning!
• When you exercise in the morning you'll be *energized* for the day! Personally, I feel dramatically different on days when I have and haven't exercised in the morning.
• Many people find that morning exercise "regulates" their appetite for the day...that they aren't as hungry and that they make better food choices. Several people have told me that it puts them in a "healthy mindset"
• If you exercise at about the same time every morning... and ideally wake-up at about the same time on a regular basis, your body's endocrine system and circadian rhythms adjust to that, and physiologically, some wonderful things happen; A couple of hours *before* you awaken, your body begins to prepare for waking and exercise because it "knows" it's about to happen...why? because it "knows" you do the same thing just about everyday. You benefit from that in several ways...
  
  a) It's MUCH easier to wake-up. When you wake-up at different times everyday, it confuses your body and thus it's never really "prepared" to awaken.
  
  b) Your metabolism and all the hormones involved in activity and exercise begin to elevate while you're sleeping. Thus, you feel more alert, energized, and ready to exercise when you do wake-up.
  
  c) Hormones prepare your body for exercise by regulating blood pressure, heart rate, blood flow to muscles, etc.
• For many people, that appointed time every morning becomes something they look forward to. It's time they've set aside to do something good for themselves...to take care of their body and mind. Many find that it's a great time to think clearly, pray, plan their day, or just relax mentally.
• Research has demonstrated that exercise increases mental acuity... on average it lasts four to ten hours after exercise! No sense in wasting that while you're sleeping. :)
• Exercise first thing in the morning is really the only way to assure that something else won't crowd exercise out of your schedule. When your days get hectic, exercise usually takes a backseat!
• If finding time to exercise is difficult, anyone can get up 30 to 60 minutes earlier to exercise (if it's a priority in your life). If necessary, you can go to sleep a little earlier. Also, research has demonstrated that people who exercise on a regular basis have a higher quality of sleep and thus require less sleep! :)
• You'll feel GREAT! DO IT! :)

Where Diets Go Wrong

When we discover that we are heavier than we want to be, we have a natural inclination to eat less food. We may skip lunch or eat only a tiny amount of our dinner in the hope that if we eat less our body will burn off some of its fat. But that is not necessarily true. Eating less actually makes it more difficult to lose weight.
Keep in mind that the human body took shape millions of years ago, and at that time there were diets. The only low-calorie event in people's lives was starvation. Those who could cope with a temporary lack of food were the ones who survived. Our bodies, therefore, have developed this built-in mechanism to help us survive in the face of low food intake.
When researchers compare overweight and thin people, they find that they are roughly the same number of calories. What makes overweight people different is the amount of fat that they eat. Thin people tend to eat less fat and more complex carbohydrates.
Losing weight is not something one can do overnight. A carefully planned weight loss program requires common sense and certain guidelines. Unfortunately, there's a lot of misinformantion floating around and lots of desperate people are easily duped and ripped off.
Every day one can open a magazine or newspaper and see advertisements touting some new product, pill or patch that will take excess weight off quickly. Everyone seems to be looking for that "magic" weight loss pill. Millions of Americans are trying to lose weight, spending billions of dollars every 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 survey was done recently to try and determine if any commercial diet program could prove long-term success. Not a single program could do so. So rampant has the so-called diet industry become with new products and false claims that the FDA has now stepped in and started clamping down.
Being seriously overweight and particularly obesity can develop into a number of diseases and serious health problems, and it is now a known fact that when caloric intake is excessive, some of the excess frequently is saturated fat.
The myth is that people get heavy by eating too many calories. Calories are a consideration it's true, but overall they are not the cause of obesity in America today. Americans actually take in fewer calories each day than they did at the beginning of the century. If calories alone were the reason we become overweight, we should all be thin. But we are not. Collectively, we are heavier than ever. Partly, it is because we are more sedentary now. But equally, as important is the fact that the fat content of the American diet has changed dramatically
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.
Select an exercise routine that you are comfortable with and remember that walking is one of the best and easiest exercises for strengthening your bones, controlling your weight and toning your muscles.

Top 20 Benefits of Exercise

• Elevates your metabolism so that you burn more calories everyday.
• Increases your aerobic capacity (fitness level). This gives you the ability to go through your day with less relative energy expenditure. This enables a "fit" person to have more energy at the end of the day and to get more accomplished during the day with less fatigue.
• Maintains, tones, and strengthens your muscle. Exercise also increases your muscular endurance.
• Decreases your blood pressure.
• Increases the oxidation (breakdown and use) of fat.
• Increases HDL (good) cholesterol.
• Makes the heart a more efficient pump by increasing stroke volume.
• Increases hemoglobin concentration in your blood. Hemoglobin is part of the red blood cell that carries oxygen from the lungs to the rest of the body.
• Decreases the tendency of the blood to clot in the blood vessels. This is important because small clots traveling in the blood are often the cause of heart attacks and strokes.
• Increases the strength of the bones..
• Causes the development of new blood vessels in the heart and other muscles.
• Enlarges the arteries that supply blood to the heart.
• Decreases blood levels of triglycerides (fat).
• Improves control of blood sugar
• Improves sleep patterns.
• Increases the efficiency of the digestive system which may reduce the incidence of colon cancer.
• Increases the thickness of cartilage in joints which has a protective effect on the joints.
• Decreases a woman's risk of developing endometriosis by 50%.
• Increases the amount of blood that flows to the skin making it look and feel healthier.
• Exercise, in addition to all the physiological and anatomical benefits, just makes you feel GREAT!

Top 18 Benefits of Weight Training

• Weight training tones your muscles which looks great and raises your basal metabolism... which causes you to burn more calories 24 hours-a-day. You'll even burn more calories while you're sleeping.
• Weight training can *reverse* the natural decline in your metabolism which begins around age 30.
• Weight training energizes you..
• Weight training has a positive affect on almost all of your 650+ muscles.
• Weight training strengthens your bones reducing your risk of developing osteoporosis.
• Weight training improves your muscular endurance.
• Weight training will NOT develop big muscles on women....just toned muscles!
• Weight training makes you strong. Strength gives you confidence and makes daily activities easier.
• Weight training makes you less prone to low-back injuries.
• Weight training decreases your resting blood pressure.
• Weight training decreases your risk of developing adult onset diabetes.
• Weight training decreases your gastrointestinal transit time, reducing your risk for developing colon cancer.
• Weight training increases your blood level of HDL cholesterol (the good type).
• Weight training improves your posture.
• Weight training improves the functioning of your immune system.
• Weight training lowers your resting heart rate, a sign of a more efficient heart.
• Weight training improves your balance and coordination.
• Weight training elevates your mood.

Quit Whining and Get Moving!

NOTE: I realize this article may offend some people, but I believe that you need to hear the truth about weight loss rather than some watered down "feel-good" version of the truth!
I receive hundreds (yes, hundreds) of questions every month with this general theme... "HELP... I'm doing all the right things but I'm still not losing weight." After talking to hundreds of these people over the years, I've come to a few general conclusions. Keep in mind that these are generalizations, but they would apply to over 95% of people in this situation. Also, please note that these ARE in order of importance...and I'm not pulling any punches! :)

• The vast majority of these people (I call them "non-losers") are not exercising anywhere near enough (if at all)! You can only decrease your caloric intake so much. Your other alternative is to increase your caloric expenditure. You can write this in stone... ** VERY FEW people are successful at losing weight AND keeping it off without exercising almost everyday!!
  
  If you're having trouble losing weight, 20 minutes of exercise three times a week isn't going to cut it! Most people who tell me they are *really serious* about losing weight are not willing to do what it takes to get where they want to be. If you're not willing to make exercise a *serious* priority in your life, your chances of succeeding at losing weight and keeping it off are VERY small! Many of my clients who are serious about weight loss are exercising 1 to 2 hours per day. Many split it up and do some in the morning and some in the late afternoon or evening. If you're having difficulty losing weight, I would recommend that you average at least 30 minutes *everyday*, ideally more.
• Most "non-losers" that are exercising are not weight training. Weight training is *critical* to maintaining your muscle mass and tone. If you're not weight training while trying to lose weight, you will lose muscle mass and tone and your basal metabolic rate will decrease causing you to burn fewer calories 24 hour-a-day!
• "Non-losers" are actually consuming about 600 calories more per day than they think they are. Recent research with a large group of "non-losers" determined that they were significantly under-estimating the number of calories they were consuming on a daily basis. If you're not sure, write down everything you eat for a few weeks.
• "Non-losers" want *instant* results. When it doesn't happen they either give up or go on some crazy diet. You HAVE to be resolved to the fact that it WILL be slow!
• "Non-losers" are actually consuming more fat than they think they are. Limiting fat intake to 20 to 30 grams per day is critical for "non-losers".
• "Non-losers" are notorious for skipping meals! This is really bad news because it slows your metabolism causing you to burn fewer calories 24 hours-a-day.
• "Non-losers" consume far too much sugar or simple / refined carbohydrates such as white rice, white (non whole wheat) flour products, white (non whole wheat) pastas, soft drinks ("pop" for you northerners), sweetened drinks, and the hundreds of products that contain addded sugar that's deceptively listed on ingredient lists with names like sucrose, high fructose corn syrup, etc.
• Some "non-losers" don't want to give up their alcohol. Alchol is a triple whammy...it stimulates your appetite, slows your metabolism, and it's loaded with calories! Enough said.
• Many "non-losers" consume far too few fruits and vegetables.
• Many "non-losers" always eat until they're full. Practice stopping before you're "full" and see how you feel 30 minutes later. You will probably feel satisfied by then.
• Many "non-losers" consume artificial sweeteners which stimulate the pancreas to release insulin just like sugar would. Insulin causes your body to store fat and prohibits your body from burning fat for fuel.
• Weight loss is VERY difficult! Simply put, If you don't want it bad enough to do what it takes, it's NOT going to happen. If you really want to lose weight, quit playing around with it. Get serious about it and make it an absolute, non-negotiable priority in your life... and it will happen! :)

Are You Drinking Enough Water?

Most people have no idea how much water they should be drinking, and most Americans live from day to day in a dehydrated state. They don't drink enough water. .
Without water, we would be poisoned to death by our own waste products and toxins resulting from metabolism..
Water is vital to digestion and metabolism, acting as a medium for various enzymatic and chemical reactions in the body. It carries nutrients and oxygen to the cells through the blood, regulates body temperature and lubricates our joints (which is particularly important if you're arthritic, have chronic muscular-skeletal problems or are athletically active).
We need water to breathe; we lose approximately one pint of liquid every day just by exhaling.
If you are not in "fluid balance" you can impair every aspect of your body's physiological functioning.
Dr. Howard Flaks, Beverly Hills:
"As a result of not drinking enough water, many people encounter such problems as excess body fat, poor muscle tone and size, decreased digestive efficiency and organ function, increased toxicity in the body, joint and muscle soreness (particularly after exercise) and water retention."
Proper water intake is the key to weight loss," says Dr. Donald Robertson, Scottsdale, Arizona. "If people who are trying to lose weight don't drink enough water, the body can't metabolize the fat, they retain fluid, which keeps their weight up, and the whole procedure we're trying to set up falls apart."
"I'd say the minimum amount of water a healthy person should drink is 10 eight-ounce glasses a day," he continues, "and you need to drink more if you are overweight, exercise a lot, or live in a hot climate. Overweight people should drink an extra eight ounces of water for each 25 pounds that exceeds their ideal weight."
Your water intake should be spread judiciously throughout the day, including the evening. Dr. Flaks cautions against drinking more than four glasses in any given hour. Always check with your physician before embarking on a water intake increase program.
You may ask, "If I drink this much water, won't I constantly be running to the bathroom?" Initially, yes, because of the hypersensitivity of the bladder to increased fluids. But after a few weeks, your bladder calms down, and you urinate less frequently, but in larger amounts.
There is a difference between pure water and other beverages that contain water.
Water is water. Obviously you can get it by consuming fruit juice, soft drinks, beer, coffee or tea. Unfortunately, while such drinks contain water, they also may contain substances that are not healthy and actually contradict some of the positive effects of the added water.
Dr. Jerzy Meduski, Los Angeles, California: "Beer contains water, but it also contains alcohol, which is a toxic substance. Beverages that contain caffeine, such as coffee, stimulate the adrenal glands; fruit juices contain a lot of sugar and stimulate the pancreas. Such drinks may tax the body more than cleanse it."
Another problem with these beverages is that you lose your taste for water.
The way to interpret all of this, therefore, is that the recommended daily water intake means just that--WATER!

Sensible Diet Tips

Start your diet with a food diary, record everything you eat, what you were doing at the time, and how you felt. That tells you about yourself, your temptation, the emotional states that encourage you to snack and may help you lose once you see how much you eat.
Instead of eating the forbidden piece of candy, brush your teeth. If you're about to cheat, allow yourself a treat, then eat only half a bite and throw the other half away. When hunger hits, wait 10 minutes before eating and see if it passes. Set attainable goals. Don't say, "I want to lose 50 pounds." Say, "I want to lose 5 pounds a month." Get enough sleep but not too much. Try to avoid sugar. Highly sweetened foods tend to make you crave more.
Drink six to eight glasses of water a day. Water itself helps cut down on water retention because it acts as a diuretic. Taken before meals, it dulls the appetite by giving you that "full feeling." Diet with a buddy. Support groups are important, and caring people can help one another succeed. Start your own, even with just one other person.
Substitute activity for eating. When the cravings hit, go to the "Y" or health club if possible; or dust, or walk around the block. This is especially helpful if you eat out of anger.
If the pie on the counter is just too great a temptation and you don't want to throw it away, freeze it. If you're a late-night eater, have a carbohydrate, such as a slice of bread of a cracker, before bedtime to cut down on cravings. Keep an orange slice or a glass of water by your bed to quiet the hunger pangs that wake you up.
If you use food as a reward, establish a new reward system. Buy yourself a non-edible reward. Write down everything you eat - - everything - including what you taste when you cook. If you monitor what you eat, you can't go off your diet.
Weigh yourself once a week at the same time. Your weight fluctuates constantly and you can weigh more at night than you did in the morning, a downer if you stuck to your diet all day. Make dining an event. East from your own special plate, on your own special placemat, and borrow the Japanese art of food arranging to make your meal, no matter how meager, look lovely. This is a trick that helps chronic over-eaters and bingers pay attention to their food instead of consuming it unconsciously.
Don't shop when you're hungry. You'll only buy more fattening food. Avoid finger foods that are easy to eat in large amounts. Avoid consuming large quantities of fattening liquids, which are so easy to overdo. And this includes alcoholic beverages. Keep plenty of crunchy foods like raw vegetables and air-popped fat-free popcorn on hand. They're high in fiber, satisfying and filling. Leave something on your plate, even if you are a charter member of the Clean The Plate Club. It's a good sign that you can stop eating when you want to, not just when your plate is empty.
Lose weight for yourself, not to please your husband, your parents or your friends. Make the kitchen off-limits at any time other than mealtime. Always eat at the table, never in front of the TV set or with the radio on. Concentrate on eating every mouthful slowly and savoring each morsel. Chew everything from 10 to 20 times and count! Never skip meals.

The Positive Weight Loss Approach

Once you have made up your mind to lose weight, you should make that commitment and go into it with a positive attitude. We all know that losing weight can be quite a challenge. In fact, for some, it can be downright tough. It takes time, practice and support to change lifetime habits. But it's a process you must learn in order to succeed. You and you alone are the one who has the power to lose unwanted pounds.
Think like a winner, and not a loser - - remember that emotions are like muscles and the ones you use most grow the strongest. If you always look at the negative side of things, you'll become a downbeat, pessimistic person. Even slightly negative thoughts have a greater impact on you and last longer than powerful positive thoughts.
Negative thinking doesn't do you any good, it just holds you back from accomplishing the things you want to do. When a negative thought creeps into your mind, replace it reminding yourself that you're somebody, you have self-worth and you possess unique strengths and talents.Contemplate what lies ahead of you. Losing weight is not just about diets. It's about a whole new you and the possibility of creating a new life for yourself. Investigate the weight loss programs that appeal to you and that you feel will teach you the behavioral skills you need to stick with throughout the weight-loss process. First you should look for support among family and friends. It can be an enormous help to discuss obstacles and share skills and tactics with others on the same path. You might look for this support from others you know who are in weight loss programs and you can seek guidance from someone you know who has lost weight and kept it off. .
There are success stories across the country today. On television and in newspapers, magazines and tabloids about people who have miraculously lost untold pounds and kept it off. In all instances they say their mental attitude as well as their outlook on life has totally changed.
Diets and weight loss programs are more flexible now than they once were and there are many prepared foods already portioned out. They are made attractive and can be prepared in a matter of minutes. Low-fat and low-calorie foods are on shelves everywhere.
You will probably need to learn new, wiser eating skills. You will want a weight loss regimen that gives you some control, rather than imposing one rigid system. Look for one that offers a variety of different eating plans, so you can choose the one that's best for you.
Keep in mind, too, that your weight loss program will most likely include some physical exercises. Look at the exercising aspect of your program as fun and recreation and not as a form of grueling and sweaty work. The fact is that physical fitness is linked inseparable to all personal effectiveness in every field. Anyone willing to take the few simple steps that lie between them and fitness will shortly begin to feel better, and the improvement will reflect itself in every facet of their existence
Doctors now say that walking is one of the best exercises. It helps the total circulation of blood throughout the body, and thus has a direct effect on your overall feeling of health. There are things such as aerobics, jogging, swimming and many other exercises which will benefit a weight loss program. Discuss the options with your doctor and take his advice in planning your exercise and weight loss program.

Live a Longer and Healthier Life

You should balance your activities with the proper amount of rest. Some of the leading experts in the field of aging now believe that regular exercise along with the proper amount of rest may actually add years to the life span. Results from a number of tests indicate that speed and muscular strength of many of the elderly can be extended.
Leading authorities agree that this new data is going to shatter many of the myths about aging and physical performance. The conclusion now is that the performance and ability of the elderly has long been underestimated, diet, proper sleep and exercise along with rest and relaxation are all important factors in preserving our bodies.
Laughter is one of the best things for your mental and physical state. People are naturally attracted to someone who has a good sense of humor. You can develop a good outlook and a good sense of humor by associating with and surrounding yourself with pleasant happy people.
Recognize that stress is a killer. A life filled with stress can really wreak havoc on your body causing a number of illnesses such as heart attacks, strokes, asthma, gastric problems, menstrual disorders, ulcerative colitis, angina, irritable colon, increased blood pressure, ulcers, headaches, etc.
There are different types of stress such as mental, emotional and physical. Emotional stress seems to take the greatest toll on everyone. All stress is not bad; in fact, life would not be very interesting if it were not met with challenges. However, too much stress, too often with no effective and appropriate outlet, does not allow the body and soul to recuperate. You might review a typical week to see if you can identify things that might be making you anxious or causing you stress. Once identified, stressors can be attacked and eliminated.
Are you a worrier? Chronic worriers don't have more serious problems than others - they just think they do. Many worriers try to cope by trying not to think about their problems, but this just makes things worse. Doctors say that chronic worriers feel less anxious if they actually spend a half-hour a day thinking specifically about their problems.
Get plenty of exercise. People who are physically fit look good and feel good. A good exercise regimen will lengthen your life. Improve your appearance, build self confidence and help delay the aging process.
Remember that you need to do something physical every day. If you don't use your joints, quite simply they'll tighten up with age to create the stooped, bent and worn out appearance we so often associate with old age. Studies have shown that people with arthritis experience less pain if they continue to keep their joints flexible. As one gets older, the bones tend to get brittle which is why it is common for senior citizens to break bones and especially their hips when they fall.
Eating right, getting proper sleep and learning to relax are all very valuable in maintaining a healthy body and mind. And keep in mind that eating healthy foods and avoiding those high in fats, sodium and cholesterol will help to decrease your risk of heart disease, high blood pressure and associated problems.

Losing Weight Takes Effort

"The heights by great men reached and kept
Were not attained by sudden flight,
But they, while their companions slept,
Were toiling upward in the night."
~~Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

In order to take advantage of losing weight and being successful, you must be prepared--that means " paying your dues."
Nothing is more frustrating than to see that you are gaining weight again. .
Be in a position to benefit from your failure. It pays to be prepared, and that comes down to plain, hard work. It's not usually glamorous. It's not always exciting. It's not always fun. It is, however, always necessary
By being prepared, you have to create a game plan to get back on track right away without beating yourself up and devastating your self-esteem. My game plan is taking it a bite at a time. What's your's? Maybe it's taking it a day at a time, going back to your diet tomorrow. Maybe it's getting angry and becoming more determined then ever to succeed.
Have you ever been at a Weight Watchers or TOPS meeting and noticed several people there who are slim and trim? What about those Jenny Craig and Nutri/System ad's with their before and after pictures? They make losing weight look so effortless, but remember, in reality, these people have been dieting for years.
Without effort and action, you will not succeed. You can't wish your weight away. You have to work at it and be prepared for those times when you slip, so you can pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and move on...
Losing weight demands preparation, effort and commitment to come to fruition.

Behavior Modification

Habits, good or bad, are formed by repetition. Eating habits are no exception. If you are in the habit of snacking when you watch TV, you were reinforcing that habit until finally it became a part of you. Other habits are formed in the same way. Some of these habits are: eating while reading, eating the minute you come in the house, eating when the kids come in from school, eating when you come in from a date, or eating while cooking dinner.
We also find that certain moods and circumstances cause us to eat even if we are not hungry. For example: anger, boredom, fatigue, happiness, loneliness, the kids are finally in bed, our spouse is out for the evening or out of town, nervousness, anxiety, our spouse brings home candy or ice cream, etc... all may trigger an eating response. The list is endless. Habits are hard to break. We must not only break old habits, but we must make our goal to form new ones in the same manner through repetition. Make some daily commitments. Work to meet these commitments each day whether you feel like it or not. Your daily commitments will help you form good habits. Remember: "It is easier to act your way into a new way of feeling than it is to feel your way into a new way of acting."
Resisting temptation is difficult. However, if you succeed in resisting the first time, it becomes easier to resist the next time. Before long, you will have formed the good habit of resisting temptation every time it confronts you. If you yield to that temptation, you will find it easier to yield the next time.
Because of the human weaknesses mentioned, we must use what has become known among weight control groups as behavior modification. It simply means changing your behavior. These techniques work only if you consistently repeat them, so that they become a part of you.

NEW HABITS

• Eat three meals a day. Have two or three planned snacks daily.
• Prolong your meals by: eating slowly putting down your eating utensil between each bite do not pick up your eating utensil until you have swallowed the bite hesitating between bites, even if you're eating finger foods
• Choose a specific place in your home or office to eat all of your meals. This will become your "designated eating place" and should not be changed. Try not to eat at your desk at work. This would make you prone to eat all day long and not just at meal time.lowed the bite hesitating between bites, even if you're eating finger foods
• Do not do anything except eat when you sit down for a meal. Do not read, watch TV, talk on the phone, work, etc. Make yourself aware of the food you are eating. Focus on the conversation and enjoy your meal.
• Do not keep food in any room in your house except the kitchen. Do not keep food such as cookies out on the counters. Do not store items in "see-through" containers.
• Do not buy junk food. Neither your mate nor your children needs it.
• If possible, serve individual plates from the stove and do not serve family style on the table. If this is not possible, put the serving dishes on the opposite end of the table.
• Serve yourself on a smaller plate.
• Develop a habit of leaving at least one bite of each item on your plate. If you can master this, it becomes easier to stop eating when you feel full. You will be used to leaving food on your plate.

All of the above are eating techniques that aid in behavior modification. Other behavior modification techniques not related to eating are to substitute activity for eating, which means exactly what it says-- substitute another activity for between meal snacking. If you are in the habit of going straight to the kitchen and eating every time you walk in the house, try to change this habit by going to another room of the house when you come home. Delay going into the kitchen until the desire to eat is gone. When you are tempted to eat, try to use one of the following substitute activities:
Take a walk
Take a long bath
Call a friend
Get out of the house
Write a letter
Read a book

Or busy yourself with a hobby such as:

Cross-stitch
Painting
Floral arranging
Ceramics
Wood working
Gardening
Genealogical research
Sports
Surf the Web
Catch up on your email!!!

100 Painless Ways to Cut 100 or More Calories

"Losing weight can be as simple as cutting out a meatball here and an egg roll there." ~~Elizabeth Somer, M.A., R.D.
REACHING YOUR FAT-LOSS GOALS may be easier than you think. To lose a pound of fat a month, all you need to do is cut 100 calories a day from your diet, assuming the intake and expenditure of all other calories remains the same. That's because a pound of body fat is equivalent to about 3,500 calories. So if you cut 100 calories a day for 31 days, you're cutting 3,100 calories--or about a pound.
Wait...a pound a month? Isn't that a little slow? Well, mounds of research indicate that you're more likely to keep weight off if you lose it slowly. Besides, losing a pound a month doesn't require drastic changes in your eating habits. It can be as simple as eating two egg rolls with your Chinese stir-fry instead of three. Here are 100 painless ways to cut 100 or more calories a day. As a bonus, they all reduce fat or sugar, which means, calorie for calorie, you're getting more vitamins and minerals.

• Spread 1 tablespoon of all-fruit jam on your toast rather than 1 1/2 tablespoons of butter.
• Replace 1 cup of whole milk with 1/2 cup of nonfat milk.
• Eat 2 poached eggs instead of 2 fried eggs.
• Replace 1/2 cup of granola with 2 cups of Cheerios.
• Instead of using whole milk and eggs to prepare 2 slices of French toast, use nonfat milk and egg whites.
• Snack on an orange and a banana instead of a Snickers candy bar.
• Munch on 35 pretzel sticks instead of 1 ounce of dry-roasted peanuts.
• Replace 1 cup of sweetened applesauce with 1 cup of unsweetened applesauce.
• On your lamb-and-vegetable kabob, replace 2 of the 4 chunks of meat with fresh whole mushrooms.
• Dip an artichoke in 1 tablespoon of low-fat mayonnaise instead of 1 1/2 tablespoons of regular mayonnaise.
• Steam your asparagus rather than sauté it in 1 tablespoon of butter or oil.
• Instead of a 5-ounce glass of wine, opt for cherry-flavored sparkling water.
• For a chewy snack, have 1/2 cup of dried fruit rather than 9 caramels.
• Replace 3 slices of bacon with 3 slices of Light & Lean Canadian bacon.
• Eat a Lender's egg bagel instead of a Sara Lee egg bagel.
• Select 1 cup of home-style baked beans instead of an equal serving of baked beans with franks.
• Replace 2 biscuits with 2 dinner rolls.
• When making a sandwich, use 2 slices of Roman Light 7-grain bread instead of Pepperidge Farm wheat bread.
• Eat 1/2 cup of steamed fresh broccoli instead of 1/2 cup of frozen broccoli in cheese sauce.
• Make a burrito with 1/2 cup of fat-free refried beans and 1 ounce of nonfat cheese instead of the same amount of traditional refried beans and cheese.
• Replace an apple muffin with a high-fiber English muffin.
• Reduce a typical serving of chocolate cake (1/8 of a two-layer cake) by one-third.
• Switch from 1 cup of whole-milk hot chocolate to 1 cup of steamed 1% milk flavored with a dash of almond extract.
• Replace 1 cup of caramel-coated popcorn with 2 1/2 cups of air-popped popcorn.
• Switch from 1/2 cup of yogurt-covered raisins to 1/2 cup of plain raisins.
• Snack on 1 cup of nonfat plain yogurt instead of 1 cup of custard-style yogurt.
• Top your celery sticks with 2 tablespoons of fat-free cream cheese instead of 3 tablespoons of regular cream cheese.
• Replace 2 fried-chicken drumsticks with 2 roasted drumsticks and a cup of peas and carrots.
• Instead of eating 5 chocolate-chip cookies, savor the taste of 2.
• Lighten your 2 cups of coffee with 2 tablespoons of evaporated nonfat milk instead of 2 tablespoons of half-and-half.
• Replace a 12-ounce can of cola with a 12-ounce can of diet cola.
• Thicken your cream sauce with 1 percent milk and corn starch instead of a roux of butter and flour.
• At the appetizer tray, choose 4 fresh raw mushrooms instead of 4 batter-fried mushrooms.
• Use 2 tablespoons of fat-free sour cream instead of regular sour cream (on baked potatoes or in stroganoff). If done twice in the day, 100 calories will be cut.
• Reduce the size of your steak from 4 1/2 ounces to 3 ounces.
• Grill a cheese sandwich with nonstick cooking spray instead of margarine.
• Replace 1 cup of chocolate ice cream with 2/3 cup of nonfat chocolate frozen yogurt.
• Snack on 2 ounces of oven-baked potato chips instead of regular potato chips.
• Instead of topping your salad with an ounce of croutons, get your crunch from 1/4 cup of chopped celery.
• Instead of 1 cup of macaroni salad, eat 3 1/2 cups of spinach salad with 2 tablespoons of low-calorie dressing.
• Cut the peanut butter on your sandwich from 2 tablespoons to 1 tablespoon.
• Serve your turkey with 1/4 cup of cranberry sauce instead of 1/2 cup.
• Order a sandwich on cracked wheat bread instead of a croissant.
• Complement your hamburger with 1 1/4 ounces of oven-baked tortilla chips instead of a side of fries.
• Split an apple Danish with a friend rather than eat the entire thing.
• Order 2 slices of cheese pizza instead of 2 slices of pepperoni pizza.
• Grab a Dole Fresh Lites Cherry frozen fruit bar instead of a Sunkist Coconut frozen fruit bar.
• Snack on 1/2 cup of fruit cocktail canned in water instead of 1 cup of fruit cocktail canned in heavy syrup.
• Switch from 1 cup of fruit punch to 1 cup of sparkling water flavored with 2 teaspoons of concentrated orange juice.
• Instead of eating garlic bread made with butter, spread baked garlic cloves on French bread.
• Rather than snack on 1 cup of grapefruit canned in syrup, peel and section 1 small grapefruit.
• Dip your chips in 1/2 cup of salsa instead of 1/2 cup of guacamole.
• Switch from 1/2 cup of Frusen Gladje butter pecan ice cream to Breyers butter pecan ice cream.
• Use 1 tablespoon of mayonnaise in your tuna salad instead of 2 tablespoons.
• Hold the tartar sauce on your fish sandwich, and squeeze lemon on it instead.
• Replace 3 fish sticks with 3 ounces of grilled halibut.
• In sandwich spreads or salads, use 3 teaspoons of dijonnaise instead of 4 teaspoons of mayonnaise.
• Use 2 tablespoons of light pancake syrup instead of 2 tablespoons of regular syrup.
• Top your pasta with 1 cup of marinara sauce instead of 1/2 cup of alfredo sauce.
• For each serving of pasta salad you make, reduce the oil or mayonnaise by 1 tablespoon.
• Replace 1/2 cup of peaches canned in extra-heavy syrup with 1/2 cup of peaches canned in water.
• Prepare 1/2 cup of steamed peas and cauliflower instead of frozen peas and cauliflower in cream sauce.
• Cut back on sampling during cooking. The following "tastes" have 100 calories: 4 tablespoons of beef stroganoff, 3 tablespoons of homemade chocolate pudding, 2 tablespoons of chocolate-chip cookie dough.
• At an Italian restaurant, snack on a large breadstick instead of a slice of garlic bread.
• Eat a 3/4-cup serving of pudding made with skim milk rather than a 1-cup serving of pudding made with whole milk.
• Choose 1/2 cup of brown rice instead of 1 serving of frozen rice pilaf with green beans or 1 serving of frozen Oriental rice and vegetables.
• Compliment your sandwich with 3/4 cup of split-pea soup instead of 1 cup of chunky bean and ham soup.
• Replace 3 tablespoons of strawberry topping on your ice cream with 3/4 pint of fresh strawberries.
• Pass on the second helping of mashed potatoes.
• Eat 3 grilled prawns with cocktail sauce instead of 3 breaded and fried prawns.
• Make a pie crust with 1 cup of Grape-Nuts cereal, 1/4 cup of concentrated apple juice and 1 tablespoon of cinnamon, instead of using a traditional graham-cracker crust. You'll save 100 calories per slice.
• Replace 8 sticks of regular chewing gum with sugar-free chewing gum.
• Snack on a papaya instead of a bag of M&Ms.
• Substitute 3 ounces of scallops for 3 ounce of lean beef in your stir-fry.
• Rather than spread 4 tablespoons of cream cheese on two slices of raisin bread, dip the bread in 1/2 cup nonfat apple-cinnamon yogurt.
• Munch on 1 cup of frozen grapes instead of an ice cream sandwich.
• Rather than drink a strawberry milkshake, make a smoothie of 2/3 cup of low-fat milk, 1/2 cup of strawberries and 1/2 a banana.
• Replace 2 brownies with 2 fig bars.
• Eat 2 meatballs instead of 4 with your spaghetti.
• On a hot day, quench your thirst with a glass of ice water with lemon or mint instead of a can of light beer.
• Eat 1/2 cup of black beans instead of 3 ounces of roast beef.
• Replace 1 1/2 tablespoons of I Can't Believe It's Not Butter spread with 1 1/2 tablespoons of Nucoa Smart Beat margarine.
• Choose 1 serving of vegetarian lasagna instead of lasagna with meat.
• Eat 2 Kellogg's Nutri-Grain bars instead of 2 Kellogg's Pop-Tarts.
• Drizzle 3 tablespoons of low-calorie French dressing on your salad instead of 2 tablespoons of blue cheese dressing.
• Replace 1 large flour tortilla with 1 six-inch corn tortilla.
• Eat a turkey sandwich instead of a chicken salad sandwich.
• Choose 4 1/2 ounces of tuna packed in water instead of 4 1/2 ounces of tuna packed in oil.
• At Burger King, have a Whopper Jr. Sandwich with regular fries instead of a Whopper With Cheese Sandwich.
• Order your Quarter Pounder without cheese.
• At Jack in the Box, eat a regular taco instead of a super taco.
• Fix 1 cup of turkey chili with beans rather than regular chili with no beans.
• Use 1 cup of fat-free cottage cheese instead of regular cottage cheese.
• Order a sandwich with barbecued chicken instead of barbecued pork.
• Replace 1 cup of corn with 1 cup of carrots
• Reduce your helping of turkey stuffing from 1 cup to 2/3 cup.
• Have a single scoop of ice cream instead of a double scoop.
• Replace 2 ounces of corn chips with 2 ounces of SnackWell's wheat crackers.
• Eat 1 hot dog at the baseball game instead of 2.
• Shred 2 ounces of fat-free cheddar cheese on nachos instead of regular cheddar.
  
  Elizabeth Somer, M.A., R.D., is a nutritionist in private practice and editor of the Nutrition Report. Her latest book is Nutrition for Women: The Complete Guide (New York: Henry Holt & Co., 1993).