Now that the holiday season is here, holiday foods and meals take center stage. And this is as it should be. Food is a terrific celebration of friendships, of family and of love. These celebrations do not have to lead you to unhealthy eating habits. With a little advance planning, you can really enjoy your food and the holidays. Remember that the mental attitude you bring to the table is as important as what’s on the table.

1. Plan Ahead. Without thinking about what is likely to be served, the best intentions fall by the wayside faster than you can shake a drumstick. If you absolutely cannot pass up the cornbread or cinnamon buns warm from the oven or Aunt Fay’s amazing apple cake, then you need to decide what and how much you will eat so someone does not have to roll you out. If you’re going to eat the apple cake that’s fine, but remember to eat fewer quiche and pastry puff appetizers when you arrive and to pace yourself throughout the meal.

2. Strategize. So if you’re not eating puff pastry appetizers, what are you going to eat? If you’re going to someone’s house for the holidays or if it’s in your home, serve something that is good to eat like a salad, lots of vegetables and maybe shrimp cocktails and take larger portions of those and smaller portions of the rest of the meal. Eat your vegetables first. They’ll fill you up, leaving less room for the more calorie-packed stuffing, mashed potatoes and pie.

3. Relationships first, food second. Yes, the holidays have wonderful foods ? everywhere. But the reason you’re gathered together with relatives and friends, rather than eating alone is to be in contact with people. Focus on the people and what you’re doing instead of strategizing how to get those last potato puffs before Aunt Harriet does. Let Aunt Harriet have it. Besides, if her mouth is full, it will keep her from gossiping and give you the opportunity to connect with people you care about.

4. Eat small meals throughout the day. Do not make the mistake many people do of eating virtually nothing during the day to “save” extra calories for the big meal. You’ll end up hungry and eat things you don’t particularly like. Eat high-fiber mini meals for breakfast and lunch with snack (think whole fruit) in between to prevent an all-out binge.

5. Slow down. It takes 20 minutes for your brain to register fullness. Put down your fork and talk to your neighbor.

6. Water, Water, Water. We often eat, when we are really thirsty. Drink water before, during and after the meal so you are well hydrated.

7. “Let’s toast the Holidays!” Although it is important to drink liquids, alcohol dehydrates you, acts as an aperitif and loosens your resolve to eat healthfully. Calories really add up ? and not just from the alcohol. Studies show that when we drink, we eat almost 20% more than our teetotaling friends. For an easy option, consider a wine spritzer or save the first toast for when the turkey is served, and sip four ounces instead of the usual eight.

8. Go for a walk. Instead of watching football on the couch all afternoon ? eating the chips and dips during time outs ? why don’t you gather everyone for a long walk? Taking a 45-minute walk could use up almost 250 calories. This is a wonderful holiday tradition you could start. If nothing else, you’re not home eating the leftovers.

9. Talk kindly to yourself. Banish the mantra, “I always gain weight over the holidays.” Instead say to yourself, “I am giving myself the gift of health. I can eat and enjoy any food I want in moderation.” Or as diet Dr. Gullo says, “Thin tastes better.”

10. Enjoy the season of celebration. Remember the holidays are about coming from a place of gratitude. Now especially this year, we have a lot to be grateful for. Treat yourself well with friends, with loved ones and yes, with foods.

Helene Haber, HHC is a board certified health counselor who specializes in nutrition and whole health. She designs personalized wellness solutions for women of all ages looking to enhance their lives, get their bodies back in shape and their health back on track. I invite you to contact me at TopCatHelene@aol.com.

Discover secrets to overcome food addictions by releasing negative thoughts and reframing with powerful affirmations, and manifest all that is yours by Divine right.

My name is Tami Close and my intention is to empower women to realize they are responsible for their own health and well-being.

Why am I doing this? Years ago I became very ill and wrote down the foregoing statement while reading a book by Mark Victor Hanson entitled Dare to Win. I knew that I went through the illness for reason and now am manifesting my purpose. Through this illness I was led on a journey to discover Me!-the Me! who was hidden beneath all the childhood trauma of not feeling loved. With the help of an energy practitioner, I finally released the childhood stuff and it was life-changing.

You, too, can release your childhood issues and have a miraculous discovery of self. Many women suffer needlessly with unwanted pounds and I was told I am to work with women to help them love themselves unconditionally. As an integrative body therapist using Rapid Eye Therapy and Emotional Freedom techniques, I help women release their stuff so they make new, healthy choices in their weight loss goals. These healing modalities are quick and easy to use and get results. Once you’re able to see yourself as pure love, the results will be astounding! You’ll attract those things that keep you focused on a positive lifestyle and the pounds will begin to shed. Watch the miracles that show up for you as a result! No more thong envy here!

Many women showed up for me to help me and I, in turn, will show up for you to hold your hand and guide you through your transformation. It’s no accident you’re reading this. Know that my intentions are to help you take control of your health.

Look what has manifested in my life as a result of peeling back my own layers. I became a co-author in a book with Mark Victor Hansen, Deepak Chopra and Wayne Dyer and several others. The book, Wake Up?.Life the Life You Love Finding Personal Freedom, was just published in March and can be purchased at Barnes and Noble. On April 1, 2005 (No April Fools joke) I met Mark Victor Hansen and he signed my Dare to Win book. I would not have manifested these amazing things if I didn’t release my pain which was keeping me stuck. I am on purpose!! I am living my dream of helping women and loving every minute of it.

Check out www.tamiclose.com.

Tami Close is certified in Rapid Eye Therapy (RET) and has her own successful practice. She is a Reiki Master and also has completed the Basic and Advanced courses in Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT). She received a grant from the Sumasil Foundation for her work with RET and EFT. She has a B.S. in Training CUM LAUDE from Southern Illinois University. She has done extensive training and coaching in health, sales and management areas. She was asked to speak at a national convention on the FISH! Philosophy, choosing your attitude and having fun in the work place. She is a co-author in a book with Mark Victor Hansen, Deepak Chopra and Wayne Dyer and many others. The book, Wake Up…Live the Life You Love Finding Personal Freedom, just hit the #1 bestseller list in several categories.

The problem isn’t that you don’t have enough will power to achieve what you want. You have will power, but it’s not will power you need, it’s want power.

You have to first want

You must want to change your habits, want to lose some weight, want to give up your evening snacking before your will comes into play. Once you want a thing badly enough, you will do whatever it takes.

If you think you want something (to make a change in your eating habits perhaps), but then find it difficult to follow-through with your plans, most likely you simply want your current reality (your current habits and patterns) more than you want your goals (less weight, better health, etc.)

I can hear you all the way over here, telling me I’m wrong: “No, that’s not right! I want this more than anything, I just don’t have any willpower!” Round and round you go, but the truth is, you will get what you really want. Think back, has there ever been a time when you really wanted something? A certain piece of clothing, a certain house, car, job, spouse? Hum… Yes, we go after what we want, if we really want to acquire or achieve it we do. Nothings going to fall in your lap, you’ve got to go get what you want.

What’s Going on?

Put another way, you may want to avoid the pain (breaking old habits, avoiding some favorite foods, simply not overeating…) more than you want to gain the pleasure (losing some weight, gaining new habits, eating favorite foods in moderation …)

Since losing weight takes time, from weeks to months to years, it’s easy to fall off the path. It’s always easier to get back into our old habits of eating, eating, and more eating. There’s always more food. Unless you are too poor to purchase it, there’s plenty food in America - in fact, too much food, and so it becomes even more necessary to keep the longer-term goals in mind.

How do you keep the longer-term goals in mind, when the short-term food is staring you in the face? What about all the treats offered, what about the commercials, the billboards, the signs everywhere that say EAT?

Wanting, in fact, is the “W”, the first step in the W.H.A.C.K approach. See it in the free e-book, Changing Beliefs, Your First Step to Permanent Weight Loss.

Think back to when you last really wanted something. Wanted it more than anything, had to have it, would do just about anything to get it. To want is a mighty powerful motivator, but surprisingly we aren’t all motivated by what we want. Some of us are motivated by avoiding what we don’t want.

What is your Motivation Strategy?

Motivation comes in two (or more) flavors. You can be motivated towards something (what you’ll gain) or you can be motivated away from something (what you’ll lose). This desiring to avoid can be confusing. I’m saying you must want something, and you’re thinking, but I don’t want to be fat. I can’t think about my future, only what I don’t want. Here is what’s going on:

Motivation: Toward

If you are motivated by what you’ll gain you find it easy to look ahead and see your future shapely body, you’ll see people around you with admiring glances, you’ll hear their compliments, you’ll smell the good food and feel good knowing you can eat enough to be satisfied, and then say you’re full. You’ve had enough, thank you. You’ll be in control of your life. You’ll want what you visualize more than anything, and you’ll do whatever it takes to get it. If asked what movie to go see, they’ll have a few ideas, and tell you why.

Motivation: Away

If you are motivated by what you’ll lose you’ll focus on what you want to avoid. For example, you want to avoid dying, you want to avoid being too heavy to enjoy playing with the kids, you want to avoid gasping for breath when you climb a flight of stairs. You want to avoid the embarrassment, the humiliation of other people’s remarks and rude glances. You don’t want any of that anymore, and you don’t want it to the extent that you’ll do whatever it takes to avoid these things. If you ask them what they want for dinner, they’ll tell you they don’t want Chinese, or pizza. It can be difficult to get someone motivated this way to actually say what they do want!

Knowing your motivation strategy makes it easier to find methods that support your preferred strategy. If you are motivated toward, you may enjoy cutting our pictures of people in great shape with similar body types to yours. Find models wearing clothes that would look good on you, pictures of swimming pools, holiday places you’d enjoy; the types of things that go into a dream board.

If you motivated away, then make a list of what you want to avoid and elaborate on that list. Why don’t you want these things? The more detailed you are, the more likely you’ll truly do what it takes to avoid them.

Hopefully these ideas will get you thinking, and much about making changes in our lives comes down to thinking it through. Realizing what we really want can get us past the hurdles of what we already have. To affect change isn’t necessarily comfortable, until you’ve worked at it for awhile, and then suddenly your changed behavior has become your new behavior and the effort is over.

Kathryn Martyn, is a Master NLP Practitioner, EFT counselor, and author of Changing Beliefs, Your First Step to Permanent Weight Loss. Visit OneMoreBite-Weightloss.com to see how she gave up 80 pounds over 20 years ago and how you can do the same.

Throughout my childhood and teenage years I watched as my mother tried every fad diet under the sun. I recall one time she ate boiled cabbage and nothing else for a whole week. I felt my mothers’ frustration and misery, however I could not understand why it was so difficult for her to lose weight and keep it off ? until that is I became a weight management coach.

For the past two years I have been assisting people to achieve their ideal weight and in this time I have experienced what contributes to a successful weight loss story.

Getting serious - It all starts with you and how serious you are about losing weight. The key to successful weight loss is partly dependent on your level of commitment. How would you rate your seriousness on a scale of 1 ? 10 (10 being deadly serious)?

No quick fix - If you have made the commitment to get serious about losing weight then you need to make the commitment to do it safely and effectively. One piece of invaluable advice my own family doctor passed onto me is that slow and steady is always the best option. The longer it takes you to lose weight the less likely you are to put it back on.

Staying motivated - Always keep the end in mind! Write down all of the reasons why you are motivated to lose weight now. Record these reasons on a piece of card that can be kept in your wallet or purse. Each morning and before going to bed remind yourself by reading aloud why you are motivated to lose weight.

Facing challenges - Every day you are likely to face challenges, which can disrupt your focus and get in the way of your weight loss goals. Write down all of the challenges that you know have made losing weight hard for you in the past. This will help you to develop a better strategy this time. Three common challenges are lack of results, boredom and lack of support from spouse, family and friends.

Choosing a weight control program - I recommend choosing a diet / weight control program that offers all of the following for best results:

• Provides a balanced nutritious program that is safe and effective
• Support system and regular progress follow-up
• Teaches you better eating habits
• Teaches you how to maintain your weight once you have reached your goal weight

For two years Annette Croft has been assisting people reach their ideal weight with the aid of a nutritious, simple and convenient weight management program. For a free weight profile and consultation please visit www.getslim-n-trim.com. For more articles please send an email to amcroft@optusnet.com.au

20 WAYS TO LOSE WEIGHT

1. Take it one step at a time

Start by paying attention to what you eat. Cut back on fat and sweets and add more fruit and vegetables. After you have that under control, add exercise. If you hate to exercise try it for only 15 minutes a day at first, then a 1/2-hour. Keep in mind that while you are exercising you are burning calories and not eating. Also, it will be easier if you chose an activity that you enjoy.

2. Find a friend

It is always good to have support when you are trying to lose weight. Find a friend who wants to lose weight and compare notes, weigh-in together and maybe even have a contest.

3. Use weights

Working out weights will build muscle and raise your metabolism so you will burn more calories. Also, muscle takes up less space than fat so you will be smaller ( but probably weigh more).

4. Eat fewer carbs

Don’t eat as much bread and pasta and you will see a difference.

5. Set a goal

Set a deadline to lose the weight and write it down. For example, ‘ By Dec 14/04 I will weigh 150 lbs or less’. Put it somewhere you will see it daily.

6. Give up soda

If you drink a soda or 2 a day you are adding empty calories. If you find it hard to stop completely, cut back at first and drink water instead.

7. Grill or boil

Avoid fried meat, grill and use lots of spices. You will get used to it and probably enjoy it more.

8. Don’t buy junk food

When you go shopping, don’t go on an empty stomach and you will be less likely to buy junk food. Keep your home ‘junk food free’ so you won’t be tempted to indulge.

9. Eat breakfast

Consume most of your calories early in the day and always eat breakfast. Don’t eat after 8pm and not only will you avoid those added calories but you will sleep better.

10. Give yourself a treat

When you tell yourself that you can’t have something you want it more. Give yourself a treat once a day ( ie. half a cookie) and you won’t feel you are missing out.

11. Use smaller plates

Trick yourself into believing that you are eating more by using a smaller plate.

12. Drink lots of water

Drink water when you are feeling hungry and you will get that ‘full’ feeling.

13. Don’t eat everything on your plate

Many times we eat just because it’s there. Pay attention to when you have had enough.

14. Eat five or six meals a day

Eating more frequently will keep you from getting too hungry.

15. Plan your workout sessions

Write your workout sessions in your journal or planner.

16. Stay away from fad diets

Fad diets don’t work. If you lose weight fast chances are that you will gain it back ( and more) just as fast. It takes time to put it on and time to take it off.

17. Do several workouts a day

While you are watching TV do crunches and leg lifts.

18. Measure your food

If you decide to have junk food for a snack - be sure to measure and control what you eat.

19. Keep pre-cut vegetables

…and ward off those cravings.

20. Create Good Habits

It is a known fact that when we do something twenty-one times it becomes a habit. Create good eating habits.

Sheila Dicks is a wardrobe and image consultant who teaches women how to look slimmer by dressing to suit their body type. Visit her at http://www.sheilasfashionsense.com to download a copy of her e-book Image Makeovers and get How to Build a Wardrobe free.

Learn how to reduce the fat, sugar and salt content of your food and to enjoy fruit and vegetables. Use the nutrition guides on pre-packaged food to decide whether or not that product is best for you or your family. Cooking fresh food puts you in control of what you eat. Yes, it probably takes longer than heating processed food, but what else were you going to do with that time - watch TV? Perhaps the thought that fresh food is cheaper than you think may encourage you to give it a try.

–TWO–

Stop being a couch potato and get out and use your body. Remember the saying “Use it or lose it!” Exercise increases your base metabolic rate, which enables you to burn calories at a faster rate all day - not just when you exercise. Exercise makes you feel good about yourself and that “can’t be bothered, dragging yourself around” mood rapidly disappears.

–THREE–

Don’t try to change your lifestyle too quickly. Its better to make steady, permanent changes than it is to cause yourself distress only to fail through demotivation. You can’t change the habits of a lifetime in a few days so don’t try to and don’t wait to change your lifestyle until the last minute, because that’s too late. Finally, medical advances mean that we live longer than before, even with a poor lifestyle, but what’s the point if most of that “extra time” is ruined by poor health?

Finally! How To Get The Slim, Toned, Attractive Body You’ve Always Wanted Without Dieting.

Get 3 F^REE Reports ==> http://www.nodietdiet.co.uk

I personally lost 60 pounds in 2003. Here are some tactics I used to lose the weight:

1) Steamed instead of fried

2) Brown rice instead of white rice

3) Wheat bread instead of white bread

4) Sauce and dressing on the side. Dip your fork into the sauce first then into the food.

5) At dinner exchange the potato or other carbohydrates with extra veggies

6) No oil

7) Do not feel like you need to eat the entire meal. Plan on bringing a doggie bag home.

Drink two glasses of what before your meal and another 2-3 during your meal

9) No soda

10) Hold the mayo and cheese

Dr. Jeffrey Banas is a Chiropractic Sports Physician, practicing in Mesa; AZ. Dr. Banas personally lost 60 pounds in 2003 and now uses his experience to help others struggling with their weight problems. Dr. Banas can be reached at his office at 480-633-6837, or by visiting his web site at www.personal-weight-loss-help.com

Have You Given Up on Weight Loss?

by Greg Landry, M.S

I receive several email messages every day

from people who have given up on weight loss.

They are at wits end and they don’t know

what to do. They’ve “tried it all” and they

believe it’s impossible for them to lose

weight.

Many of them have lost weight and gained it

all back, and more. Some of them have struggled

with losing weight all their lives and have

never been successful with it. One lady from

Alabama wrote to me last spring, “I have been

trying to lose about sixty pounds for over 23

years. I quit! I’m resolved to the fact that

I will be fat for the rest of my life”

How saddening that comment is. but I’m happy

to tell you this lady, with a little

guidance, is now 65 pounds lighter than she

was one year ago.. and she has some muscle

tone. Needless to say, she no longer believes

that she’ll be fat for the rest of her life.

I tell you this simply to illustrate the fact

that you don’t have to give up on weight loss.

YOU can lose weight, but you have to be

willing to do what it takes.. and here’s what

it takes!

If we look at people who have been successful

at weight loss *and* maintaining that loss,

a couple of things are very apparent. These two

factors are present in the lives of most of

them..

1. They do some form of aerobic exercise 5 to

7 days per week. These people aren’t

exercise wimps! They know how critically

important this is to their weight loss/

maintenance and they get out and do it!

They average 45 minutes per day with the

range being 30 to 90 minutes per day.

This not only burns lots of calories,

but, perhaps more importantly, it elevates

their basal metabolic rate.

2. They do some type of weight training 2 to

3 days per week. This has a tremendous

affect on basal metabolic rate and

muscle tone. Success at maintaining a

weight loss is much higher in people

who have weight trained while they were

losing weight versus those who haven’t.

Now, obviously, healthy eating habits are also

very important. However, most of these people

say that their exercise habits seem to dictate

their eating habits.. meaning that if they

can be consistent with exercise, their eating

habits seem to fall into place.

I’ve had many clients tell me that their daily

exercise puts them in a “healthy” frame of

mind and helps them to make better food choices.

Bottom line; when they are exercising

consistently, their eating habits are better.

I firmly believe that a major factor in most

peoples frustration with weight loss is that

they haven’t been told the truth about

exercise. You see, twenty minutes, three days

per week isn’t going to cut it for weight

loss. If you’re serious about weight loss,

then you have to get serious about exercise.

-It’s all about changing your basal metabolism

through exercise.

-It’s about looking at exercise as a part of your

daily routine, just like brushing your teeth.

-It’s about viewing exercise as something you’re

doing to get healthy and feel great!

“If you *vigorously* pursue fitness and health,

weight loss will happen”(tm)

copyright 2004 by Greg Landry, M.S.

Author and exercise physiologist, Greg Landry,

offers free weight loss and fitness success stories

and targeted, highly affective weight loss programs

for women, men, type 2 diabetics, and people with

slow metabolisms and hypothyroidism..

http://www.Landry.com

On the road to weight loss, fitness,

and health, you can easily become

discouraged. In fact, discouragement

is what leads many people to give-up

when they may have been near a point

of significant progress and encouragement

in their program.

I’ve put together my “top 10″ points of

encouragement to help keep your spirits

high on your road to weight loss,

fitness, and health..

1. It does get better - and often very

quickly! Many people that are

significantly overweight or that have

been sedentary for a long time, find any

activity, even walking a few hundred

feet, to be very difficult and

uncomfortable. Be encouraged, many

physiological changes happen very quickly

once you start moving. Walking, for

example, starts getting easier and more

comfortable within a couple of weeks.

Keep moving - every day will be a little

better! Be encouraged!

2. I love this lady’s story. It just

makes you want to cheer for her while

sitting at your computer. Margie from

Madison, Wisconsin weighed 296 pounds

when she started walking in her

neighborhood. She says she started by

walking about half a block twice a day

and that it was incredibly difficult at

first.

After the second day she had decided to

quit but a neighbor encouraged her to

continue. Every day she walked the same

route but added a little distance each

week. She says there were many days when

she wanted to quit, but she wanted very

badly to lose weight and be healthy.

After several months the people in her

neighborhood started noticing her

consistency and her progress and started

giving her compliments and words of

encouragement. She said that after a

few months of walking, it went from

painful to enjoyable.

About ten months into her walking program,

she began her morning walk as usual, but

she noticed people out in their yards. As

she passed each yard they were clapping

and cheering for her, “go Margie”, “we’re

proud of you Margie”, “congratulations

Margie!” She said tears of happiness

flowed through her entire walk that

morning as over a hundred people cheered

her on all along her route! Be encouraged!

3. The visible signs of progress in a

weight loss program are often very slow

to come. Healthy weight loss takes time,

but that can be very discouraging. Be

encouraged to know that for each day that

you exercise and eat healthy foods in

moderate quantities, you have made

progress. It might not be measurable that

day, but you have made progress and it

will be measurable over a period of weeks

and months. Be encouraged!

4. Katherine was 43 years-old and had

been sedentary for 20 years. The scale

had not changed in those 20 years - she

still weighed 136 pounds, but she knew

she had lost muscle and gained fat. Her

waist was bigger and she couldn’t fit

into the same size clothes that she did

20 years earlier. What bothered her

most was that she was always tired and

never had energy.

She decided to start walking and weight

training but quit after a week. She said,

“it’s too uncomfortable, I can’t keep

doing this.” I encouraged her to continue

and told her that it would get better.

She “quit” three times during the next

two weeks. We talked frequently.

Six weeks later she started to notice

some muscle tone and she noticed that

her endurance and energy level had

increased dramatically. She said,

“I’m very encouraged!”

Eight months later she had gained two

pounds on the scale but lost three

inches in her waist - and she walked

a marathon! Yeeeeeeesss! Be encouraged!

5. The whole idea behind physical

training is that you push your body to

do a little more than it’s comfortable

with and it responds by making physical

and physiological changes. These changes

make you capable of doing a little more

with less discomfort. Be encouraged!

6. Gerald in New Orleans, Louisiana

lost 85 pounds after he started walking

and weight training. Once he had lost

the weight, he decided to do something

that would allow him to fully appreciate

his weight loss. For an entire day, he

carried around a sack that contained 85

pounds of metal weights.

Getting around during that day was a

struggle and very tiring. At the end of

the day he was exhausted! Life without

the weight is great! Be encouraged!

7. Keep records of your progress. Every

day write down the positive changes

you’ve noticed and also keep a record

of the exercise you do every day. Write

down what you did, how long you did it,

and any thoughts about your exercise

that day. Keep a running total of your

minutes. You can look back at what

you’ve done with a great sense of

accomplishment and you’ll be motivated

to do more. Be encouraged!

8. Daily exercise will change your life!

I believe God designed humans to be

active on a daily basis. Why? because

when you are, lots of good things happen..

- you are healthier

- you feel better and have more energy

- you are less likely to develop cancer,

heart disease, stroke, etc.

- you sleep better

- you have a better outlook on life

- your relationships with people are

enhanced

- your skin looks healthier

- you are sick less often

- your immune system is stronger

- you lose fat

- you gain toned, lean muscle

- you look healthier

Be encouraged!

9. Betty Jo in Tuscaloosa, Alabama wrote

to me.. “Greg, After 24 years of being

married to a grouchy, pessimistic man

who didn’t enjoy life, I saw all that

change over a period of about a year.

Harold was the classic 70 pound

overweight couch potato when he was

scared into exercising and healthier

eating habits by the death of his 46

year-old friend.”

Harold’s doctor recommended that he

start walking every morning and after

a couple of weeks Harold told Betty Jo

that he wanted to start eating better.

Harold really took-off with this “health

thing” and lost 72 pounds and become a

new man - inside and out. In Betty Jo’s

words, “I have a new husband. He walks

for an hour every morning and he is a joy

to be around. His enthusiasm for life

makes our marriage fun.” Be encouraged!

10. Progress and improvement generate

encouragement. YOU can progress and

improve and be encouraged to do more.

Tomorrow morning, put on your walking

shoes and take a walk, even if it’s just

a few minutes. The next day, do it

again - progress and improve.

Be encouraged!

Author and exercise physiologist, Greg Landry,

offers a variety of unique weight loss and fitness

programs at his site, such as the “Weight Loss and

Fitness Insiders Club!” Visit his site at..

http://www.Landry.com

copyright 2001 by Greg Landry, M.S.

Author and exercise physiologist, Greg Landry,

offers free weight loss and fitness success stories

and targeted, highly affective weight loss programs

for women, men, type 2 diabetics, and people with

slow metabolisms and hypothyroidism..

http://www.Landry.com

I’ve worked with hundreds of people who
were interested in losing weight. Over
the years I’ve noticed four areas that
I believe are particular hindrances
to weight loss. If your goal is to be
successful at losing weight and keeping
it off, avoid the “big 4″ no-nos.

#1 Big No-No: Not exercising on a daily
basis. Daily exercise sends your metabolism
through the roof! I have seen VERY FEW people
who are not very regular exercisers, lose
weight AND keep it off.

Losing weight and maintaining that loss
can be very difficult. However, both can
be made considerably easier with regular
exercise, preferably in the morning.

If you’re interested in losing fat, you’re
objective is to create a daily caloric
deficit. For example, If you’re consuming
1700 calories per day, and expending 2000
calories per day, your caloric deficit is
300 calories. Losing a pound of fat requires
a deficit of 3500 calories. So, to lose
two pounds per week would require a daily
deficit of 1000 calories.

So, if you’d like to increase your daily
caloric deficit, you have two options;
1. To decrease your caloric intake by eating
fewer calories, or..
2. To increase your caloric expenditure via
more activity / exercise.
However, you cannot decrease your daily
caloric intake much lower than 1200 to
1500 or so without potentially creating
health and metabolism problems.

In fact, many people’s metabolism (basal
metabolic rate) is so slow from years of
inactivity and dieting, that they are only
burning fewer than 1500 calories per day.
Without exercise, they would have to
decrease their daily caloric intake to
unhealthy levels to lose weight. And, a
caloric intake that’s too low only creates
more metabolism problems and a vicious
cycle of more weight gain.

So, the only remaining factor in the deficit
equation is caloric expenditure through
increased activity / exercise.

The good news is that you can substantially
increase your caloric expenditure. For
example, if you’re currently walking for
30 minutes two days per week, over a period of
several weeks you can increase your walking
to 60 minutes per day, six to seven days
per week and begin weight training for 30
minutes three days per week.

So, in this example, you would increase your
monthly exercise minutes from about 240 to
1530. Plus, in addition to the calories that
you’re expending during exercise, you would
also substantially increase the number of
calories you’re burning 24 hours-a-day, yes,
you’ll even burn more calories while you’re
sleeping because you’ve fired-up your basal
metabolic rate. You can’t beat that, can you?

Here’s another VERY important reason
to exercise while you’re restricting
calories and trying to lose weight. you tend
to lose muscle tissue from any muscle that
you’re not using while you’re restricting
calories. You’ve heard it - use it or lose it.
And, there are three main consequences to
losing muscle;
1. Your metabolism (basal metabolic rate)
decreases causing you to burn *fewer* calories
24 hours-a-day and causing the maintenance
of your weight loss to be very difficult.
2. Your muscles get flabby and mushy.
3. Your are weaker and become fatigued
more easily.

#2 Big No-No: Not deciding to make a drastic
change. I’ve seen this over and over again
with hundreds of people. Unless someone
decides that they are ready to get really
serious about losing weight and ready to
make drastic changes, their chances of losing
weight and keeping it off are not good.

Research continues to indicate that
Americans are becoming more sedentary..
and fatter every year. This move toward
inactivity and an increase in body fat
is even more pronounced in children, who
don’t get out and play anymore. Instead,
they sit in front of a TV or computer
(perhaps like their parents) for many of
their waking hours.

We know that there is a very direct,
inverse relationship between a person’s
level of activity and the percentage of
their weight that is fat. less activity
equals more fat, and more activity equals
lees fat.

I received an email message recently
that I’d like to share with you. It’s a
weight loss and fitness success story
that makes you want to start exercising
while you’re reading it.

It’s from a 48 year-old lady, Elizabeth,
who lives in Lexington, Kentucky. She
is living proof that less activity
equals more fat, and more activity
equals less fat. Here’s her letter:

“Greg, I’m writing to thank you for your
inspiring articles and to tell you about
my journey (a rough one) to fitness. I
was at a healthy weight in my early
twenties and had my first child at age
26. I remained about 30 pounds overweight
after she was born.”

“I managed to gain 15 more pounds during
the next four years, mostly because of
several diets I tried. After the birth
of my second child at age 31, I was 60
pounds overweight and very frustrated.
Over the next 15 years I tried numerous
diets (even eating just rice) that
ultimate led to me being 120 pounds
overweight.”

“I started reading your articles two years
ago and it finally began to sink in. I
finally realized that exercise wasn’t
just about the calories I was burning
during exercise. I finally realized
that I would never lose the weight and
keep it off without some real exercise
in my life.”

“I reached a point in my life where my
weight was ruining my life. I got to the
point where everything was a struggle,
none of my fat clothes fit, I didn’t
want to see anyone because of the way I
looked, and even walking made me
breathless. I decided that I would either
make a drastic change at that point or
I would give up. I chose to make a drastic
change.”

“I knew that exercise needed to be a
priority and so I changed several things
in my daily schedule to make that happen.
I started with very little but I was very
consistent. I worked up to 45 minutes of
aerobic exercise in the morning and 30 to
45 minutes in the evening. On Saturdays,
I take a less intense, but longer walk
throughout my area of town enjoying all
the sights. I’m up to 8 to 10 miles on
my Saturday walk. I also weight train
three days a week. Please don’t get the
impression that this was easy. I went
through MANY difficult struggles but
it definitely got easier as I progressed.”

“I’m now 12 pounds from my goal weight. Greg,
I can’t begin to explain how my life has
changed. Everything is different. Even
the way people talk to me. It’s almost
like people didn’t even see the person
under all that fat. Probably best of all
is that I have energy to function now.
I’m not constantly tired like I used to
be.”

“Obviously, my perception of exercise has
changed now. I enjoy it and look forward
to it. I’m planning on doing a half
marathon (13.1 miles) walk in the fall.
Thanks again for your words of
encouragement.”

Elizabeth
Lexington, Kentucky

Wow! This lady is unstoppable. Notice that
she first realized the true benefits of
exercise and then decided to do *whatever*
she had to for exercise to become a
consistent part of her life.

Exercise radically changes how your body
handles fat! when you’re sedentary, all
the physiological signals tell your body
to hang on to the fat and dump the
metabolism boosting muscle. When you’re
exercising on a daily basis, all the
physiological signals tell your body to
dump the fat and increase the metabolism
boosting muscle. Which signals do you want?

#3 Big No-No: Not taking the time to plan
and prepare your eating. Healthy eating for
weight loss won’t just happen, you have to
spend time on it.

Not being prepared is a major factor that
leads to overeating and unhealthy eating.
Take time to plan your shopping and eating
for the week. Take time to prepare your
lunch to take to work, and your meal for
the evening, etc. Plan for healthy snacks
to have at home, in your car, at work, etc.
Our weight loss programs specifically
discuss how to set up an effective snacking
system.

4. Not including intervals in your aerobic
exercise. Intervals are brief periods (about one
minute) of more intense exercise mixed into your
regular aerobic exercise sessions. For
example, if you’re walking, you would do a
one minute interval of faster walking once
every five minutes throughout your exercise
session.

Here’s how it will look.. you’ll start with
your normal three to five minute warm-up and
then five minutes into your workout you do
your first interval, one minute of faster
walking (or perhaps jogging). At the end of
that minute you should be “winded” and ready
to slow down. You’ll slow down to your normal
exercising speed for the next four minutes
and then your fifth minute is another one
minute interval. This pattern continues
throughout your exercise session.

You’ll derive several benefits from intervals..

1. Intervals can help you to get past a
weight loss plateau.

2. Intervals increase your aerobic fitness
level by “pushing the envelope”. While doing
your interval you cross the anaerobic
threshold into anaerobic metabolism, forcing
your body to become conditioned to more
intense exercise.

3. Your increased level of fitness means that
a given level of exercise will feel easier
and that you will be able to exercise at a
higher intensity which “burns” more calories.

4. Your increased level of fitness also means
that you will be less fatigued from daily
activities and you’ll have more “energy”
throughout the day.

5. Intervals increase your basal metabolic
rate (BMR), causing you to burn more calories
24 hours-a-day.

6. Intervals cause you to “burn” more calories
during your exercise session and for several
hours afterwards.

7. Intervals will tone the involved muscles
to a greater degree than your regular aerobic
exercise would.

8. Intervals can make your exercise less
monotonous and help the time pass more
quickly.

9. Intervals will energize you!

If you’d like to put a little excitement into
your exercise, and you’re looking for better
results, give intervals a try.

Avoid these four “no-nos” and your weight loss
efforts are much more likely to be successful.

copyright 2004 by Greg Landry, M.S.

Author and exercise physiologist, Greg Landry, offers free weight loss and fitness success stories and targeted, highly affective weight loss programs for women, men, type 2 diabetics, and people with slow metabolisms and hypothyroidism..  http://www.Landry.com