Man’s and Women’s Health, Fitness, Weight Loss, Beauty and More

Here comes Halloween… and the start of the “season of feasting” for a lot of folks around here.

It’s become a sort of time-honored “tradition” for Americans to put on weight between Halloween and New Year’s Day. Some would even say it’s to be expected — “After all, it’s the holidays!”, they say.

Now, I love the holidays. And I bet you do too. Who wouldn’t love all the great treats and wonderful foods that just seem to spring up around us during the holiday season, right?

But don’t you just hate it when you step on the scales after the holidays, and discover you’ve put on weight?

Fret not, for I’m here to show you how you can have fun during the holidays and enjoy all your favorite holiday treats, _without_ putting on any extra pounds.

Here are 7 Simple Weight Loss Feasting Tips for the Holiday Season…

1. Give yourself permission - Go ahead and eat anything you want during the holiday season. Halloween, Christmas, New Year’s, it doesn’t matter. Yes, you can have all your favorite foods. Isn’t it refreshing to know that you don’t have to abstain from your perennial favorites? You see, we tend to want more of what we cannot have. The more you try to stop yourself from eating something, the more you want to eat it. And when you do give in to the temptation, you’ll tend to overeat. Here’s the secret: It’s not “all or nothing”. Have anything you want, as long as you remember not to go overboard and consume too much.

2. Be clear of your goals - There must be a reason why you want to keep your weight down. If you don’t already have a reason, now’s the time to sit down and think of as many as possible. This step is critical if you want to be able to enjoy your holidays and maintain your weight throughout. You need to be crystal-clear about your “Why”. Why do you want to lose weight? How would you feel if you end up putting on weight? Conversely, how would you feel if you can go through the holidays and yet maintain your current weight? Think about these questions carefully, and build up your arsenal of “reasons why”. The next time you are tempted to overeat, recall these reasons again and they’ll help you to stay in control.

3. Have a little of everything - Remember how it’s not “all or nothing”? The secret to enjoying all the great food without the subsequent guilt is to have a little of everything. Just remember to control your serving portion sizes. You have permission to eat all kinds of food, but this doesn’t mean you can go out there and devour extra- large portions of everything with super-generous gravy toppings, ok?

4. Be careful of the little nibbles - Sometimes, it’s not the big-time party or pig-out feasting session that causes you to gain weight. On the contrary, it’s exactly the opposite — it’s the little candy and chocolate bar that you pick up to nibble on, everything time you open the fridge or walk past the office candy bowl. All these little snacks in between meal times can (and will!) add up to a lot of extra calories. This sneaky little problem is something that has caught many women off-guard. And now that you know this, it’s easy to catch yourself in the act the next time it happens to you!

5. Be smart - They’re certainly trying, but don’t be fooled by the retailers and their fancy packaging and labels. Have you noticed a lot of the packaging now screams out phrases such “fewer calories”, “low fat”, “less sugar”, “low carb” and etc? Whilst all these claims are true, it does NOT mean you can eat more and have bigger portions. Remember: “fewer/low/less” doesn’t mean “Zero/None/Without”. Also, it’s pretty usual that when something comes with less of one thing, it has more of the other stuff e.g. lower carb, but more calories.

6. Use the healthier versions - Many of the sweets and treats offer you a choice of healthier versions. So when you can, please do opt for the low-calorie, reduced sugar, or lower fat varieties.

7. Choose the right chocolate - And if you must have chocolate, please go for dark chocolate and avoid the milk chocolate. By far, dark chocolate is the best choice as it has antioxidant properties that can protect the body from damaging oxidative stress. So there you have it, consuming a moderate amount of dark chocolates is actually healthy for you!

So, who says you can’t have your cake and eat it too?

Copyright 2005 Tracy Lee

When I was 16, I asked myself this very same question that I received from a frustrated 16 year old. It went something like this…

“A Little Help Please! I am 16 and I am VERY skinny! I don’t have much fat on me so… you could almost see my bones if I am not wearing anything baggy. I only weight 105 lbs and I know I am tooth pick mainly because I don’t eat too much.” - Frustrated and Skinny

You have NO IDEA of how close that cry for help sounds like me. When I was 16, I took a picture of myself in front of the family Christmas tree. Somehow I convinced my sister to take the picture and I flexed with all my might.

For those who are curious to see what I really did look like, the picture is at:

http://www.beginning-bodybuilding.com

Scroll down. You’ll see it. It’s 100% un-edited. I didn’t even remove the glow in the dark plastic eagle necklace I found somewhere.

Anyway, your question was the same thing I wondered myself. I was 16 and tired of being skinny. I thought I did everything I could to gain weight but I was wrong. And I’m going to give you 7 simple steps you can do today to get on the right track to healthy weight gain and make that cry for help, a shout for joy!

If I could get into a time machine I would go back and hand myself a small brochure called:

7 Simple Steps To Beginning Bodybuilding

This would be written by me for me. But I’m positive the next few steps will apply to you as well and any other 16 year olds out there who are frustrated but are in a position to waste a lot of time if they start down the wrong path.

Please don’t be confused… these simple steps are for anybody, no matter what age, male or female, who might be looking to start off on the right foot and not waste a lot of time.

Okay, so what can you do? Let’s go step by step and figure this out.

Pre-Requisite - Body building isn’t just about getting massive. It’s not just for men. The word should actually be two words all the time so there’s no confusion. You are building your body. That can mean anything to anybody. So the first step is…

1. Pick A Goal

No matter what, if you don’t have a short term and long term goal in mind, you’ll just wander around, like a zombie with your arms out, going to anything in sight. And 5 years later, you’ll wonder what the heck happened!

Having a clear goal is the ONLY way to start. If you want to gain, maintain or lose, that is a goal. Know what you want before you start.

You’d be floored to find out just how many people are frustrated with their results but when asked exactly what they are trying to do, they have no idea.

2. Figure Out How Many Calories A Day You Need

In your case, you say you are skinny and tooth-pick like. But in the next sentence you state you know you don’t eat.

[Snap Rubber Band On Wrist Here For Behavior Modification]

When I was 16, I didn’t eat either, I skipped many meals (especially on weekends) and I tried all kinds of protein powders and supplements when I was clearly failing at nutrition.

My mom would cook big meals and I’d barely finish my plate before running off to do something. All the while wishing I was bigger and not so skinny.

There’s so many simple ways to calculate your calories. That should be your very next step. Once you know what you want to do, you need to know your nutritional intakes in order to obtain that goal. It’s not going to be hard at all but if you don’t know, you cannot possibly get anywhere.

In other words, if you don’t know how many calories a day you need for a certain goal, then don’t expect anything different.

3. Figure Out How Much Protein You Need A Day

It’s the building blocks of muscle and it’s also the only way you are going to build more muscle or keep the muscle you already have today.

Even for burning fat, it’s proven that getting enough protein will actually make you leaner.

Again, there’s very simple formulas for this that do not require a degree from MIT to perform. And once you know how much protein you need every day, it’s really easy in Step 4 to find out if you are getting what you need.

These steps will be continued in part 2

Copyright 2006 Marc David

Unfortunately, many people are misinformed and are also misled by the many promises of the weight loss industry. Everywhere you look, you see or hear of people promising “Dramatic Weight Loss” with products such as “The Fat Trapper”, or “Exercise in a Bottle”.

Then you also have the hundreds of diets out there such as “The Zone”, “Sugar Busters” or “The Atkins Diet”. I’m sure you have heard of many of these yourself. You might have even tried some of them. Unfortunately, these products and diets are not the quick fix, or the miracles they are portrayed as. They are also usually very dangerous.

Below are some common misconceptions among people with regard to exercise and nutrition.

1. You need to exercise to burn fat.

The truth is you don’t gain body fat because of a lack of exercise. You gain it because your blood sugar levels exceed what you are using. Basically, you are eating too many calories at one time.

2. Your metabolism slows down once you hit 30.

WRONG! Actually, hundreds of research studies have shown that the slow down in metabolism is due to a loss of muscle tissue. And the loss of muscle tissue is directly related to a lack of hard physical activity!

3. Pasta and bread are fattening.

Anything is fattening! Lettuce can be stored as fat! Any food or drink, which contains calories, can be stored as body fat if it causes your blood sugar levels to exceed what the body needs at that time. Bread and pasta are actually great sources of complex carbohydrate! The key is how much you eat and when you eat it.

4. Eating after 7pm will make you fat.

Absolutely false! It all depends on whether or not the body needs that amount of calories at that time. Keep in mind your body is constantly burning calories, 24 hours per day, just the amount varies.

5. Strength training will make you bulk up.

Another NO! It seems as if mostly women are concerned with this one. Muscle size is primarily affected by genetics and hormone production; therefore, most women don’t have the potential to build very large muscles.

Muscle burns calories, so the more muscle you have, the more calories you burn which makes easier to burn fat and harder to gain it!

By no means is this a complete list! There are so many I could write a whole book just about them. The key is in education, but not by reading fitness magazines!

When you start out with a workout program - whether the purpose is weight loss exercise or another - you have started a training process that hopefully is going to last for a while. It is important that you are aware of some factors that can decrease your motivation for the exercising or even damage your health - while you are executing your training program. Even a few minor mistakes in your workout can easily accumulate to bad habits over time, kicking you off track, and that is not the purpose with good exercise. Below I’ll go through a few of these.

1. Impatience

Impatience is probably most people’s worst enemy when it comes to staying on track with your workout plan. It is so easy to get distracted, especially if you feel the recent progress with your exercise has been slow. You must be aware that physical training won’t do miracles over night. Only faitful and diligent exercising and workout, day after day, week after week, month after month will prove results.

Looking back; maybe you’re one who hasn’t trained or exercised for years, maybe not at all. How many years did it take to put you in the physical shape and fitness condition you were in before you started regular exercising? Do not expect results in one week - take a look back and try to feel the difference after 3 to 6 months of exercising. If you are that patient, you’ll definitely see results of your workout effort.

2. Expectations too high

If you expect to become a Joe Jordan or a Naumi Chambell after a few weeks of exercises, you’ll get disappointed. The purpose with your physical workout is to make yourself feel better and give you a better and richer life, not to compare yourself with others, whoever they are.

The measurement stick should always be the fitness and shape you were in before you started the exercising, and every improvements you do, are with references to this. If you do that, your expectations to the results of your exercise and workouts will be realistic, and you’ll be amazed of how good you really can be.

3. Getting Exhausted

Especially in the start up phase of a training program, some people are exercising so hard that they simply get exhausted or burned out. If you start your training program exceeding your present capabilities, and if you have not been exercising since you were a kid - you probably won’t be able to jogg or workout for the next 14 days.

Your muschles will hurt so much and your legs will be so stiff after your mega exercise, that you have to lay down and wait til you are able to exercise again. This is not very motivating. Start out the exercising very carefully and lite - that is especially important if you have not done much training before.

4. Doing exercises the wrong way

This can really be damaging, especially with anarobic exercises. If you are training at a fitness center you should make sure you’ve got all the instructions you need from the trainer before you do any workout. One little mistake in your exercise can damage your back for a long time, and even permanently.

The best is to have a personal trainer that can follow you through thick and thin throughout the exercise program but for most people this alternative is too expensive. So my advice is; if you are in even the slightest doubt of how to do an exercise, simply ask, ask and ask. The training staff is there to help you with your exercising, that’s their job.

5. Chosing an exercise program that is not exciting enough

I have always been fascinated about people I have seen running up and down roads and streets day after day or people that do all their exercise on trim cycles. How boring must that be? Well, we are all different and have different preferences when it comes to what activities we enjoy. Some people love to run for hours - and that’s fine, let them do it.

I prefer more enjoyable sports like tennis, badminton, football, smashball, squash or training together with other people. Dancing is also a great fat burner. The point is: Chose an exercise plan that include your favorite activities.

If you like and enjoy what you’re doing day in and day out, you’ll be much more likely to stay in the training program for a long time. And the longer you stay in it, the more you’ll enjoy it.

According to the American College of Rheumatology,

Fibromyalgia affects 3 to 6 million Americans. Other sources

say the total number affected could be 8 million people. It

primarily occurs in women of childbearing age, but children,

the elderly, and men can also be affected. (Approximately 80

percent to 90 percent of affected people are women.)

Fibromyalgia is a chronic condition characterized by fatigue

and widespread pain in your muscles, ligaments and tendons.

At first, it was not considered an illness at all. Doctors

could not find any thing wrong with patients so they

believed it to be psychosomatic.

Slowly that dismissive view is changing. Published research

at Johns Hopkins, University of Pennsylvania and other top

research facilities points to immune dysfunction and cardiac

abnormalities in these illnesses. It is difficult to believe

that some doctors still regard people with Fibromyalgia and

chronic fatigue syndrome as nothing more than ‘extremely

worried well people’.

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS or chronic fatigue and immune

dysfunction syndrome, CFIDS) is a chronic, often

debilitating disorder of unknown cause characterized by

fatigue, pain and cognitive disorders. Often severe

cognitive complaints differentiate the syndrome from similar

disorders and usually occur in a later stage of the disease.

There is no evidence to sustain the thought that CFS or

Fibromyalgia is a contagious disease. Contagious diseases

typically occur in well-defined clusters, either as

outbreaks or epidemics.

What Causes Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome?

Asking what causes Fibromyalgia or chronic fatigue syndrome

can be a tricky question, depending on whom you ask. Doctors

and researchers believe there is not a single cause of

Fibromyalgia or chronic fatigue syndrome. At this point

doctors are just not sure what causes these illnesses.

While the cause of Fibromyalgia is unknown, researchers have

several hypotheses about causes or what triggers the

illness. Some scientists believe that the syndrome may be

caused by an injury or trauma. This injury may affect the

central nervous system.

Fibromyalgia may be associated with changes in muscle

metabolism, such as decreased blood flow, causing fatigue

and decreased strength. Others believe an infectious agent

such as a virus in susceptible people may trigger the

syndrome, but no such agent has been identified.

Research proposes that CFS may be caused by an immunologic

dysfunction or altered capacity of certain immune functions.

One thing is certain at this time: there are no immune

disorders in CFS or Fibromyalgia patients traditionally

affiliated with disease.

That suggests a different approach is needed to reach the

state of health you want.

4 Simple Changes to Shift Your Life From Fibromyalgia or CFS

Many studies have indicated that a healthy lifestyle

including diet, exercise, relaxation techniques and

sufficient sleep offer the most effective approaches for

reducing fatigue and pain from CFS and Fibromyalgia.

1. Nutrition/Diet

A common thread in many cases seems to be a tendency to feel

better when refined sugar, caffeine, alcohol, fried foods,

red meat, and highly processed foods, are kept to a sound

personal minimum in the diet.

Try supplementing your current diet with greater quantities

of raw or lightly cooked fruits and vegetables. Try

substituting meats that are high in fat with fish or lean

poultry. Drink plenty of water and take a good vitamin

supplement to ensure that you are getting proper nutrition.

2. Quality Sleep: Seven Ways to Become Sleeping Beauty

This is perhaps the most important component of treating

CFS/FM. The following tips will help you achieve more

restful sleep. Try to follow as many of them as possible to

obtain the best level of sleep you can:

· Try to go to bed earlier and at the same time everyday.

Even on weekends, try to go to bed and wake at the same

time. This will help your body get used to a set schedule

and provide for a more restful sleep.

· Try to avoid any caffeine-containing beverages such as

coffee or soda before going to bed. It is a stimulant that

will keep you awake at night. Also, alcohol drinking should

be kept to a minimum in Fibromyalgia sufferers.

· Don’t eat a lot before bedtime. Generally, try not to eat

within two hours of going to bed. Particularly avoid spicy

or fatty foods and try to keep your “midnight snacks” to a

minimum.

· Ensure that you have a comfortable mattress and pillow.

Sometimes, people’s poor sleeping habits stem from poor

mattresses. What constitutes a comfortable bed is different

for us all. Usually something that is not too firm and not

too soft should be acceptable. Cervical pillows mold to the

natural shape of your neck and eliminate any unwanted

stresses on the muscles of your neck and upper back.

Choosing the appropriate bed and pillow is often done by

trial and error. Find the combination that gives you the

most restorative sleep and stick with it.

· A regular exercise program will help you have a more deep

and refreshing sleep on a consistent basis.

· Try and avoid daytime naps. By doing so you will be more

tired at night and be able to sleep deeper, thereby waking

up more refreshed. Naps may seem like they provide more

sleep time, but they are counterproductive to getting rest.

Naps during the day will affect how well you will sleep

during the night and it gets the body out of sync with the

regular sleep pattern, leading to insomnia at night.

· Keep a proper sleeping environment. This involves a quiet

and cool room. A slightly cooler room is ideal for sleeping

since this mimics your internal temperature drop during

sleep and silence is more conducive to sleep.

3. Exercise: You Can Be More Than A Couch Potato

Many studies have indicated that exercise is the most

effective component in managing Fibromyalgia, and patients

must expect to undergo a long-term exercise program.

Physical activity prevents muscle atrophy, increases a sense

of well-being, and over time reduces fatigue and pain

itself. Be sure to consult your physician before beginning

any exercise program.

4. Relaxation Techniques: Even When You’re In Pain

Relaxation and stress-reduction techniques are proving to be

helpful in managing chronic pain. There is certainly

evidence that people with Fibromyalgia have a more stressful

response to daily conflicts and encounters than those

without the disorder. A number of relaxation and stress-

reduction techniques have proven to be helpful in managing

chronic pain:

· Deep breathing exercises.

· Muscle relaxation techniques.

· Meditation.

· Hypnosis.

· Biofeedback.

· Massage therapy.

Your goal with these lifestyle suggestions is to modify the

choices that are within your control. But obviously, many

things in your life are not in your control and impact you

on many different levels. But, you CAN gain control over

these areas too.

A free ebook titled “Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue

Syndrome: What you need to know, what you need to do”

explains how you can regain control your health to enjoy a

life free from the symptoms of Fibromyalgia and Chronic

Fatigue Syndrome.

Obtain your free copy now at:

http://www.fibromyalgia-and-chronic-fatigue-help.com

Get “the rest of the story” to start living the life you

want and deserve!!

Would you like to boost your immune system so that you can stay healthy and well this year? Here are three basic steps you can take to ensure that your immune system is in tip-top shape.

Step One is to drink plenty of water. Your immune system requires lots of fresh, pure water to function properly. This is especially true if you are already sick, but drinking plenty of water can also help you stay well.

A general rule of thumb is to take your body weight and divide it by two. You should drink at least that many fluid ounces of water per day. For example, a 150 pound man should drink at least 75 fluid ounces of water per day.

Step Two is to take the right supplements. Glyconutrients and phytonutrients are both essential supplements to take to boost your immune system. Other supplements proven to help your immune funtion are certain vitamins, antioxidants, colustrum, etc. As with all nutritional supplements, you’ll want to ensure that you take top-quality ones, so they will do your body some good.

Just throwing a scoop of glyconutrient powder in your meals can go a long way to ensuring your immune system is functioning properly.

Step Three is to eat a basic healthy diet. Avoid sugers and refined foods, as they depress your immune system. Eat plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables.

Trying to find the simplest way to order your contact lenses may have been a difficult feat in the past, but not anymore. With the world wide web so easily accessible to many, the availability of ordering the perfect contact lens online is great. The following paragraphs will give some valuable tips for locating contact lens online retailers and purchasing them from your computer.

There are many contact lens online retailers, that offer their contact lenses for purchase via the internet. These contact lens online retailers have their own web pages, where there are descriptions of the different contact lens types available for purchase and the different contact lens styles. Most contact lens online retailers will also offer contact lens cases, cleaning solution, and other contact lens supplies for purchase.

Generating a list of contact lens online retailers is a simple procedure that can be done by utilizing any search engine. By entering “contact lens online retailer” into the search engine of choice, and hitting the search button, a list of links will appear for contact lens online retailers. Clicking the different links in this list will lead to individual web pages for contact lens online retailers. From there, browsing the contact lens online retailer web page should be simple.

Most contact lens online retailers have web pages that are easy to maneuver. Most of the vital information will be found on the home page, and the other information will be just as easy to view. A majority of contact lens online retailers will provide simple instructions to follow for purchasing contact lenses online, and credit card information is almost always a requirement for payment, although some contact lens online retailers will be willing to send a bill with the shipment.

Ordering discount contact lenses has never been more simple. The world wide web has made it possible to purchase contact lenses through the computer. By searching the internet for contact lens online retailers, it is possible to order new contact lenses without even leaving home. With, and sometimes without a credit card, contact lens online retailers are eager to provide their services to make purchasing contact lenses a more convenient task.

If you are ready to get started, click the first link to a contact lens site you find and see what they offer!

1. Start Exercising first thing in the morning.

As soon as you wake up in the morning workout for at least 30min to an hour. Studies show that working out in the morning has been shown to burn up to 3x as more fat as opposed to working out at any other time during the day. Here’s Why:

During the day your body’s main source of energy is the carbohydrates that you get from eating your meals. As you sleep at night for 6+ hours your body uses up all those carbohydrates as energy for various bodily functions that go on even while you sleep. When you wake up in the morning your body doesn’t have any carbohydrates as energy to use and it will look to burn body fat instead for energy.

For you to take advantage of this morning fat burning opportunity you have to exercise first thing in the morning. Don’t eat breakfast because if you do you’ll just give your body some carbohydrates as a source of energy instead of the body fat that you want to burn for energy.

Another great thing about working out first thing in the morning is that your metabolism gets revved up after your morning workout. Morning workouts keep your metabolism elevated throughout the day. An elevated metabolism throughout the day only means that you’ll burn more calories and lose more weight. If you workout at night you may still burn fat while you workout but as soon as you go to sleep your metabolism will slow down and you’ll miss out on all the extra fat that you can burn during the day if you had exercised in the morning. When you sleep your metabolic rate is always at its slowest.

Other reasons why its good to exercise first thing in the morning is that you get the workout out of the way, and working out in the morning will also reduce your level of stress throughout the day.

Advanced Tip: Want to burn even more fat? Add another workout to your daily routine 4-6 hours after your morning workout. Keep your already high metabolism higher by adding a 2nd workout during the day. If you’re seriously thinking about adding a 2nd workout to your daily routine then try to do your cardio workouts in the morning. Mostly fat calories are burned doing cardio at a moderate intensities. Make your 2nd workout of the day a workout with weights. Mostly carbohydrate is burned doing weight-training workouts. The muscle that you build from weight training will also help you burn fat. 1lb of Muscle burns 50 calories a day or 1lb of fat every 70 days. Not only will you be burning more calories, you’ll look better – whatever your weight is.

2. Eat Breakfast

Another way to keep your metabolism revved up all day long is to eat breakfast. After you workout in the morning as discussed earlier, just have breakfast and you’ll give your body the perfect 1-2 combination to jump start your metabolism.

Eating breakfast in the morning is what gets your metabolism started. Don’t skip breakfast and wait until mid-morning or afternoon to eat, your metabolism will run slower causing you not burn any extra fat.

Think about this way-Your metabolism is a fireplace that’ll burn fat all day long for you if you operate it correctly. When you eat breakfast you are basically throwing a log onto that fireplace to get it started burning fat.

Eating breakfast will help stop those cravings you may have later on in the day and along with working out in the morning, eating breakfast will also keep you energized throughout the day and lower stress levels.

Advanced Tip: Instead of eating only 2 more meals during the day like lunch & dinner, try to eat 4-5 more small mini-meals spaced 2-3 hours apart during the day. Remember the fireplace? By eating these mini-meals you’ll be throwing just the right amount of “wood” on the fireplace to keep your metabolism burning calories throughout the day. Don’t shut down your metabolism by eating big lunches or dinners, keep that metabolism of yours burning fat all day long.

Morning Checklist

Workout for at least 30min after waking up in the morning

Eat a healthy breakfast

Burn fat & lose more weight during the day

Use these 2 tips to reveal that six-pack, fit into that dress for an upcoming event like a wedding or reunion, or to impress that special someone. Whatever your fitness goal is these 2 tips above will surely help you reach them.

1. Start Eating a Lot More!

That’s right, you read it correctly…YOU MUST EAT MORE—A whole lot more than you’re eating right now. You have to eat 5-7 meals a day to fire up your metabolism to lose weight.

Your body needs a constant supply of energy to burn fat, and if you don’t eat a meal every two or three hours…Your metabolism will become so slow that you’ll gain weight just by looking at food.

The sooner you start eating more…the sooner you’ll be able to eat the foods you like without worrying about gaining weight.

Now I don’t mean for you to eat 5 large dinner sized meals everyday. You should try to eat 5-7 smaller 250 – 400 calorie meals every 2-3 hours.

2. Start Playing Golf.

Before you say “what the heck does golf have to do with me losing weight”…Let me explain.

People always tell me that they don’t have time to exercise, their too tired to exercise, or they don’t feel like exercising.

But they always find time to have fun. Look, you don’t have to get on a treadmill everyday, take aerobics, or swim laps to lose weight….

…you can lose weight playing golf, playing with your kids, and you can even go to the mall shopping.

What do all those things have in common? They’re all things that involve you moving around just enough to burn fat. Notice that TV, reading, and sleeping weren’t one of the things I mentioned.

Think about it…If you went shopping at your local mall everyday you could easily lose 1-2 lbs. a week just by walking around the mall a couple of times (That’s of course if you don’t make too many trips to the food court).

What about playing golf (without the cart), racquetball, or going out dancing everyday? That’s an easy (fun) weight loss of about 2 lbs a week right there.

Try to find something that you like to do that gets you up off you’re butt and do it everyday for at least 30 minutes (The longer the more fat you’ll burn).

3. Stop Losing Weight and Start Burning Fat.

If you want to lose weight… just go on a diet, sit in a steam room for a couple of hours, or take some side-effect infested weight loss pill.

If you want to look better as you lose weight…then you need to focus on burning fat.

Diets, steam rooms, and pills cause you to lose muscle and water weight. Losing muscle not only makes you look worse but it also lowers your metabolism making it easier for you to gain weight.

Have you ever noticed the people who lose weight on these “lose 30lbs in 8 days” programs still have flabby arms, a saggy butt, and pot belly? The reason why is that these programs tend to help people lose more good-looking muscle than ugly body fat.

Steam rooms cause you to lose water weight which you’ll gain back after you drink a couple glasses of water.

The best way to focus on burning fat is to lose no more than 2lbs a week. If you lose more than 2lbs a week you will only start to lose muscle and water.

A basic beginner’s fat loss plan would be to eat more and play golf everyday (please see the first two things you must do to lose weight).

4. Just Keep on Saying SO THAT

First, ask yourself Why you want to lose weight and after you come up with a reason why just keep on saying SO THAT.

For example—Why Do you want to lose weight

* I want to lose weight to look better SO THAT…

* I can feel more confident about myself SO THAT…

* I can be the best looking person at my high school reunion SO THAT…

* I can see the surprised looks on the faces of my classmates SO THAT …

* I may be able to go on a date with the person I had a crush on in high school

Can you see what’s happening here? The more times you say SO THAT the more and more motivated you’ll become to lose weight. I don’t know about you but if you can come up with at least three SO THATS nothing will stop you from losing weight.

Copyright 2005 Adrian Bryant

1. Drink 8-10 glasses of water each day

Okay, for many people this is a big problem. Water doesn’t taste all that great generally because water doesn’t really “taste” like anything. Drinking water 8 to 10 times each day gets easier the more you actually do it. It is simply a matter of conditioning your taste buds, and yourself, so that it becomes easier to do. Once you get started, you will begin to crave water.

To begin with, you should drink a glass of water in the morning first thing, before you eat. This is probably the easiest glass you will drink all day and it will help you remember to drink water all day long. Better yet, why not drink two glasses?

If you really cannot bear the taste of water, try using a water purifying pitcher or filter. You can also add a few drops of lemon or lime to your water – but no sugar or sweetener! Ice also helps.

Check out flavored waters on the market, too. Just keep an eye out for additives.

2. Eat breakfast

Do not skip breakfast. If you need to go to bed a little earlier so that you can get up 20 minutes earlier each morning – do it! Breakfast is so important to your good health and to weight control. According to Dr. Barbara Rolls a professor of nutrition at Penn State University, “Your metabolism slows while you sleep, and it doesn’t rev back up until you eat again.”

Eating breakfast is not only good for overall weight loss, it will help you stay on track with your diet the rest of the day. You are more likely to binge on something sweet and in the “bread” group if you skip breakfast.

You can always keep a couple of hard-boiled eggs in the fridge or some high-fiber, low starch fruit around. If you plan to eat fruit at all during the day, breakfast is the perfect time to do it.

3. Eat at least 3 meals and snacks each day

This can be one of the hardest adjustments to make. After all, you are busy! You already have a “full-plate”. When do you have time to worry about filling your plate with more frequent meals?

Just like eating breakfast will increase your metabolism, so will eating more often. This will also help you curb your bad-carb intake by making sure that your snacks are planned and occur regularly throughout the day.

Really, it will just take a minimal investment of planning time at the grocery store and at home each morning before you head out for the day to make some healthy food choices and prepare a few healthy snacks and meals.

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