Fitness - How to Develop the Attitude

During a catalogue search at my local library, I came across this title: "Fitness without Exercise - The Scientifically Proven Strategy for Achieving Maximum Health with Minimum Effort." This book by Bryant Stamford and Porter Shimer really misses the point.

After all, fitness is more of an attitude than a destination. I found another title for a book that is a better concept and is one with which I completely agree. "Walking: the Pleasure Exercise," a book by Mort Malkin. Actually, during my research at the library, more than 20 per cent of the items had *walking* in their titles when I used *fitness* as the search-word. Makes sense, doesn't it? Walking is naturally one of the best places to start creating a Fitness Attitude. For one thing, it gets you outdoors, and that's good for the fitness of your head! In addition, it uses all the large muscles in your body, it's low-impact, and it doesn't require any special equipment. It is something you are already expert at doing, and your body is perfectly designed for it. Hooray! You've got an awesome place to begin on your way to having a Fitness Attitude: Go for a walk every day.

Now, I'm going to make a confession. Even though I place a high value on health and nutrition and fitness in general, I sometimes have to really make an effort to get out the door with my walking shoes on. Today, for example, it was rainy and cold. I had a back-log of emails to answer, and had eaten a heavy lunch. It would have been really easy to make a very good case for staying indoors by the woodstove with my computer screen glowing away. At a time like this, momentum helps. I feel weird when I have to miss my daily walk because over time it's become a part of my life. It easier to walk consistently when you make it a routine, or you have a ritual to help you get out the door.

A routine will also to carry you along. Decide on a length of time for your walk, rather than setting a distance. Then, go! Some routes will become your standards, and then you won't have to plan - which is one of the benefits of a routine. Used appropriately, routines free your thoughts, so you can contemplate topics more interesting than whether to make a right or left turn at the corner. Good for you, if you use a treadmill, gym, or other walking strategy such as mall walks. Still, if you can possibly make arrangements, spend at least some of your walking time outside. Time in the open air is part of fitness as an attitude.

Which brings up the question of food as it relates to the attitude of fitness. Generally, when you are eating foods that have a good natural basis, (like salads that aren't drowning in some oily vinegar dressing, or a vegetable stir- fry that isn't heavily glazed with high-sugar sauce), you don't crave garbage non-foods like my personal favorite: red licorice. Still, the packaging of 'snack foods' and the ease and portability they afford in our frenetically paced culture means that sometimes, you're going to eat junk. Once you've established your Fitness Attitude, though, processed 'foods' stop being a staple in your diet, and that's a better fit.

As you put attention on fitness, your life will soon include the pleasure of walking daily and a natural hunger for whole foods that are nourishing to you. A Fitness Attitude isn't complicated, and you'll feel better. You simply will.

http://ezinearticles.com/?Fitness---How-to-Develop-the-Attitude&id=6954

Top Ten Obesity Causing Foods -- Psychetruth Nutrition & Weight Loss

2 Delicious Healthy Breakfast Ideas for Weight Loss

There is nothing worse than having to eat the same boring meals over and over again. The notion that healthy eating has to be boring to be beneficial is one of the biggest misconceptions and it really bugs me.

You can enjoy delicious foods and to prove it, I'm going to give you 2 delicious healthy breakfast ideas for weight loss. These meals are perfect for breakfast (regardless of what time you have it) and are very easy to make.

The first healthy breakfast idea for weight loss is a mixed nut granola recipe that really is healthy and delicious. The problem with store bought granola is they are usually loaded with sugars. On top of that, the recommended serving sizes are a lot smaller than what an average person would eat. Typically on the packets of granola the recommended serving size would be around 40g whereas in reality a bowl of granola would be anywhere from 100-150g. This can be problematic and can lead to overeating very quickly.

For the nuts in this healthy breakfast idea for weight loss you can either use mixed nuts or stick with whatever your favourite is, my favourites in this recipe are almonds, hazelnuts and walnuts.

Mixed Granola Serves 1

Ingredients
• 200g rolled oats (Gluten free )
• 10g organic butter, melted
• 120g chopped mixed nuts
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 2 tsps. minced fresh ginger

 Method
 1. Preheat the oven to 300°F/150°C.
 2. Thoroughly combine rolled oats and melted butter in a mixing bowl. Transfer to a large baking dish and spread out evenly.
 3. Bake for 45-55 minutes, stirring every ten minutes, until oats are lightly coloured. Add nuts, ginger, and vanilla 20 minutes into the baking time and stir in thoroughly.
 4. Serve or store in a covered container. Will keep, refrigerated, for up to two weeks.

 Special Breakfast Eggs Serves 1

 Ingredients
 • 2 organic eggs, beaten
 • a handful of frozen or fresh peas
 • a handful of (7 or so) chunky and juicy tiger prawns
 • hymalayan rock salt, ground black pepper
 • handful of chopped coriander
 • coconut oil

 Method
 1. Heat a frying pan with butter or coconut oil.
 2. Add the beaten eggs and let them cook as you scramble them.
 3. Add the peas and prawns, salt and pepper to taste.
 4. Mix it all well until eggs are cooked.
 5. Serve hot sprinkled with coriander.

This is one of my favourite healthy breakfast ideas for weight loss because there's a sense of class and sophistication about this recipe. It's high in protein and healthy fats and is perfect way to break your fast. Enjoy and if you try them do let me know if you liked them or would recommend any changes to them. Thanks for reading.

These are some of the meals I eat and recommend my clients to eat while on the wonderful lifestyle of Intermittent Fasting. How would you like: better control over your hunger, an easy way to lose fat and build lean attractive muscle, increased insulin sensitivity, reduced inflammation, increased growth hormone, a super efficient way of eliminating toxins, the freedom of being able to eat whatever you want without any guilt?

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Like It Or Not, You ARE a Role Model

This one may hit a little close to home for many of you, but that's the point. I would hope that every parent wants to be a great role model for their kids.

We want to teach them manners, bring them to church with us, be careful what we say in front of them, and of course not smoke or drink in front of them.

One thing I've learned from being a parent is that my 4-year old boy copies just about everything I do, whether I like it or not. Anything I do in front of him, it seems like he is immediately trying to repeat it until he gets it just right. For example, the other day I wadded up a piece of paper I found on the ground and threw it in the trash can about 10 feet away. As simple of an accomplishment as that was, he was mesmerized by it and attempted the same shot for what seemed like a dozen times until he made it in the trash can himself. It doesn't stop there though; he wants to walk like me, talk like me, and basically be me in every way. He has even gotten to the point of sitting in our recliner, crossing his ankles, and putting his hands behind his head... just like daddy.

Anyone reading this who is a parent knows exactly what I mean. So whether you realize it or not, you ARE a role model for your kids. They will copy their parents' behaviors, good or bad.

So why is it that we think our kids won't also copy how poorly we treat our bodies? If eating fast food and other types of junk on a daily basis has become a habit, your kids are much more likely to follow that same lifestyle. And why is it that we talk about and want our kids playing outside more and staying as active as possible, yet we may not have exercised ourselves in years?

I guess often times we want them to do as we say and not as we do; but nothing works better than leading by example. A recent study came out showing that 50% of kids with overweight parents will become overweight themselves, compared to 13% of non-overweight parents. So it's no surprise that the childhood obesity rate will continue to rise as long as America's adult obesity rate is rising (which it is, at an alarming rate). To me, this isn't an issue of whether or not it's acceptable to be overweight as a child, or about body image, or about any other excuses people like to come up with these days... it's about the health of you and your kids. Childhood obesity has been linked to numerous health problems such as joint pain, pre-diabetes, and even cardiovascular disease. In fact, obesity is one of the leading causes of cancer today, and that number is continuing to rise.

Being overweight as a child means having a much greater chance of being overweight as an adult. Bottom line is, at the end of the day, how your kids end up treating their bodies is greatly affected by how you treat your own body.

Their health begins with following their parents' lead, and using them as role models. So for the sake of your children, make sure you're a good one.

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Ideal Weight for Healthy Living

Usually our idea of ideal weight is dictated by the images of the beautiful shapely bodies of models and celebrities. The size zero bodies of beautiful women may look attractive on magazine pages or on television screen. However, when you realize the harm that these women do to their health while creating the skinny body, you will be forced to reconsider your concept of ideal weight.

What is an ideal weight? An ideal weight is one that keeps you healthy and fit. Health professionals do not emphasize on the term ideal weight, instead they focus on healthy weight. While diet and physical activities primarily contribute to the body of a person, there are other factors such as age, race, genetics, family history of body weight, environmental factors, behavior and metabolism rate that help to determine the body of a person. Body weight vs. Body Mass Index The ideal weight varies according to the stature of a person. Therefore, while measuring the body weight, it is necessary to take into account the height of a person.

While the weighing scale displays your body weight, to determine the amount of fat in your body, you must calculate your body mass index (BMI), which is defined as the weight, measured in kilogram or pound, divided by the square of height, measured in meters or feet. The body weight is considered healthy, when the BMI is between 19 and 24.9. People whose BMI is below 19 and above 24.9 are considered underweight and overweight respectively.

How to attain ideal weight To attain the ideal or healthy body weight you need a healthy diet and regular physical activities. Balancing energy consumption and energy expenditure is prerequisite for attaining the healthy body weight as well as for maintaining it. You gain weight when your energy expenditure is less than your energy consumption.

By increasing the level of physical activities you burn the unused calories that are stored as fat. A person is underweight when the amount of calorie intake is less than the amount of calorie used during physical activities. To attain the ideal body weight, an underweight person should slowly increase calorie consumption.

A healthy lifestyle will help you to maintain a healthy body mass index. A diet containing sufficient whole grain, fruits, vegetables and moderate amounts of animal protein is considered beneficial for health. A balanced diet combined with regular physical activities will keep you healthy and happy.

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Weekly Diet Plan

Most people think that diets are a way to lose weight quickly so they deprive their bodies of things that it needs and end up miserable and hungry. Most diets are considered fad diets, such as low carb diets, atkins diet, slim fast diets, no fat or low fat diets and on and on and on.

The problem with these are they never last and they don't provide you with results that you want and you end up frustrated having to start all over with something new.

You can't deprive your body of certain things and think you're going to feel fantastic while you're doing it.

This article is here to provide you with information about working a good diet into your life one week at a time. Metabolism describes the body's ability to burn fat. So the higher the metabolism, the more calories you burn.

So let`s improve it! This is easier than you might think. Drinking more water helps a lot, but the major keys to raising your metabolism are as follows. While, this approach to weight loss is most natural and healthy, it is not easy.

This is the reason that companies invent and produce diet pills and supplements in order to make it easier for people to lose weight and up their metabolism. One of the most popular categories of these pills, are fat blockers and fat binders. They work by reducing the amount of fat that your organism assimilates from foods. Fat blockers (the most well-known example is Orlistat, marketed as Xenical) in particular, inhibit the lipase enzyme in the intestines which breaks up fat making it ready for digestion. As a result, the fat cannot be absorbed by the organism so it passes freely through the bowel. Fat binders work by binding to the fat molecules, again making it unabsorbable by intestines. Fat blockers and binders have very nasty side effects (among them are uncontrollable foul-smelling anal discharges. Removing fats from your body in this way is not natural and therefore unhealthy.

Can you actually lose weight and still eat at the same time?? Yes. There is more to it than just eating. It depends on the foods you eat, which is completely obvious. The name of the diet is calorie shifting. The way it works is when you eat different forms of calories on a day to day basis it prevents your metabolism from going into auto-drive and instead stimulates it to be much more active. It gets right to the root of the problem, it changes the way your body responds to food, so effectively you end up with a more responsive metabolic response to everything you eat. This causes significant weight loss through eating normal sized meals and as a result allows your body to continue burning fat even once you stop the diet, because your metabolism becomes much more active overall.

You must intake plenty of water. He must drink water regularly and at least 12 liters/day Reduction in salt is necessary. It is impossible for most of the people to eliminate salt from their diet but it has to be avoided as much as possible.

You must eat small portion of meals in a day but it should be eaten frequently. So instead of eating two or three big meals, eat five small meals. You want to eat a little something every two to three hours so your body never has a chance to go into "store the fat" mode. When you go too many hours without eating, your body starts to think it is starving and goes into a so called survival mode. When it does this, it holds onto and stores all the bad fats in the body because it doesn't know when it's going to get fed again. You must eat high nutrition food that must include protein, vitamins and should avoid junk food, as it will result in bad health, and weight gain.

Look out for programs that teach you shortcuts and don't teach long term sustainable healthy eating. Who cares if you lose 10 pounds one month if you gain it all back the next month because you didn't learn anything. This is a lifestyle change that can be done in a weeks time. After a week, it will be natural to eat less, more often, and you will no longer have to think about it.

While it seems somewhat counterintuitive, eating more often is the secret to weight loss in some respects. Obviously this does not entail running out and eating everything you want. Instead, smaller portions of certain foods more often, spread throughout the day is the course to take. In this way, it's actually healthier to eat five smaller meals where you eat to contentment than to gorge yourself at 3 or less and many diets are based on this.

You will see results and feel better and healthier as a result of your diet.

http://goarticles.com/article/Weekly-Diet-Plan/4040121/

3 Tips on How to Use Honey Instead of Sugar

While honey and sugar have similar caloric content, honey has a lower glycemic index, more nutrients, and is considerably less processed. In addition, honey is sweeter than sugar, so the amount of honey required is less than you would use for sugar.

For those who want to minimize their intake of processed foods, honey is the better bet, and raw honey is the best option. However, substituting honey for sugar in baking recipes does present a few challenges. If you'd like to do some baking using honey in the place of sugar, you're probably wondering how to make the substitution, what amount to use, and what other alterations you need to make to your recipe to get the desired result.

The good news is there are only some minor changes to be made in order to pull off successful baking with honey. The resulting baked goods will look and taste just as good-if not better-than the same recipes made with ordinary sugar.

Below are three important tips you will need to follow if you plan on baking with honey:

1. Use Less Honey Since honey is much sweeter than ordinary sugar, less is needed to get the same effect. I recommend using 2/3 of the amount of honey as you would sugar; so if your recipe calls for 1 cup of sugar use 2/3 cup of honey in its place.

2. Reduce Liquids Honey contains water, and if the amount of liquid in the recipe is not adjusted the final result will suffer. I have found that using 80% (or 4/5) of the liquid works out well, and sometimes I add a little extra flour of baking soda as well. This will ensure that your confections will rise correctly. Honey comes with the added benefit of keeping your cakes fresh and moist longer as well.

3. Adjust Your Oven Temperature Breads and cakes made with honey will usually turn out better looking than those made with sugar. This is because the honey allows them to brown more easily and develop beautiful color. You will want to lower the oven temperature a bit to avoid over browning. If your recipe calls for 375 degrees, knock it down to 350. Choosing Honey For Baking For best results with baking choose a clear, mild honey like blossom.

The clearer your honey is the better, since clear honey is more neutral in flavor, and will not overpower the other flavors in your recipe.

Working with Honey There are a couple little things you can do to make the honey to sugar conversion easier. Start by greasing your spoons and measuring cups with a bit of butter to prevent sticking. Another option is to heat your utensils with hot water. This will also keep you from wasting honey!

With these simple tips you can create delicious baked goods without using processed sugar. Once you make a recipe with honey you will see just how easy it is, and you will never have to go back to using regular sugar again.

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#1 Rule of the Raw Food Diet

Fun and Your Health

What do you do for fun? Doctors don't often ask you this question in regards to health care, but maybe fun plays more of a role in health than we openly acknowledge.

Think about how you feel after spending a weekend doing something that interests you, whether that is playing frisbee outside, seeing a new movie, or whatever activity that you enjoy doing. Fun has great effects on both the body and mind. It gets your blood pumping, neurotransmitters flowing, and healthily engages your body and mind.

Sometimes when life gets stressful, there is a tendency to skip fun because of all there is to do or think about. During these stressful times, your body will start hinting to you that it's time for a dose of fun. You may start to experience sluggishness, your mind may feel foggy, and your mood may throw more anxiety and irritability your way. You might feel just generally out of balance. What your body's telling you is that it's time to shake things up a bit and distract yourself from the stress and worries.

What is fun? These days, fun may conjure up images of watching videos online, playing on a tablet or smart phone, and catching up with social media. While these are all common forms of distraction and fun, it can be helpful to step away from the screens temporarily to try out other types of fun. Fun can involve doing something new, surprising yourself by using a new talent, getting creative, or hanging out with friends.

While these activities may seem obvious, they're some of the first ones we can neglect when stress enters the picture. Fun helps you grow, learn new things about yourself, and stretch your imagination. Even though doctors don't ask how much fun you have, it's a good idea to ask yourself once in a while. Is there an activity that you enjoy that you haven't had a chance to do much lately? If so, rearrange your schedule a bit or write a reminder on a post-it note so that you hold yourself to getting back to it. See if a friend wants to join you if you think that would be fun. And for extra fun, ditch the screens for a day.

You'll most likely find that after having some fun, the daunting nature of stress, work, and other responsibilities softens around the edges. You'll feel renewed energy for dealing with the challenges that are on your plate and any others that might pop up. And you can say to yourself, "Hey--I had fun and feel better. I deserve it!" So, the healthy question for this week is: What do you want to do for fun?

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The Effect Being Over Weight Can Have on Your Life

It has now been proven that in many countries more than thirty percent of men are clinically obese and more than twenty five percent of women. 

This is a disturbing statistic and will only get worse unless people begin to take control of their lives. Now it is not only adults that are affected but children as well. When children become obese it is generally the fault of their parents and it could become much more serious. Bullying and abuse at school could have a dramatic affect on a child and being fat and unable to take part in sports and physical activities makes a child more vulnerable to all types of ridicule. This could psychologically damage a child and could have a detrimental outcome for many years to follow.

Caring for your body is not difficult but many people seem to think that it is as they indulge in their comfort zone with little exercise activity and consuming a diet of convenience foods. If your children witness this way of living they will think that this is the way to conduct their lives too. 

To prevent this action, adults must set an example and show the next generation how to live to remain healthy. For the younger generation a lot of knowledge is acquired at school but it is in the home where children should learn how to live a healthy, happy life.So for the sake of your children, it is essential to invest in a diet program and make a difference to yourself and your family. 

Doing the same thing every day and expecting things to change is not the answer. You are the only person that can make the change, by staying as you are you are gambling with your life and the lives of your family. It is not difficult signing up to a diet plan but it will become extremely so for those closest to you if you do not.Dignity and self respect are two things that diminish as you become thirty or forty pounds over weight. 

Failure to take advantage of a diet plan could see your body become ravaged by heart problems and diabetes. Life expectancy will become greatly reduced and your mobility, over time, will be non existent. So ensure that you do not have to rely on others for your mere existence; take control and make an investment for the benefit of your body in a diet program.
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How Alcohol Affects Weight Loss And What To Do About It

Many of us who are trying to lose weight still want to have our alcoholic beverages. But it is important to understand how drinking affects weight loss so that we can be more effective at reaching our goals.

So before you grab your wine glass or beer mug, let's understand the facts together. First, calories from alcohol are known as "empty calories." Empty means they do not provide any nutritional value whatsoever. Most foods, like fruits and vegetables, meets, and grains provide nutritional value. That is, they supply protein, carbohydrates, and fat.

They also provide vitamins and minerals that contribute to a healthy body. Alcoholic beverages do have some nutrients in them. For example, there are antioxidants in red wine. However, the alcohol itself is useless nutritionally. Second, alcohol has 7 calories per gram.

This is in contrast to carbs and protein. Each respectively has 4 calories per gram. If you drink mixed drinks, you may compound the amount of calories you consume because of all the sugar in the form of juice, tonic, soda pop, and syrup in these beverages.

A piña colada can be a whopping 300 calories or more. Always count your alcoholic beverages when you are counting calories so that you can stay under your caloric limit each day. Restaurants provide this information on their nutritional literature. Third, it is important to remember that alcohol metabolizes differently in your body than the macronutrients (carbs, protein, and fat). Fat burning can slow down when too much alcohol is consumed.

When alcohol is drank with a meal, the alcohol will be metabolized first, before the other calories. The reason for this is that the human body has no natural ability to store the alcohol. Your body turns it into acetate, which the body uses for energy. This delays the body from metabolizing the food that you eat and leads to calorie storage for later use.

In other words, you store body fat- usually on the belly. Many say that if you want to drink alcohol you should drink it with a meal. Whether or not you follow that advice, just remember that when you drink you add calories. For example, a typical light beer has somewhere between 90 and 125 calories for a 12 ounce serving. Regular beers can have around 185 calories per 12 ounce serving. A frozen Daiquiri, 4 ounces, has around 215 calories. A Margarita has 270 calories, a Mai Tai has 300 calories, and a 5 oz. glass of wine has around 180 calories.

What should we do about it? First, decide whether you drink or not. If you need to lose weight, it might be better to abstain. If you just have to have your alcohol, limit yourself to one serving per day.

Most importantly, know how many calories you are consuming and do not exceed your caloric goals. Finally, make sure you are getting plenty of fat burning exercise and drinking plenty of water.

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Fast Weight Loss Mindset Reset

Benefits Of Exercise Videos For Weight Loss

I asked my sister to come to my gym with a guest pass. She replied something to the effect of "I am in no shape to go to the gym". What? I thought you go to the gym to get in shape not get in shape to go to they gym! Upon further questioning and digging I uncovered the obvious - my sister is just not comfortable in the gym.

I have found that others feel the same. I certainly do not agree with this type of thinking but I do recognize that it exists and some people will simply not go to a gym or exercise class simply because they are not comfortable in that atmosphere.

Exercise videos are perfect for this type of person! On the flip side, my wife loves to go to the gym but she is also a very busy person. Sometimes she just does not feel like packing all of her clothing in her gym bag and hauling it all day. Sometimes she just wants to exercise at home.

Exercise videos are perfect for this type of person! So what are the benefits of exercise videos and how can they help you lose weight? · Exercise videos are usually led by world class instructors. These instructors are usually the top in their field. They have pioneered a system which more than likely has proven results. · Exercise videos can keep you from getting bored in your fitness and weight loss routine.

You can get an exercise video for aerobics, kick boxing, power yoga, step aerobics, basic training, and the list goes on. You can get them in a studio format, on a beach, by a pool, with beautiful scenery - No limits! · You can perform your exercise routine on your schedule. You are not dependent on the gym hours or aerobics class hours. You may have a hard time fitting a 5:30 class into your schedule but you can always find time to play a recorded video at your convenience. ·

Exercise videos allow you to work at your own pace. If you miss a step or are just not conditioned, you can rewind or skip a certain part of the routine. · Most exercise videos are full of positive reinforcement and affirmations. It is good to hear success stories and "you can do it"! · You can more accurately measure your results. If you are doing the same video for an extended period of time you will know if you have improved either in cardiovascular conditioning, flexibility, or strength. If you are doing a different routine in a regimented class sometimes it is hard to notice your improvements. · Exercise videos are inexpensive.

You can collect them and enjoy varied workouts and instructors for very low costs. The key to losing weight is burning more calories than you consume. Exercise videos take care of the calorie burning part of this duo. The body was made to move! When you exercise and eat healthy the benefits are priceless! You feel great, are sick less often, have greater range of movement, less pain, and a better mental outlook. · Pick an exercise video for your level of fitness. · Pick a video that interests you and seems fun to you · Share videos with friends for a varied experience. ·

Set aside time to workout to your video. Make it a ritual. · If you start getting bored with a routine - Find another one! But don't quit! · Remember that moving the body is fun! · Follow the instructions and warnings that come with the video · Check with your doctor before beginning any exercise or weight loss program. Exercise videos are a fun, inexpensive way to lose weight and get in shape.

What a great way to have world class instructors helping you get in shape and lose weight all on your schedule! Keep checking back. We may from time to time review specific exercise and fitness videos. Stay healthy, keep the body moving and learn to enjoy exercise!

Wishing you the best of health and fitness, Bill Herren Bill Herren is the webmaster for weightloss-articles.com Everything weight loss related! Weight loss success stories, product reviews, exercise articles, weight loss recipes, and diet articles. All Free and all designed to help you lose weight!

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Dieting Obstacle When Life Gets in the Way

Dieting Dilemma No 1: When Life Gets in the Way That pesky thing called life has a way of fouling up our the best laid plans.

First you decide you're going to start keeping your car cleaner, thinking, "I'll wash it every Saturday morning." Great, you have a plan. Saturday comes along and someone calls inviting you to go golfing. "I was going to wash the car, but I can do it when I get back," and off you go. Maybe you do wash the car later that day, maybe you tell yourself, "I'll wash it next Saturday. It wasn't that dirty anyway." Next week Saturday comes along and someone invited you camping so you're in the woods thinking, "Oh, well, I can't wash the car from here, can I?" Another Saturday rolls around and you've forgotten all about your car washing plan, so even though you're not doing anything else you're thinking, "I don't really FEEL like washing the car right now. I'll do it later," and so it goes.

"Life is what happens while you're busy making other plans." -- John Lennon It happens to all of us. You join the gym and immediately get the flu. Sign up for a adult education class and you're car breaks down on the first night. When you need to water the grass there's no rain in sight, but wash the car and what always happens?

These examples aren't meant to give you a pessimistic outlook but instead to point out why persistence in the face of obstacles is what separates the haves from the have nots. It's not what happens but what you DO with what happens that matters The best approach is one-day-at-a-time, or even lesser intervals depending on what you are attempting to do. If you're trying to quit smoking, you might want to take things half-an-hour at a time. With food or eating it can be one meal at a time, one hunger pang or craving at a time, or whatever interval works for you. 

Choose your Time Interval then Make it Happen If you say you'll never do something again (smoke, overeat, over drink) it never lasts (you must build in the possibility of occasional lapse), but if you wake up in the morning and decide for that day, and only that day, that you will follow through with your plan, for just that one day, then it does happen. There's a real rush of accomplishment when you wake up and realize that yesterday you did follow-through; you accomplished what you set out to do. And that's when it's easier to decide your intention for that day (or that hour) once again. Each accomplishment builds onto the next, and it gets easier and easier.

Learning to follow-through takes practice. Let Successes Build, Lapses Pass It takes practice to get proficient no matter what you are learning, so plan to persist. Small lapses aren't failures, they are only lapses, and you then decided for the next time period. You will find that you are following through more often than not as time goes by. Doing this allows you to pre-plan when you know you'll not stick to your eating plan, thereby making it okay on occasion to over indulge.

Holidays, special occasions. People who maintain a healthy body weight do this all the time without thinking about it. When you give yourself permission to indulge, it's amazing how much less you'll feel like overdoing it.

What About Those Obstacles and Unexpected Events? What about when you decide and something comes up unexpectedly? For instance, you decided you're going to work out on Monday, Wednesday and Friday after work at 6:00 PM. This works great on Monday and Wednesday but Friday someone asks you to join them after work for drinks or dinner. Maybe that cute co-worker you've had your eye on. What do you do? Do you say, "No, thanks, I have to work out," and risk never getting to know that person, or "No, I already have plans," and sound like a jerk, or "Maybe some other time," and you know there'll never be another time, or "Yes, that sounds great," and then you berate yourself for being a whimp and not following through with your workout plan? Either way you're not going to feel good about your decision and you're setting yourself up to fail. Set Things Up So You'll Succeed - No Matter What Instead, set things up so you will succeed, no matter what.

Before you decide what you want to do, think it through completely. This is part of the "Creating a Compelling Outcome" process (included in the Ending Emotional Eating Workshop). When you decide what you'd like to do you must also consider everything else that will be affected and whether your plan is workable in the real world.

Maybe Friday night workouts are going to be interrupted often. Better then to choose a different day or time. If you thought about it before-hand you may have realized that things would often come up Friday evenings, so you decided to work out on Monday and Wednesday evenings and Saturday mornings, or some other schedule. Thinking about what might interfere is why many people do their exercise in the early morning hours.

Working out in the morning virtually ensures nothing else will interfere. No one invites you out for 6:00 AM except maybe your running partner! If you want to get up early, think it through. Are you a night person? Early morning hours probably won't work for you, but some other time will.

Do you have a spouse who'd complain loudly? Consider them as well, but don't let everyone else's preferences keep you from doing what's best for you. Consider others and any objections they may have, and then decide in advance how to counter those objections.

It's basically a way to look at your plans from all the angles, figure out the danger zones, decide in advance on strategies to keep you on track, and then get started. Secondly, realize that once in awhile you won't be able to keep to your plan. That's okay. Holidays interfere with gym hours. I've been annoyed when the gym was closed on Christmas Day! Sometimes despite your best efforts, things come up. That's okay too. You must be somewhat flexible, but at the same time persist to make sure you have scheduled a plan that can work the majority of the time.

Use This Process on Any Change You'd Like to Make If you're making changes in your eating habits, do the same thing. I've done this successfully with many eating habits such as my old "Once a week cheese burgers and fries habit" which is now down to seldom or a couple of times a year. I did this by taking my four times a month cheese burgers and fries habit and cutting it back first to three times a month, then twice a month. Finally it was easy enough to just drop it.

The habit was broken once I broke the regular cycle. Remember too, you're not setting up a perfectionist situation, but a plan you can live with and work with. Choose one small thing to change, one habit, one event. Achieving small wins daily builds to enormous successes, and life goes on. Enjoy every moment of it. Then, when those special situations arise, you'll know what to do, because you've already planned ahead, and even if you abandon your plan, for a vacation perhaps, you just get right back on track when you return feeling refreshed and excited to get started again.

Relaxing like this on a vacation many find they eat a lot, play a lot and any weight they gain is lost within days of their return.

http://ezinearticles.com/?Dieting-Obstacle-When-Life-Gets-in-the-Way&id=5633

Jump Off the Weight Loss Plateau

Dieters dread the plateau. You're on a roll, losing weight steadily and happily for weeks. Your confidence is high and your goal is in sight. Then suddenly your scale freezes. No matter how hard you try, those extra pounds just refuse to budge. You've hit a wall and you know the frustration of seeing no progress could easily lead you to gain back what you've lost.

So how do you break through the plateau? It's perfectly normal for a dieter to reach a plateau. The trick is to use it as an opportunity to double up your efforts and get really clear on your strategy to carry you through to the finish line.

Below you'll find suggestions that can help you recommit to your program and re-ignite the weight-loss process when you feel challenged.

1. Get clear on your ultimate weight-loss goal. Be sure that your weight-loss goal is realistic and that your expected rate of weight loss is reasonable. If you are on a heath enhancing, nutritionally rich weight loss program you can expect to loss one to two pounds a week. Each body has its own ideal weight and size. Don't compare yourself to anyone else, but listen to your body and notice what feels best for you. A simple way to approximate your ideal weight is by referring to a Body Mass Index chart.

2. Go high-protein, low carbs. Unless you are eating enough protein to maintain your lean muscle mass, you are likely to have lost weight already from both your fat stores and muscle. Women need to eat approximately 100grams of protein a day and men 150 grams in order to preserve their muscle tissue during a weight loss program. If you have lost some muscle during your weight loss program so far you will need to focus on protein so your body can build muscle, which requires more calories to sustain, which will in turn, kick start your weight loss again. Needless to say, any weight loss program you choose should be one that preserves your body's muscle and this does not happen!

3. Add resistance training to your program. A wonderful way to boost your metabolism and break through to the next level of weight loss is by incorporating aerobic exercise into your program, such as 30 minutes of walking three to four times a week. (If you are 35 years or older, or haven't exercised regularly, begin with 10 to 15 minutes two to three times a week.) In addition, weight training with free weights or machines several times a week can help increase muscle mass, which in turn allows you to burn more calories faster. Studies show that weight training can increase your metabolism overnight by five to 10 percent. Working out can increase your metabolism for up to 21 hours after an intense workout.

4. Look out for hidden carbohydrates. If your weight loss progress seems slow, look out for carbohydrates that might be sneaking their way unnoticed into your diet. Sugar can lurk in the most unexpected places such as ketchup, salad dressings, teriyaki and barbecue sauces. Watch out too for cornstarch, sugar or milk solids in many processed foods such as gravies, or sauces on frozen vegetables. Be especially careful about "low-fat" foods where flavor is enhanced by sugar and other carbohydrates. Try keeping a diet journal for a couple of days of EVERYTHING you eat and drink. You may quickly discover the hidden carbs that are keeping your weight-loss progress stuck and be able to eliminate them and move past your plateau.

5. Take the "refinement" out of your diet. Try eliminating all refined sugar and refined grains from your diet. This includes white bread, pastries, pasta, white rice, white flour crackers, sugar-coated breakfast cereals, cookies and cake. This simple step can encourage a huge weight-loss breakthrough and leave you feeling more healthy and energized in the process.

6. Don't go hungry. Cutting back on how often you eat can have a negative impact on your diet plateau. Many studies show that small, frequent meals are more satisfying and produce better weight-loss results than the same number of calories consumed in three large meals. Take advantage of healthy snacking and crunch on fresh slices of raw vegetables like celery, peppers, cucumber and jicama when you're hungry.

7. Drink to burn up. It's vitally important to replenish your fluids by drinking plenty of water on your weight loss program. An inadequate supply of water in itself can slow down your weight-loss. Carry water with you wherever you go throughout the day. For additional weight-management benefits, add a high quality aloe concentrate to your water to help keep your digestion in top shape. Also, a probiotic supplement can help us maintain a healthy intestinal flora. Keeping well hydrated not only helps you burn fat efficiently, it also helps control hunger.

8. Keep your incentive strong. Remember the determination you felt when you first began your weight-loss program? Remember the excitement of watching the pounds drop one by one? Go back to whatever your initial motivation was and see whether it still works for you. It may have been the desire to lose weight for a particular event or to regain your figure after pregnancy. You may have been motivated by poor health or by the shock of just how much weight you had gained. See whether the same motivation still has juice for you. If not, choose a new one. Keep a picture of yourself looking great (or bad!) on your refrigerator as a daily reminder of where you are heading. (c) Kim Beardsmore Kim Beardsmore M.B.A., B.Sc. is a writer for the weight loss, health & fitness website Weight Loss Health. For reliable information and resources free from hype, visit Weight Loss & Health Information

http://ezinearticles.com/?Jump-Off-the-Weight-Loss-Plateau&id=5445

Children's Health - When Does Childhood Obesity Start?

Childhood obesity is a condition that afflicts the young in society, and can cause extreme health problems when cases are severe enough.

Childhood obesity is the condition of a child having too much body fat, meaning their organs are working harder to do anything such as pump blood around their body, making them tire easily and generally feel unwell.

There are many supposed causes of childhood obesity but the results are always the same, children suffering from obesity develop serious health problems later in life that affect their lives and the lives of those around them. The most common cause of obesity in children is obesity in their parents. According to studies, having obese parents sets out being overweight as normal for children, meaning anyone smaller than their parents is abnormal, which is an easy concept to grasp.

There are children with obese parents who are not themselves obese, and this can be just as common, although it is more common for parents of a standard height and weight to have children who aren't obese. The growing advancements in technology have been found to be contributing to the rate of childhood obesity as well.

With more and more games consoles being released, children have little chance of ever getting outside if they want to stay on top of what's popular and play the latest games.

Parents must factor in the increasing number of games consoles and the games for them, or they'll end up with children who sit in their room all day, every day and do nothing but play video games and suck all of the electricity out of the house in the process. Any child that develops obesity will have been influenced somewhere to do something or be a certain way that has attributed to their weight problem

As already discussed, having overweight parents is a huge factor influencing whether a child will be obese, and so is whether or not they have access to the latest technology. These are factors within a parent's control, and so is the amount of exercise a child receives on a daily basis.

Making the effort to take children outdoors or to somewhere they can play like an indoor play centre is imperative to help prevent childhood obesity. When parents don't put the time in to care for their children, they won't ever be able to say they have no idea why a child is obese, and why they haven't been getting the exercise essential to their health.

Chris Backman has seen many parents struggle with their children being or becoming obese. In his research to find the source he found that indoor play centres such as House Of Play were a great help to parents trying to keep their children fit.

http://ezinearticles.com/?Childrens-Health---When-Does-Childhood-Obesity-Start?&id=7579960

5 Tips for Starting Runners

So you've decided to take up running? Maybe you are starting back up after putting it off for years.

Here is a list of tips that I have found beneficial to the starting runner or even the seasoned pro.

1. STRETCH THOSE LEGS AND FEET -BEFORE AND AFTER - Stretching is the number one thing to remember in any running program. Keep your muscles flexible and relaxed, your joints mobile, and relieve tension and strain by doing a few gentle stretches before AND AFTER your run. I cannot stress enough how important it is to stretch after the run and to cool down. I have found most new runners miss this vital step in their exercise program. You don't want to start off doing too much too soon. Build your body up while you prepare yourself to meet the demands that you are about to ask from your body. Make sure to loosen up your hamstrings, quads, calves, iliotibial (IT) band, hips, buttocks and the plantar fascia (area at the bottom of your feet between the heel and ball of foot). Stretch until you feel tension but not pain. NEVER bounce because this can tear your muscles and cause more serious problems.

2. POSTURE! POSTURE! POSTURE! - This isn't finishing school, but the principal is the same. Running gets your whole body in motion and the proper posture and body mechanics will help reduce the strain on your body. Keep your body perpendicular to the ground. Don't lean into it. Hopefully you aren't running into wind tunnel. Swing your arms naturally and go with the flow. BREATHE! How many martial art movies do you need to see to know this is important??? Never stop breathing. Oxygenate the blood. Feed your muscles. BREATHE! Your feet should hit naturally on your heel, roll forward and push off with your metatarsals (the area we call the ball of the foot). It should just feel right. Make sure the soles of your shoes aren't worn down in the heel or on the sides. This could cause you to hurt yourself and take away from the natural progression of your stride. Don't pick your feet up too far. This is running, not a marching band tryout. By keeping your feet closer to the ground an increasing your stride, you will reduce muscle fatigue.

3. ALWAYS WEAR YOUR PROTECTION - As you start up your running routine, you are going to find out that aches and pains are a typical reality that we all must face. However, this doesn't have to be the end of your run if you just take the proper precautions. Keep these simple rules in mind when you begin your program and you should be good to go for a long time! Hydrate yourself: Drink lots of water before, during, and after your run. People perspire, it's a fact, but if you let yourself dehydrate, you will be in for a world of hurt. I like to bring a water bottle with me on my runs for those mid-stride liquid replacements. It's a good idea to drink 2-5 cups per hour during your run. Note, every person perspires at a different rate. If you happen to be someone who leaks sweat like a sieve, drink more water. Don't forget to fill up again once you are done stretching, too. If you are running in a colder climate, layer your clothing. We all know it gets hot under all those clothes, but you have to slow the rate of heat loss. You'll want to wear some sort of moisture-wicking material. I like to wear fleece. But there are other brands out there like Polartec. Also, ALWAYS wear a hat! I prefer to run on paved trails in our local park system, but if you find yourself running in areas where there is the potential for traffic, please remember to wear bright clothing and if you must run at night (which I wouldn't suggest) wear reflective garments to increase your safety.

4. REDUCE STRAIN - Running takes its' toll on a person's body. It's good to switch out different activities. Besides running, try other cardio-exercises like bicycling or swimming. Your body will thank you and it can break down on the monotony. Pain is the body's signal that something is wrong. If the pain gets worse after your run, it's time to take some time off. Don't swallow a couple of aspirin and think you are good to go.' Definitely take care of your feet! A good pair of running shoes is essential for preventing injury. You have to find the pair that's best for you. Change them out often because the soles will wear down quickly. And while you are at it, don't forget the orthotics. The insoles that come in your shoes are usually very cheap and only meant for about 20 miles of wear. If you are like me, that's one week! Proper orthotics provide cushioning and support and reduce a huge amount of strain from your whole body - not just your feet. While custom orthotics are available, I wear a brand that offers a selection for arch type and are made with a silver material that reduces blisters and athlete's foot. If you are interested, you can see them at http://www.footdefense.com.

 5. CALL YOUR MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL -In business, it's always best to hire a consultant. So why, when you start doing something as important as your health wouldn't you speak to an expert in the body? A medical professional can help with any injury and return you to your running program as well as advise you on hurting yourself again.

In closing, please remember that safety should come first. Be aware of your surroundings, the people that you run with, and most importantly, your own well-being?

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