Why Are We Overweight?

by: (c) Anna “Overweight? NO MORE!”

Why are we overweight? This question has been asked many times and we all have different answers. The most common is because we eat too much, especially junk food, and exercise less. It is easy to say, I will lose weight and keep it off. Reality is that when we eat more calories than we can use for energy, our bodies store fat. The issue is whether we are seriously committed to change our lifestyle, adopt healthier habits and exercise more. After we gain weight, we find difficulty losing it. There is hope. Increasing our fat burning metabolism will help us lose weight. Most people have tried many diets, such as quick weight loss diets with the hope of loosing that unwanted fat, yet failed to keep the weight off. Why? Because quick diets are not the answer. Think for a moment, we did not gain all that weight in one week, but gradually, right? Therefore, we can lose that unwanted fat gradually and keep the weight off. This is why it is so hard to lose fat and to stay slim with those quick weight loss diets. Some of these diets are so extreme that leave you feeling hungry, weak, and the end is that instead of promoting a healthy eating habit to lose weight, you end up cheating and eating until you satisfy those cravings. Back to our original question, why are we overweight? People are overweight for different reasons: eating too much, lack of exercise, slow fat burning metabolism, retaining water, eating too late, eating unconsciously while watching TV, eating the wrong foods. We tend to eat for emotional reasons too, as we relate food as calming our nerves. Sound familiar? Sure, we feel fine while eating, but is this the answer to calm our nerves? No. Definitely not. Anxiety can drive us to eat more and see food as an ideal comfort. How to resolve the overweight issue? First, we recommend you take a conscious decision of examining your eating habits and consult a physician to check your health before starting any nutritional program and exercise plan. Second, keep a daily record of what you eat, drink at least 8 glasses of water, have green tea to increase your metabolism, consume lots of vegetables and fresh fruit, avoid junk food and heavy sugary products. Third, learn to say no when friends or family members offer you second or third servings. Fourth, keep a firm decision and a positive attitude to lose that unwanted weight, visualize the new you. Fifth, contact friends who will encourage you to lose weight and motivate you when feeling down. There is always someone ready to keep you motivated. Whenever you feel eating for anxiety, think twice. Stop for a moment and ask yourself, “am I really hungry or is just an emotional excuse?” Instead of eating impulsively, try to drink water or have a cup of green tea, go out for a walk, or contact one of your friends for motivation. Remember you are not alone; there are many people trying to lose weight and helping each other is the most valuable tool. Others have lost weight and kept the weight off. I did it, so can you! Believe in yourself, you are special. ============================================== ABOUT THE AUTHOR Anna “Overweight? NO MORE!” lost over 80 pounds from 230 pounds and has kept the weight off for 3 years. She believes that every person can achieve a healthier figure with determination, eating healthy, and exercising. There is no general miracle diet, but every body responds differently. It is a matter of taking the first step: ”Believing that one can regain a healthier body, having that strong inner motivation is the key to stay focused. I did it, so can you!” www.officialoverweightnomore.com contact: anna@officialoverweightnomore.com NOTE: This article may be freely reprinted in your ezines, ebooks, off-line publications, or on your websites. We only require that the entire article and the resource box "about the author" at the bottom of each article remain unchanged.

Interviews With Successful Ezine Publishers - Renee Kennedy

by: Ken Hill

Renee Kennedy is the editor of The NutriCounter Update, a light-hearted ezine that provides one fresh article on a topic related to weight loss, diet, nutrition and weight management. To subscribe, visit http://www.nutricounter.com/subscribe.htm KH: How important has publishing an ezine been to your business? RK: I think that it's important to attract and maintain customers in every way that you can. I always think of the "Rule of 7." It takes about 7 impressions before a customer will buy. I don't know where this rule came from, but it sure seems to be true. The more ways that you can reach people, the more likely you are to sell to them. Having an ezine is just one way to advertise and let people know that your products or services exist. It is also one of the most inexpensive ways to reach customers and potential customers. KH: How long have you been running an ezine and how many subscribers do you have? RK: I ran a marketing ezine for my own business for 4 years. For the last six months, I've been the editor of a health ezine called "NutriCounter Update." The health ezine now has over 6,000 subscribers. KH: Can you tell me more about the "NutriCounter?" What does it do? Who does it benefit? RK: The NutriCounter is a nutritional calculator that helps people keep track of their nutritional intake. People can use it for any type of diet including diets for weight loss, weight gain, diabetes, hypoglycemia, and heart disease. Good health is always contingent on a healthy diet and the NutriCounter can help people monitor their diet and let them know when they've exceeded or met their individual nutritional goals for the day. KH: Do you write and use your own articles to promote your ezine? How valuable has writing articles been in promoting your ezine? RK: Yes, we write one original article each month for our monthly publication. It's valuable to get and keep subscribers ... but it's also an excellent way to spread our URL around. Once we've written an article and published it in the newsletter, we send the article out to several Free Content lists and sites. These articles always get picked up by several sites or ezines. We use an author's resource box to direct readers back to our site. KH: What methods do you use to promote your products or services within your ezine? RK: The "Editor's Remarks" section of the newsletter is the most powerful section. That is the section that everyone reads if they are going to read anything. So, if we have an important offering, we always endorse it in the Editor's Remarks section. We've used many different ways to get people to buy. Some examples are: -- contests -- buy one get one free or buy one get one at a reduced price -- coupons -- discounts (i.e., 10% discount only by clicking on this link). KH: How do you go about preparing your ezine for publication? RK: First, we research and write an article - trying to keep it between 800 to 1000 words. While that's going on, I write the Editor's Remarks section which will usually revolve around the article topic. Then I put the content into a premade template. I edit the whole ezine about 3-5 times. Then I send it off to our Associate Editor for editing. Finally, the Editor in Chief gets to edit it. It goes through at least three sets of eyes before it gets sent out. KH: Any advice to future ezine publishers? Things to look out for or things to concentrate on when publishing an ezine? RK: Provide original content specific to a niche group - don't try to be everything to everyone, concentrate on providing information that you're an expert on. Be personable and reach out to your audience. If you can touch the audience you will have a high retention rate. People don't just want information, they want to know who's talking to them, they want the information to get a little personal. Examine the ezines that you stay subscribed to. Ask yourself why you like those particular ezines or newsletters. In other words, read a lot - don't get wrapped up in your own stuff, get out there and see what other people are doing. The beauty of an ezine is that you have the ability to try different things ... contests, ad swaps, discounts, coupons, HTML. Don't be afraid to try different things and see what works for your niche. Article © 2002 by writer Ken Hill. Launching An Ezine? Need Subscribers? Amazing new automated software puts you on the fast track to ezine success! Includes over 900 resources. Results are 100% guaranteed! Learn more now at: http://www.scstats.com/r.cfm?i=4604

Hoodia Gordonii is your solution to weight loss

by: Viviana Aida

Overweight and obesity are actual problems for the American population, but much more for women who are trying to look better. Close to 60 million Americans are overweight or obese, but the problem is more relevant into the minorities. Acording to the Obesity Research conducted by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the hispanic population was the most overweighted in the ethnic groups in 2000. Estimations reach to more than 20 million people. Hoodia Diet is the solution for safe weight loss. Hoodia Gordonii contains a natural active ingredient, P57, which has only recently been identified. The P57 works as an appetite suppressant. Taking Hoodia Diet Tablets when you are hungry alleviates the feeling of hunger and so makes you less likely to snack between meals due to hunger. The Hoodia Gordonii Cactus has been used by the San indigenous people of South Africa for hundreds of years as an appetite suppressant and thirst quencher. Extracts from this succulent have shown in clinical trials on obese subjects to reduce caloric intake by 30% to 40%. Significant weight loss has resulted from such a drop in caloric intake. Therefore, Hoodia is one of the best and most powerful natural appetite suppressant available, if used in conjunction with any diet. Hoodia will help you to stop snacking between meals. It will also help you to reduce the amount that you eat at meal times. Dieting is not easy, you need to make your mind up that you are going to choose a diet plan that appeals to you and use Hoodia Diet Tablets to help you stick to your diet by reducing your daily calorie intake. Some users of Hoodia simply take the tablets 3 times a day, one hour before normal meal times, and this will allow them to eat less at each meal, so reducing daily calorie intake. Others find a low carb or low fat diet and take Hoodia Diet Tablets to stop them feeling hungry between these meals. By Viviana Aida Hoodia Latina (www.hoodialatina.com)

7 Bad Eating Habits You Should Change Immediately

by: Emily Clark

People are obsessed with dieting and weight loss! Don't believe me? Just tune-in to any source of advertising...you're instantly bombarded with the latest diet schemes and "Hollywood" food fads. Here in America, we have built a thriving industry trying to control our weight and treat the consequences of over-indulgence. The cost of weight loss and obesity related health care treatments is staggering...Americans alone spend around $114 billion every year! And even with all this interest in losing weight, we continue to pack on the pounds like never before... - A whopping 64 percent of U.S. adults are either overweight or obese...up about eight percent from earlier estimates. - Among children and teens ages 6-19, 15 percent or almost nine million are overweight...triple the rate in 1980! - Nearly one-third of all adults are now classified as obese. For Americans, modern life may be getting TOO easy. Our cushy lifestyle means we expend less energy and consequently need fewer calories to sustain our normal body weight. Think about it for a moment... Entertainment no longer requires energy expenditure. In fact, it's usually quite the opposite. We now entertain ourselves in the comfort of our own home while watching TV and munching on our favorite snack. Whether it's television, computers, remote controls, or automobiles, we are moving less and burning fewer calories. Common activities that were once a part of our normal routine have disappeared...activities like climbing stairs, pushing a lawn mower or walking to get somewhere. And please do not misunderstand me...I appreciate comfortable living just as much as the next person. But, here is the problem... With all of our modern day conveniences and "cushy" style of living we have not adjusted our caloric intake to compensate for our decreased caloric expenditure. We consume more calorie rich and nutrient deficient foods than ever before. Consider a few of the following examples comparing what we eat "today" vs the 1970's (U.S. Department of Agriculture survey): - We are currently eating more grain products, but almost all of them are refined grains (white bread, etc.). Grain consumption has jumped 45 percent since the 1970's, from 138 pounds of grains per person per year to 200 pounds! Only 2 percent of the wheat flour is consumed as whole wheat. - Our consumption of fruits and vegetables has increased, but only because French fries and potato chips are included as vegetables. Potato products account for almost a third of our "produce" choices. - We're drinking less milk, but we've more than doubled our cheese intake. Cheese now outranks meat as the number one source of saturated fat in our diets. - We've cut back on red meat, but have more than made up for the loss by increasing our intake of chicken (battered and fried), so that overall, we're eating 13 pounds more meat today than we did back in the 1970's. - We're drinking three times more carbonated soft drinks than milk, compared to the 1970's, when milk consumption was twice that of pop. - We use 25 percent less butter, but pour twice as much vegetable oil on our food and salads, so our total added fat intake has increased 32 percent. - Sugar consumption has been another cause of our expanding waistlines. Sugar intake is simply off the charts. People areconsuming roughly twice the amount of sugar they need each day, about 20 teaspoons on a 2000 calorie/day diet. The added sugar is found mostly in junk foods, such as pop, cake, and cookies. In 1978, the government found that sugars constituted only 11 percent of the average person's calories. Now, this number has ballooned to 16 percent for the average American adult and as much as 20 percent for American teenagers! Unfortunately, it would seem that the days of wholesome and nutritious family dinners are being replaced by fast food and eating on-the-run. We have gradually come to accept that it's "OK" to sacrifice healthy foods for the sake of convenience and that larger serving portions equate to better value. It's time recognize that we are consuming too many calories and time to start doing something about it! Each of us can decide TODAY that healthy eating and exercise habits WILL become a normal part of our life! We can begin by exploring our values, thoughts and habits... slowly and deliberately weed-out the unhealthy habits and activities and start living a more productive and rewarding life. And remember, it has taken a long time to develop bad habits, so be patient as you work toward your goal! The information contained in this article is for educational purposes only and is not intended to medically diagnose, treat or cure any disease. Consult a health care practitioner before beginning any health care program. About the Author Emily Clark is editor at Lifestyle Health News and Medical Health News here you can find the most up-to-date advice and information on any medical, health and lifestyle topics.

5 Easy Ways A Treadmill Helps You Lose Weight

by: Kathryn O'Neill, H.BSc. NWS

So why are treadmills STILL the #1 home exercise machines with shoppers? Because they get results! Here are the top 5 ways home treadmill workouts can help you lose weight and get into great shape! #1: A Treadmill Helps You Burn MORE Calories by Battling Exercise Boredom We all know that in order to lose weight, get firm and fight gravity's pull, exercise is a must! But what do you do if you don't LIKE working out? What if you get bored or don't like logging hours in the gym with all those muscle boys or short-shorts women? One viable option is the home treadmill, because of all the things it allows you to do to FORGET that you are exercising in the first place! You can set it up in front of the television and watch your favorite episode of ER or Oprah. An hour will fly by and you won't even notice that you've been walking (or running)! Many treadmills also come with a magazine or book rack. What about walking uphill (a MEGA calorie burner) while reading your favorite mazagine or novel? How easy is that? And the more you enjoy your workout (or the more you can forget that you're exercising) , the more time you'll spend burning calories on your treadmill. #2: The Treadmill is Unmatched For Workout Versatility. Most funky fly-by-night exercise gadgets only allow you to do one thing. One repetitive motion that your body quickly adapts to (and that means less calories burned.) A treadmill - on the other hand - gives you a lot of workout versatility so your body continues to be challenged to burn calories. If you're just starting an exercise program you can start with a slow walk and then speed it up as your body gets into better shape. If you're training for a marathon, you can run at a steady pace and even build in sprints. You can power walk or do a slow steady jog. Many treadmills will let you walk uphill. Some even come with handweights so you can build in upper body exercise as well. There are countless ways you can vary your workout with a treadmill so that you continue to challenge your body and burn calories. #3: A Treadmill Helps You Burn MORE Calories by Increasing Your Exercise Frequency Did you know that a new 3 year study conducted by the University of Stanford's Graduate School of Business has found that consumers are overpaying for gym services? The study concludes that most people overestimate how often they will use their gym membership and that most don't visit the gym often enough to justify their membership costs. Perhaps the reason may be that many people just don't have the time to go. But here's where a home treadmill can help you actually increase your workout time and frequency. Did you know that experts tell us that two 15-minute workouts can give us the same exercise benefits as one 30-minute workout? Here's where a home treadmill can help: A treadmill allows you to split your workouts up into mini-workouts and still burn just as many calories! Maybe you want to go for a 15 minute wake-up walk in the morning. Maybe it's a 20-minute light jog at lunch. What about a 10-minute power walk just before dinner to curb your appetite or fight night-time boredom? Whether it's 5 minutes, 10 minutes, 15 or 20, it all adds up in weight loss. With a treadmill, YOU'RE in charge of your workout time. #4: A Home Treadmill Gives You the Benefit of All-Year-Round ANY Time Exercise! Ok, here it is - one of the MOST IMPORTANT benefits of having a home treadmill: CONVENIENCE, CONVENIENCE, CONVENIENCE If you live in northern climates you know that walking or jogging in the snow and ice is NOT fun. What about when it's raining? Scratch exercise off the list! A home treadmill can be one of the best exercise comforts around because you can use it regardless of the weather or time of day. AND you can also exercise in any type of clothing that you want (no worrying about wearing that ratty t-shirt to the gym!). #5: By Using the Large Muscles in Your Legs, A Treadmill Helps You Burn MAJOR FAT Calories A recent Woman's World article made the startling claim that, contrary to popular belief, gentle walking is one of the BEST ways to burn fat! Why? It seems that gentle walking allows your body to go STRAIGHT to the fat stores for energy instead of first depleting your sugar (glycogen) stores (used by your body for quick energy). Not only that, there's been countless studies including one by the American Medical Association, that rank a treadmill as the #1 cardiovascular machine for losing weight and burning calories. Working the larger muscles in your legs burns maximum calories which means more weight lost. You can even increase your calories-burned by walking uphill which uses even more muscles! Given all their benefits it's no wonder that treadmill sales have continued to skyrocket over the past five years with more and more people starting their own fitness and weight loss programs at home. So if you want to lose weight and get into great shape, a treadmill can be an excellent investment to help you to achieve your goals. No matter what you decide be sure to have fun and make your health a priority! ABOUT THE AUTHOR Kathryn O'Neill is the chief editor for Treadmill Review For more buying tips, treadmill brand reviews, and best buys visit http://www.treadmillreview.net

Muscle And Fitness - The Third and Final Key To Successfull

by: Tony Farrell

Before delving into Muscle And Fitness – The Second Key, the final and most important key to success in your muscle and fitness routine, I'd like to remind you about what the previous article discussed. In a previous article, you were given a number of steps to follow. If you haven't received this article, I suggest you read that before reading this one here, as it will make what I'm talking a little more clear. You can access that article here: The HAVE Key In summary, Muscle And Fitness – The Second Key is the 'DO' key. This is where you structure your actions to take you to your goals. You must decide which action (Exercise) is the most effective tool to help you achieve that particular goal. Which brings me to the third and final key: The 'BE' Key This is what you must BECOME in order to ensure that you take the necessary action to DO whatever it takes to get what you want to HAVE. You already know what your goals are – The HAVE key You already know what you have to DO to achieve those goals – The DO key In order to make sure that you carry out the DO key (your chosen exercises), you must BE the type of person that consistently and persistently follows the routine. You must do this without fail, so that you can have the ideal muscle mass, weight loss, fitness goal or whatever your goal is. How do you become someone that you are not? By not giving in! Lets say that you have a chosen goal. Lets assume that goal is to lose 28lbs by the end of three months. What do you have to be in order to make sure that you achieve that goal of 28lbs of weight loss? You have your goal. You have your exercise routine sorted out that is the most effective way, for you, of achieving that goal. Now it's time to guarantee that you don't stop after a week or so. Your goals should be on your index card, as described in a previous article. You can read it here - Your 'HAVE' Goals As you are about to perform your training routine, go through this little scenario... 1. Read your goals aloud. 2. As you do, visualize that goal having already been achieved. 3. Feel that goal, as if you have already achieved it. 4. Then ask yourself: How good do I look? - I look GOOD! How great do I feel? - I feel GREAT! Now say to yourself... I feel Great - I look Great - I am successful! I feel Great - I look Great - I am successful! I feel Great - I look Great - I am successful! Ok... Lets Do It!!! Do this daily... In the morning, upon rising. Just before you begin your workout. Just before going to sleep. When you repeat this each time, feel it with conviction and say it with conviction. Feel your blood boil with excitement. Feel your heart beat hard. Get right into it. Stir up that passion and throw yourself right slam into the middle of it. Don't give in. Persist and be consistent with your efforts... no matter whether you feel like it or not. I have often found that the thoughts of having to do something are horrible at times. But, once I throw myself into it I feel absolutely fantastic and so happy that I didn't give in. Have you ever found that? If you have, remember that feeling. Feel it every time you are about to begin your training. Stir it up. Love that feeling and then get stuck in. BEcome what you need to become so that you can DO whatever it takes to achieve the goals that you said you want to HAVE. That is the final key to successfully achieving your Muscle and Fitness goals. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Tony Farrell of provides valuable insight into the world of health, fitness and bodybuilding. Through his unique approach, he truly helps people to succeed and reach their goals. To subscribe to his ezine, just visit: http://www.how-to-build-muscle-and-fitness.com

Your Simple Plan for Weight Loss

by: Paul Buckley

The math is pretty simple. One pound of fat equals 3500 calories. Want to lose a pound a week? Then you need to consume 3500 calories less per week than you use. That's about 500 calories a day. By cutting out 500 calories a day from your normal daily diet, while keeping your activity level the same, you can lose approximately one pound a week. All right - that doesn't sound like much, especially if you're more than 25 pounds overweight. Study after study has shown, though, that those people who lose weight gradually - at a rate of 1-2 pounds per week -are far more likely to keep the weight off and maintain a normal weight for a lifetime. So how much exactly IS 500 calories? If you're going to reduce your daily intake by 500 calories, it helps to know what you need to cut out, right? Here's how easy it is to lose 500 calories a day: Use milk instead of cream in your coffee. Savings? 50 calories per cup. Skip the butter on your baked potato. Savings? 100 calories Drink fruit-flavored water instead of a 16 ounce soda. Savings? 200 calories Skip the Big Mac and have a salad instead. A Big Mac weighs in at a whopping 460 calories. A fresh salad with a light dressing? Less than 100! Savings? 360 calories Pass by the bag of potato chips. An average snack size bag of chips has over 300 calories. Savings? 300 calories Eat your corn on the ear. A 1 cup serving of canned corn has 165 calories. An ear of corn has 85. Savings? 80 calories. Switch to low-fat cream cheese on your bagel. Savings? 90 calories per ounce. Love those fries and can't give them up? Swap the skinny fries out for thick steak-cut ones. Thin French fries absorb more oil than the thicker, meatier ones. Savings? 50 calories per 4 ounce serving If you'd rather look at losing weight from an exercise perspective, you can also lose one pound a week by upping your activity level by 500 calories a day. How easy is that to do? Take a look: Take a half-hour walk around the park. Aim for a pace that's a little faster than a stroll, but not fast enough to be breathless. Burn: 160 calories. Get out your bike and take a ride. Tackle a few moderate hills and aim for about five miles total. Burn: 250 calories Go dancing - and really DANCE. The longer you're out on the floor instead of at the table drinking up high-calorie drinks, the more you'll get out of it. Dancing that makes you breathless and warms up your body will net you a nice calorie savings. Burn: 400 calories for one hour Swimming is great for you, and a lot of fun, too. The water resistance means you burn more calories, and you avoid the stress impact on joints from aerobics, dancing or walking. Do a few laps at a slow crawl - if you can get up to an hour you'll be doing great! Burn: 510 calories Get out into your garden. An hour of gardening tasks that includes bending and stretching can burn up to as many calories as a brisk walk. Burn: 250 calories. Play a game of tennis. Hook up with a friend for a weekly tennis game and you'll be amazed at the difference. One hour of vigorous tennis is one of the best calorie burners around. Burn: 800 calories It’s important to keep in mind that all exercise/calorie numbers are based on a woman weighing 130 pounds. If you weigh more, you'll burn more. Want an added bonus to burning calories through exercise? When you exercise, you build muscle by converting it from fat. Three guesses which kind of body tissue burns more calories - even when you're not exercising. You got it - your body uses more energy to maintain and feed muscle than it does fat. For best results, mix and match food savings with exercises that burn calories. Do keep in mind that eating less than 1000 calories a day for more than a few days will convince your body that it's starving and slow your metabolism. Keep calorie ranges reasonable, and consult a doctor if you want a quicker, more drastic weight loss. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Paul Buckley-for much more weight loss information visit The Healthy Diet Zone at http://www.healthydietzone.com

Spoiled Rotten: The Big 3 Reasons for Fitness Failure

by: Aaron M. Potts, ISSA CFT

"I want it now, now, now!" Does this sound like the mind-numbing rant of a spoiled 7-year old in a toy store? Sure it does, and if you've ever heard a similar dialogue from a child, then you understand instinctively that the child in question is all too accustomed to getting their way. However, it may come as a surprise to you that adults of all ages and from all walks of life exhibit very similar behavior on a regular basis - especially when it comes to physical fitness! It today's age of medicines, technologies, supplements, and highly advanced exercise techniques, people have - quite mistakenly - been lead to believe that they can have their most highly desired fitness results RIGHT NOW. Read below to learn how this mistaken philosophy is applied on a frequent basis when people practice the 3 basic tools of fitness: Cardiovascular Training, Resistance Training, and Nutrition CARDIOVASCULAR TRAINING You either don't watch TV or you don't read magazines if you've never seen an advertisement that shows some buff young girl or guy pounding out miles while running on a beach, or happily sweating profusely while cruising on an elliptical or enduring an intense Spinning class. These young models always look extremely satisfied to be working their bodies so hard, and they also share one other common characteristic: they are already in shape! Have you ever seen a commercial for a gym or exercise device that showed a 5-foot, 300 lb person grinning from ear to ear? This is a common example of how the media and fitness industry retailers promote the mass-confusion over cardio. The ads scream messages like, "Buy our pill, put on some sexy clothes while running on the beach, and you'll look just as good as our models do!" Gym owners do it, too. "Join our gym now and we'll give you one month free! Just by joining and then attending our Award-Winning Spinning Class, you will look just like Cindy, the Supermodel we hired to do our commercial!" It's ridiculous how the "powers that be" portray cardiovascular exercise as some effortless activity that you can easily use to gain the body of your dreams just by purchasing their product or joining their facility. The truth of the matter is that cardiovascular training works. The additional truth of the matter is that it can range from moderately to intensely difficult, and that it will take you weeks, months, or maybe even years of combining cardio with resistance training and proper nutrition to attain the body of your dreams. Is that what you wanted to hear about cardio? Probably not, but it's the truth. If you think there is some shortcut to being buff, young, tan, and in complete control of your life, then you should go turn on the TV. There is a commercial on right now that is just waiting for you to call in your credit card number! RESISTANCE TRAINING The hype surrounding resistance training isn't quite as appalling as the myths about cardiovascular training, but it still exists. Regardless of what you have seen, heard, or been taught, the truth is this: everyone needs resistance training. It doesn't matter if your goal is to be a bodybuilder or a 90-year old who can tie your own shoelaces, you need resistance training. Listing the many reasons for engaging in a consistent resistance training routine is beyond the scope of this article, but there are some myths about weight training that need to be brought to light. 1.Weight Training makes you big and bulky. Actually, the size of your muscles is determined primarily by your gender, the type and intensity of your training program, and your nutrition. If you think you will just "magically" turn into a muscle-bound athlete because you picked up a couple of dumbbells, just ask any bodybuilder how much time, energy, and raw will power goes into building his or her incredible physique. It does NOT happen by accident. 2.Using any given device or exercise will "sculpt" your abs, biceps, butt, or any other muscle. There is one thing and exactly one thing that determines the shape of your muscles, and that is your DNA. It is quite impossible to "sculpt" any part of your body - that job belongs to your chosen deity. You can control the size of your muscles, but you cannot control the shape. Anyone who says otherwise is straight up lying. 3.Resistance training is just for men. Do you want to lose weight? Do you want to be healthy, strong, and have a great metabolism and energy level? Then weight training is for you. Period. PROPER NUTRITION You need to learn one word and one word only if you want to maximize your nutrition program. That word is Cumulative. Cumulative means the combined effect over the course of time. You will not put on 5 lbs by eating a hamburger. You will likewise not lose 5 lbs by eating celery for dinner. You will not reap the lifetime benefits of vitamin, mineral, and fiber intake by eating fruits and vegetables for 1 week. You will likewise not destroy your body's balance of vitamins and minerals by straying from your nutrition program once in awhile. Do you see where all of this is going? If you want to reap the health and weight loss benefits of a proper nutrition program, you cannot practice proper nutrition "once in awhile". You must consistently stick to your nutrition program over the long term to realize the cumulative effects. You are just kidding yourself if you think otherwise. As you can see, Cardiovascular Training, Resistance Training, and Proper Nutrition all play a vital role in your health and fitness program. In addition, they work together as a team in order to keep you healthy and on track with your fitness goals. Just practicing one or two will not be good enough. At this time you can make a choice. You can either choose to believe a bunch of bald-faced lies and misleading truths about physical fitness, or you can choose to embrace the real truth of the matter. The real truth is that weight loss and physical fitness require time, effort, and dedication. Remember: Anything worth having is worth working for! ABOUT THE AUTHOR Aaron Potts is a Personal Trainer and Fitness Success Coach whose customers include consumers as well as other fitness professionals. Sign up for his free Fitness Journal at http://www.fitnessdestinations.com or visit his coaching site at http://www.ptsuccesscoach.com

Getting the Universe to Work for You

by: Matthew Tibble

Wouldn’t it be great to know that you have something as enormous as the Universe working in your favor? To know that such a force was pushing for your success would mean that success was only a matter of WHEN, not IF. The good news is that this support is easy to access by doing one simple yet very important thing – giving before you receive. You may have heard this expression before, especially with parents convincing their child to share with their friends or siblings. By giving before you receive, success will be drawn to you and your business. How does it work? The act of giving something without expecting anything in return sends to the Universe a message. This message says “I am prepared to help others regardless of whether I receive any material benefits for my work”. The Universe hears this message and responds in kind by rewarding you many times for your efforts (and never how you expect). This concept might seem far-fetched, but there are already thousands of businesses that employ this principle everyday. I can almost guarantee that you have been at the receiving end of it in the last six to twelve months. This principle can be seen when a business gives away a free report, ebook, a free consultation or teleseminar. It is the act of giving something of value away to your customer for NOTHING, in the hope that they will benefit from what you are offering them. When you give something away, the recipient feels a sub-conscious desire to give something back in return. It is unavoidable – all humans feel the same, even if they don’t know it. This rule is known as the Rule of Reciprocation. But in order for this rule to be effective, the recipient must feel that the gift was given in the right spirit – the Spirit of Giving. Here is an example. You have a report that can help others loose weight. This report has taken you four months to research, prepare and edit it, getting it into a format that others can download and print. You decide that due to the large number of overweight people in society, you will give this information away for free. Obviously, you would like people to read it and return to buy weight loss products or a series of weight loss reports that you intend on writing. However, even if they didn’t return you would still offer this report for free because you feel strongly about helping others lose weight. This is the Spirit of Giving. If your customer feels this Spirit when receiving a gift from you, they will want to return the favor and give something back, such as their email address, an order or a referral to their family and friends. By giving away something of value to help others, the Universe will work very hard to help you. Not only will the Rule of Reciprocation bring you rewards, but other opportunities will come your way, such as large orders in the future, joint venture opportunities with others, and positive word-of-mouth exposure for your business. If you have a website, then offer something of value to your visitors. This might be a report, ebook, or a voucher that can be redeemed for product at a later date. If you have an off-line business, then perhaps provide an information booklet, a free initial consultation or giveaway with a purchase. The act of giving before you receive will not only bring you countless benefits, but will enable hundreds and eventually thousands of people to benefit from the valuable gift that you have provided them. Your business will grow, and even more people will benefit from your actions. I assure you, the Universe rewards such efforts. About the Author Matthew Tibble operates http://www.BusinessPlanningMadeEasy.com, a site dedicated to business owners to help them achieve their business goals. A combination of sales and marketing experience over the past 9 years & a strong passion to help small businesses improve their success has led to the development of business and marketing planning services. Please visit http://www.businessplanningmadeeasy.com or email info@businessplanningmadeeasy.com.

Health & Fitness Is Not A "12 Week Program"

by: Tom Venuto, NSCA-CPT, CSCS

Not long ago, one of the members of my health club poked her head in my office for some advice and assistance. Linda was a 46 year old mother of two, and she had been a member for over a year. She had been working out sporadically, with (not surprisingly) sporadic results. On that particular day, she seemed to have enthusiasm and a twinkle in her eye that I hadn’t seen before. "I want to enter a before and after fitness contest called the “12 week body transformation challenge." I could win money and prizes and even get my picture in a magazine." “I want to lose THIS”, she continued, as she grabbed the body fat on her stomach. “Do you think it’s a good idea?” Linda was not “obese” by any means, she just had the typical “moderate roll” of abdominal body fat and a little bit of thigh/hip fat that many forty-something females struggle with. “I think it’s a great idea” I reassured her. “Competitions are great for motivation. When you have a deadline and you dangle a “carrot” like that prize money in front of you, it can keep you focused and more motivated than ever.” Linda was eager and rarin’ to go. “Will you help me? I have this enrollment kit and I need my body fat measured.” “No problem,” I said as I pulled out my Skyndex fat caliper, which is used to measure body fat percentage with a “pinch an inch” test. When I finished, I read the results to her from the caliper display: “Twenty-seven percent. Room for improvement, but not bad; it’s about average for your age group.” She wasn’t overjoyed at being ‘average’. “Yeah, but it's not good either. Look at THIS,” she complained as again she grabbed a handful of stomach fat. “I want to get my body fat down to 19%, I heard that was a good body fat level.” I agreed that 19% was a great goal, but it would take a lot of work because average fat loss is usually about a half a percent a week, or six percent in twelve weeks. Her goal, to lose eight percent in twelve weeks was ambitious. She smiled and insisted, “I’m a hard worker. I can do it” Indeed she was and indeed she did. She was a machine! Not only did she never miss a day in the gym, she trained HARD. Whenever I left my office and took a stroll through the gym, she was up there pumping away with everything she had. She told me her diet was the strictest it had ever been in her life and she didn't cheat at all. I believed her. And it started to show, quickly. Each week she popped into my office to have her body fat measured again, and each week it went down, down, down. Consistently she lost three quarters of a percent per week – well above the average rate of fat loss – and on two separate occasions, I recall her losing a full one percent body fat in just seven days. Someone conservative might have said she was overtraining, but when we weighed her and calculated her lean body mass, we saw that she hadn’t lost ANY muscle – only fat. Her results were simply exceptional! She was ecstatic, and needless to say, her success bred more success and she kept after it like a hungry tiger for the full twelve weeks. On week twelve, day seven, she showed up in my office for her final weigh-in and body fat measurement. She was wearing a pair of formerly tight blue jeans and they were FALLING OFF HER! “Look, look, look,” she repeated giddily as she tugged at her waistband, which was now several inches too large. As I took her body fat, I have to say, I was impressed. She hadn’t just lost a little fat, she was “RIPPED!” During week twelve she dropped from 18% to 17% body fat, for a grand total of 10% body fat lost. She surpassed her goal of 19% by two percent. I was now even more impressed, because I had only seen a handful of people lose that much body fat in three months. You should have seen her! She started hopping up and down for joy like she was on a pogo stick! She was beaming… grinning from ear to ear! She practically knocked me over as she jumped up and gave me a hug – “Thank you, thank you, thank you!” “Don’t thank me,” I said, “You did it, I just measured your body fat.” She thanked me again anyway and then said she had to go have her “after” pictures taken. Then something very, very strange happened. She stopped coming to the gym. Her "disappearance" was so abrupt, I was worried and I called her. She never picked up, so I just left messages. No return phone call. It was about four months later when I finally saw Linda again. The giddy smile was gone, replaced with a sullen face, a droopy posture and a big sigh when I said hello and asked where she’d been. “I stopped working out after the contest... and I didn’t even win.” “You looked like a winner to me, no matter what place you came in” I insisted, “but why did you stop, you were doing so well!” “I don’t know, I blew my diet and then just completely lost my motivation. Now look at me, my weight is right back where I started and I don’t even want to know my body fat.” “Well, I'm glad to see you back in here again. Write down some new goals for yourself and remember to think long term too. Fitness isn’t a just 12 week program you know, it’s a lifestyle - you have to do it every day - like... forever.” She nodded her head and finished her workout, still with that defeated look on her face. Unfortunately, she never again come anywhere near the condition she achieved for that competition, and for the rest of the time she was a member at our club, she slipped right back into the sporadic on and off workout pattern. Linda was not an isolated case. I’ve seen the same thing happen with countless men and women of all ages and fitness levels from beginners to competitive bodybuilders. In fact, it happens to millions of people who “go on” diets, lose a lot of weight, then quickly “go off” the diet and gain the weight right back. What causes people to burn so brightly with enthusiasm and motivation and then burn out just as quickly? Why do so many people succeed brilliantly in the short term but fail 95 out of 100 times in the long term? Why do so many people reach their fitness goals but struggle to maintain them? The answer is simple: Health and fitness is for life, not for "12 weeks." You can avoid the on and off, yo-yo cycle of fitness ups and downs. You can get in great shape and stay in great shape. You can even get in shape and keep getting in better and better shape year after year, but it's going to take a very different philosophy than most people subscribe to. The seven tips below will guide you. These guidelines are quite contrary to the quick fix philosophies prevailing in the weight loss and fitness world today. Applying them will take patience, discipline and dedication. Just remember, the only thing worse than getting no results is getting great results and losing them. 1) Don’t “go on” diets. When you “go on” a diet, the underlying assumption is that at some point you have to “go off” it. This isn’t just semantics, it’s the primary reason most diets fail. By definition, a “diet” is a temporary and often drastic change in your eating behaviors and/or a severe restriction of calories or food, which is ultimately, not maintainable. If you reach your goal, the diet is officially “over” and then you "go off" (returning to the way you used to eat). Health and fitness is not temporary; it’s not a “diet.” It’s something you do every day of your life. Unless you approach nutrition from a “habits” and “lifestyle” perspective, you’re doomed from the start. 2) Eat the same foods all year round. Permanent fat loss is best achieved by eating mostly the same types of foods all year round. Naturally, you should include a wide variety of healthy foods so you get the full spectrum of nutrients you need, but there should be consistency, month in, month out. When you want to lose body fat, there’s no dramatic change necessary - you don’t need to eat totally different foods - it’s a simple matter of eating less of those same healthy foods and exercising more. 3) Have a plan for easing into maintenance. Let’s face it – sometimes a nutrition program needs to be more strict than usual. For example, peaking for a bodybuilding or fitness contest requires an extremely strict regimen that’s different than the rest of the year. As a rule, the stricter your nutrition program, the more you must plan ahead and the more time you must allow for a slow, disciplined transition into maintenance. Failure to plan for a gradual transition will almost always result in bingeing and a very rapid, hard fall "off the wagon." 4) Focus on changing daily behaviors and habits one or two at a time. Rather than making huge, multiple changes all at once, focus on changing one or two habits/behaviors at a time. Most psychologists agree that it takes about 21 days of consistent effort to replace an old bad habit with a new positive one. As you master each habit, and it becomes as ingrained into your daily life as brushing your teeth, then you simply move on to the next one. That would be at least 17 new habits per year. Can you imagine the impact that would have on your health and your life? This approach requires a lot of patience, but the results are a lot more permanent than if you try to change everything in one fell swoop. This is also the least intimidating way for a beginner to start making some health-improving changes to their lifestyle. 5) Make goal setting a lifelong habit. Goal setting is not a one-time event, it’s a process that never ends. For example, if you have a 12 week goal to lose 6% bodyfat, what are you going to do after you achieve it? Lose even more fat? Gain muscle? Maintain? What's next? On week 13, day 1, if you have no direction and nothing to keep you going, you’ll have nothing to keep you from slipping back into old patterns. Every time you achieve a goal, you must set another one. Having daily and weekly short term goals means that you are literally setting goals continuously and never stopping. 6) Allow a reasonable time frame to reach your goal. It's important to set deadlines for your fitness and weight loss goals. It's also important to set ambitious goals, but you must allow a reasonable time frame for achieving them. Time pressure is often the motivating force that helps people get in the best shape of their lives. But when the deadline is unrealistic for a particular goal (like 30 pounds in 30 days), then crash dieting or other extreme measures are often taken to get there before the bell. The more rapidly you lose weight, the more likely you are to lose muscle and the faster the weight will come right back on afterwards. Start sooner. Don't wait until mid-May to think about looking good for summer. 7) Extend your time perspective. Successful people in every field always share one common character trait: Long term time perspective. Some of the most successful Japanese technology and manufacturing companies have 100 year and even 250-year business plans. If you want to be successful in maintaining high levels of fitness, you must set long term goals: One year, Ten years, Even fifty years! You also must consider what the long term consequences might be as a result of using any "radical" diet, training method or ergogenic aid. The people who had it but lost it are usually the ones who failed to think long term or acknowledge future consequences. It's easy for a 21 year old to live only for today, and it may even seem ridiculous to set 25 year goals, but consider this: I've never met a 40 or 60 year old who didn't care about his or her health and appearance, but I have met 40 or 60 year olds who regretted not caring 25 years ago. Burn The Fat, Feed the Muscle (BFFM) is a fat loss program which acknowledges the simple truth that going "on diets," entering "Fitness challenges" or competing in "Transformation contests" without having long term goals and a lifestyle attitude, is a recipe for failure. Don’t let yourself be part of the latest fitness dropout statistics: visit the Burn The Fat website for more details on how to change your lifestyle... and keep the change! www.burnthefat.com ABOUT THE AUTHOR Tom Venuto is an NSCA-certified personal trainer, certified strength coach, and author of the #1 e-book, "Burn the Fat, Feed The Muscle.” Tom has written over 170 articles and been featured in IRONMAN, Natural Bodybuilding, Muscular Development, Muscle-Zine, Exercise for Men and Men’s Exercise. For info on Tom's e-book, visit: www.burnthefat.com. For Tom’s free monthly e-zine, visit Fitness Renaissance: www.fitren.com

Close Kept Secrets to Weight Loss Lesson #14

by: Tami Close

We all have low energy levels throughout the day. Learn how to sustain the high vibration of energy with simple techniques. Have fun in just a few seconds of time. Close Kept Secrets to Weight Loss Lesson #14 You know what is so amazing? We get to keep learning how to improve ourselves. Each day brings a new opportunity for us to practice unconditional love, especially of ourselves. Loving your body is demonstrating unconditional love. Think what your body does for you each day. Right now, say: I love my body, I love my body, I love my body, I love my body! Feels great, doesn’t it? Our bodies are incredible gifts from God. If we’re experiencing resistance to change, then we’re resisting God’s loving message. What are you resisting? I was on a teleseminar recently and the topic was visualization. The message was very powerful. Let me share with you what I learned. Take out a piece of paper and a pen or pencil. Write down 5 things that you desire in your life. It can be a car—mine is a red BMW convertible and I have a picture of it on my dream board and look at it everyday while I say affirmations in my energy circle. Of course, in my visualization the real George Clooney is in the passenger seat, not my cardboard cutout of George that a friend gave me. Maybe you want a new house, a trip to Hawaii, thousands of dollars, a new outfit as you achieve your ideal weight. Whatever it is, write down 5 things. Say the statements out loud, shout them and do the visualization hiney dance to them. I do love shaking it. I read a cute quote the other day….what if the hokey pokey is what it’s all about? Interesting thought, huh? You know what? I took a break from writing, went for a walk and just came back. While I was on my walk, guess what I saw? A red BMW convertible!! Now, is that synchronicity or what? You know what I should have done? Jumped out in front of that car and made the driver get out and give me her car. Ooooppps…wrong vibration. The focus is higher vibration and manifesting it through Divine means. See the difference in vibration levels. I will manifest that car. I don’t know how it will come; I just know it will. I only know why I desire it. I like the feeling that it conjures up….the feeling of freedom, sex appeal, youthfulness, being a hottie! We’ve all experienced times throughout the day where we have a lull….where our energy is low or flat. What we want to do is to keep that vibration high so we constantly are aligned with the energy that we’re pulling to us. When we are in a low or flat vibration, those things we desire can’t be propelled to us because our thoughts are creating a disconnection. When our thoughts are creating and saying, “Yes, I am attracting a red BMW convertible” then we keep the energy lines open and that car will reveal itself. It’s like that phone commercial, “Can you hear me now?” When we’re in low vibration, that which we want to attract cannot hear us. Guess what shows up? Everything we don’t want. Now, when we’re in high vibration, the reception is great and we get heard loud and clear. All that we desire flows easily to us. Let’s practice. We’ll name these the High 5. Get it? 5 things that will manifest at a High vibration. I just made that up and I believe it’s extremely clever. Read those statements and dance, dance, dance!! Now, you’re going to be carrying that list with you throughout the day and take it out and do the routine of saying the statements out loud with enthusiasm. Do this several times throughout the day and notice how your energy will remain at a high vibration. I encourage you to get carried away and shake, shake, shake, shake, shake, shake, shake your booty while saying them. Now say them over and over and really put some feeling into it. I know you can do it! I’ve had a practice of doing this type of visualization in the morning and at night while reading those things that I am manifesting in my life. I had noticed that I was experiencing some lulls in my energy during the day, and was grateful to hear this Divine message on how to sustain the high energy throughout the day. I’ve been doing this a few days since I heard this on the teleseminar and I’ve seen remarkable results. We were told to make a commitment to ourselves and make it a goal for 30 days. I encourage you to do the same. For 30 days take time to shout the High 5’s throughout the day. I look forward to hearing about your results. God is AWESOME! I am shouting that statement from my office window right now. I just opened the window and shouted it so everyone could hear. Oh, the birds just flew away. They’ll be back….I have a bird feeder. We’re on fire!! Nothing can stop us!! High 5! Love and hugs, Tami http://www.tamiclose.com http://www.closekeptsecrets.com ABOUT THE AUTHOR Tami Close is an Integrative Body Therapist and uses an integrative method, including cleansing and nutritional products from Isagenix, in her weight loss management practice. She is a #1 best selling co-author, Wake Up...Live the Life You Love Finding Personal Freedom. http://www.tamiclose.com http://www.closekeptsecrets.com

Be Better at Business – And Lose Weight, Too!

by: John M McKee

Many of the issues and challenges faced by managers and professionals are more similar than not to those of someone trying to lose weight in an effort to improve his or her health and wellness. In business, individuals often secure the services of a success coach like myself to “fix” certain areas of their professional life. The desired fixes typically range from a desire for a promotion and/or a salary increase, to on-the-job performance enhancements, to improving one’s personal productivity, to boosting one’s level of enthusiasm about their job. Having coached literally hundreds of executives on how to improve their professional life, I recently came to the realization that many of the issues and challenges faced by aspiring professionals are more similar than not to those of someone trying to lose weight in an effort to improve his or her health and wellness. In short, both of these groups often seek someone or something that, with minimum effort, expense, and time, can get their situations fixed and on a desirable course for the long term. Like many challenges faced by business people looking to enhance their career path, those with weight-related challenges may also be failing to realize that the weight problem is actually a symptom of other, more deep-seated problems that are occurring elsewhere in their lives. In other words, the obstacles overweight and obese people face may, in fact, not necessarily be food-related at all, just as problems at work may have very little to do with what’s actually occurring on the job. In my practice, BusinessSuccessCoach.net, I use an holistic process to assess all of the elements required to affect our client’s success in business, rather than analyzing what is likely a mere symptom. This exclusive process, known as The Four Windows Method takes into account the whole of an individual -- not just the obvious areas related to the problem at hand. Although created for use in a business context, The Four Windows Method is infinitely adaptable to those attempting to lose weight. With The Four Windows Method, health seekers can work through a series of actions designed to provide a status review of their life using four distinct windows. Unlike other coaching methods that are tactical in nature, your final analysis, and the action plan derived from this assessment, will be strategic, holistic, and all encompassing. When you move on to work toward weight-loss success, there will be No Walls to hold you back. This reasoned and methodical approach of The Four Windows Method will help you to understand where you are, what you want, and how to get there and you’ll be healthier, and happier, as a result."Losing weight rarely relates to simply implementing the ‘right diet’ or the ‘right workout’,” said Raphael Calzadilla, B.A., CPT, ACE and a Certified Personal Trainer. “From my extensive personal and professional health experience, I’ve learned that one must first understand the driving emotional and psychological forces in their life in order to make the required behavioral changes. McKee’s Four Windows Method is one such process. It can help health seekers get on the right emotional track, allowing them to more effectively work toward -- and reach -- their goal." About the Four Windows Method, Susan Burke MS, RD, LD/N, CDE noted, “It’s clear John McKee understands that weight loss encompasses much more than just food modification. His introspective Four Windows Method digs deeper in an attempt to uncover one’s true motivation for overeating, which has resulted in the ‘symptom’ of an overweight or obese condition. McKee’s Method is designed to achieve permanent behavioral change to achieve and maintain a healthy weight for the long term and, as such, it’s an effort that I wholeheartedly endorse.” By applying The Four Windows Process to your weight loss effort, you will surely be well on track toward improved health and wellness. To get a free a free PDF copy of The Method to try yourself go to: http://www.businesssuccesscoach.net/WeightLoss.html ABOUT THE AUTHOR John McKee, a certified business and executive coach, is the expert and visionary behind BusinessSuccessCoach.net, an online destination for professionals who aspire to maximize their success in business. He can be reached through his web site at www.businesssuccesscoach.net.

6 Surefire Ways to Achieve Your Goals for 2005

by: Lorraine Pirihi

Hope you had a good rest and are all fired up for the year ahead. Whilst you were sitting on the beach or lazing around during your time off, which of the following changes to your life did you decide to make this year? To have the body of Elle McPherson or Nathan Buckley Find a stimulating job Take up a sport or hobby Buy your dream home Travel to an exotic destination Have more time with your family Establish your own business Double your income Become involved in the community Develop your creativity Improve your skills Create a plan for your financial future Have more fun Enhance your current relationship or find a new partner All of the above To help you channel your energy into achieving this year's goals, here are some practical ways to get started. After all, there is no reason why you shouldn't start immediately, is there? How to Get Started 1. Write a list of what you want to achieve this year. 2. Make sure what you've written down is specific, measurable and attainable. e.g. Lose 5 kgs . ..by 30/2/05. 3. Write no.1 against the most important goal. Write no.2 against the next most important goal. Continue numbering the rest of the goals. 4. Look at the goal with no.1 next to it. i.e. lose 5 kilos. Start a separate list with the heading . .. Lose 5 kilos. by 28/2/05 5. Write down the action steps you need to take to achieve this goal: a. Join gym b. Decide which specific days and times you will attend c. Purchase gym gear d. See nutritionist 6. Enter the action steps into your diary/electronic organiser on the day(s) you will do these: Jan 15th - join gym Jan 16th - book nutritionist Attend gym Monday/Wednesday/Friday at 6.00 a.m. Ensure when you book time for yourself in your diary you treat it as a top priority. Unless there is an earthquake or equally devastating disaster occurring, keep that time sacred. To ensure your goals are achieved it is imperative to write them down and then plan the appropriate steps to take in your diary. Otherwise your goals could end up being wishful thinking! Goal/Dream Chart Having visual reminders is a great way to prompt and keep you motivated to follow through. Cut out a picture of the body you'd like to have from a magazine and stick a photo of your head on top of it. Alternatively if you want to recapture the way you were some time ago, find an old photo of yourself. You can place these on your desktop, car dashboard and the fridge at home. Do this for your other goals (minus the head). In fact having a dream chart with pictures or words of the things you want to achieve is a great stimulus for your sub-conscious mind. Sticking these reminders onto green paper is even more effective. I have one of these in my office and guess what? It actually works! Action Is The Key Once you've identified what you want, written it down, planned when you will take action and done your goal/dream chart, nothing will happen unless you get off your butt and take action towards those goals. Avoid the 'Too Much Too Soon' Syndrome Often people try making many changes at once then get disillusioned because there are too many things to do and just give up. If you've done this in the past, tackle one goal at a time. If you really have difficulty going it alone, you may benefit from using the services of a coach like myself who will keep you on track. The right person will help you accelerate your success. Jenny's Story One of my clients was extremely overweight by at least 30 kilos. Apart from her business goals, losing the weight was her highest priority …or so she said. We looked at her diet and exercise and worked out a plan, according to what she was committed to do. Notice here I've said committed. Over the three months I worked with Jenny she was like most people in this area…inconsistent. She'd exercise regularly and eat healthily for a couple of weeks and then make excuses as to why she couldn't or wouldn't stick to the plan. There was no reason why she couldn't achieve her weight loss goal, after all the program we worked out together was easy to do. A few changes to her eating habits, regular exercise and planning would do the trick. The only challenge was Jenny. She wouldn't consistently do it. It all boiled down to that she wasn't serious enough about losing the weight and was not prepared to make the changes…yet. I did suggest seeing a nutritionist or making contact with a specific weight loss organisation to provide her with continuing support. However, Jenny was adamant that she could manage herself. After three months of coaching, Jenny lost 5 kilos. It was certainly better than nothing, however she could have lost much more if only she took the necessary action, consistently. A few weeks later I rang Jenny to see how she was progressing with the various changes she had made through coaching. She excitedly told me she had finally got her act together as a result of the progress she had made with me, joined Weightwatchers and lost another 20kgs! She got committed. Dare to Fail In Billi Lim's bestselling book "Dare to Fail" he shares the following story: A woman once walked up to a little old man rocking in a chair on his porch. "I couldn't help noticing how happy you look", she said. "What's the secret for a long happy life?' "I smoke three packs of cigarettes a day', he said. "I also drink a case of whisky a week, eat fatty foods and never exercise." "That's amazing, the woman said. "How old are you?" "Twenty-six", he said. The Final Word You too can achieve your 2005 goals if you really want to. The goals you set must fit in with your values. For instance if you really value your health and well-being (and you should…you're no good to anyone if you're sick or even worse…dead,) then it will be easier for you to take action around this area. Plan and get off your butt now because it won't be long until you hear that familiar cry "I'm too busy, I don't have the time!" About the Author Lorraine Pirihi is Australia's Personal Productivity Specialist and Leading Life Coach. Her business The Office Organiser specialises in showing small business owners and managers, how to get organised at work so they can have a life! Lorraine is also a dynamic speaker and has produced many products including "How to Survive and Thrive at Work!" o subscribe to her free ezine visit www.office-organiser.com.au

What Can We Eat to Avoid Obesity?

by: (c) Anna “Overweight? NO MORE!”

Obesity is becoming a global concern. The basic of losing weight is simple; consume less calories than you burn. Consuming more calories than we need leads to overweight. Although some foods indicate being "LOW FAT," "LOW CARBS," or "SUGAR FREE," this does not mean we can eat unlimited servings. These products still have calories despite being rated as “low.” It is imperative we modify our eating habits controlling what and how much we eat, and not food controlling our lives. Reportedly, the Mediterranean diet, a combination of lots of vegetables, grains, fruits, olive oil, and wine is one of the most balanced meals to help avoid obesity. Many researches indicate that people following a Mediterranean diet have lower disease risks and less obesity problems. On the other hand, many research studies have indicated that wine taken in moderation is beneficial for our health. The secret is to drink in moderation. One glass of wine with our meals is fine; just be aware that a glass of wine approximately has 100 calories. You still can follow this diet even if not drinking wine. Moreover, the Mediterranean diet is even consistent with the new diet recommendations issued by the U.S. Department of Agriculture in January 2005. You may check the site at www.healthierus.gov/dietaryguidelines Ideally, eat at regular intervals, every 3-4 hours. Why? It helps to keep blood sugar levels stable. Skipping meals will not help you lose weight in the long term. Your goal is to keep that unwanted fat away, right? Hence, do not skip breakfast and add a cup of green tea to speed up your metabolism. One advice, do not follow rigid diets or extreme low carbs. Yes, I know, I know … there are low carb meals and low fat labels almost everywhere! Again, remember that low carbs and low fat DO NOT mean zero calories. Read food labels to know how many calories you are actually consuming. Me, reading labels? Yes, I am not kidding. Trust me, this habit will help you keep the weight off and enjoy a healthier figure, as you will be in control of how much you eat -- not food controlling you. Furthermore, most of these quick weight loss diets and products offer only temporary weight loss. They fail in the long term because you lose lean muscle mass and body water. Surprise comes when you resume eating normal, as you tend to gain that weight back, if not add even more. The reason is that those quick diets or extreme low carb diets can slow down your metabolism. Therefore, the best way to achieve your weight loss goal without starving is to follow a balanced menu checking your calories intake, and exercise at least 3 times a week to lose body fat. Personally, I prefer a high protein and moderate carbs, as our bodies need carbs to function properly. I can proudly say that I lost 80 pounds of unwanted fat and have kept the weight off for 3 years without starving, but eating a combined balanced meal. If I did that, so can you! The bottom line is to keep the weight off, that unwanted fat, which is so hard to get rid of, and not just have the illusion of losing weight when in reality we are losing mostly water with crash diets. So, you might be asking, then what can I eat? Again, you can eat a balanced meal. We should eat at least 3 servings of fruit and vegetables a day to keep a healthy figure. Remember our ancestors, our mothers, and grandmothers telling us, "Finish your vegetables!" Well, guess what? They were right! Vegetables are a good source of vitamins, minerals and are low in calories, unlike processed food. I love vegetables, especially tomatoes with fresh basil. Drinking 8 glasses of water a day will help your metabolism too. Avoid cooking with lard or with heavy cooking oils, as they are high in calories and saturated fat. Excess of saturated fats is associated with colon cancer and atherosclerosis among other diseases. A better oil for cooking is mono unsaturated Extra Virgin Olive Oil. Contrary to saturated fat, unsaturated fat is associated with longevity and lower risk of disease, olive oil is a good example. In 2004, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration allowed olive oil products to make the claim: “Limited and not conclusive scientific evidence suggests that about two tablespoons of olive oil daily may reduce the risk of coronary heart disease due to the monounsaturated fat in olive oil.” Reduce portion sizes and eat more fresh foods than processed foods. If you enjoy meat, try leaner cuts and trim off any fat. If you enjoy chicken, eliminate the skin and trim off any fat too. Chicken is a good source of protein and very low in carbs. If you are vegetarian, have soy-based products for protein consumption. For example, meatless hamburgers, falafel, soy-based bacon, soy-based sausages, etc... Ideally go for low fat dairy products and you will still have all the nutrients with the exception of fat. Consume yogurt, but make sure it contains "live cultures," such as Acidophillus, thermophillus, L. Bulgaricus and lactobacillus; these bacteria boost the immune system, helping restore good bacteria to our digestive system to combat bad bacteria. As highlighted by Scientist T. Charles John Bhaskar, those unique living microorganisms are responsible for many of the health and nutritional benefits of yogurt, such as helping to digest food and prevent stomach infections, plus it is a good source of protein, calcium, riboflavin and vitamin B 12. For those social parties, let me give you some emergency party measures. Be alert to those fancy goodies at parties. They might look small but sometimes are full of saturated fat and empty calories. For example, hidden fat foods include chips, sausages, pork pie, salami, and those innocent dips. Instead, have a small plate with vegetables, fruits, or just one of those tempting snacks. Sure, you might be tempted to grasp those sugary or salty heavy calories munchies, but think…”do I really need those empty calories and extra fat?” Most of those snacks are starchy carbs and refined carbs, which are usually high in calories and their high glycemic value increases blood sugar levels. Most of those sugars will convert into fat deposits if our bodies don’t burn those extra calories.. The bottom line is that we can eat almost everything, as long as we eat in moderation without consuming more calories than we actually burn. Diet should not be a burdening experience but a healthy pleasant experience without deprivation. It is up to us to make the decision to either keep increasing weight by over eating, or defeating overweight by learning how to eat healthy and not use food as an excuse to fill any emotional need. Now, let me go and grasp my warm cup of green tea to speed up my metabolism. Until next time, have an enjoyable way to keep a healthy figure. Your commitment is also my commitment, “Official! Overweight? NO MORE!” We can do it! ============================================= ABOUT THE AUTHOR Anna “Overweight? NO MORE!” lost over 80 pounds from 230 pounds and has kept the weight off for 3 years. She believes that every person can achieve a healthier figure with determination, eating healthy, and exercising. There is no general miracle diet, but every body responds differently. It is a matter of taking the first step: ”Believing that one can regain a healthier body, having that strong inner motivation is the key to stay focused. I did it, so can you!” www.officialoverweightnomore.com contact: anna@officialoverweightnomore.com NOTE: This article may be freely reprinted in your ezines, ebooks, off-line publications, or on your websites. We only require that the entire article - inluding the links, and the resource box "about the author" at the bottom of each article remain unchanged.