your weight loss resource

Secret Fat Loss

2008-06-17T06:27:00.000-07:00

A new breakthrough secret is all you now need in order to forever shed countless pounds, stay healthy, and add many years to your life!

A lady doctor from Arizona has blown the lid off the best-kept secret in weight loss ever discovered -- and this has the whole diet food and drug industries turned upside down and in nothing less than a torrential uproar.

Her name is Dr Suzanne Gudakunst, and she's marching to the beat of a different drum.

And no, nothing about her "secret" is difficult -- nor does it require that you do something completely out of the ordinary or anything unnatural.

Instead, the Arizonian boasts proudly "...this is something that I caught onto just before 2002 when there was so much research and exploration going around concerning the human colon and digestive system working in harmony with nutritional absorption, and I started doing independent studies just to test things at first ... but which I later expanded on after seeing some fantastic results."

This same woman medical practitioner went on to accurately determine a definitive correlation between harmful plague and parasitic infestations of the human bowel tract, and people suffering chronic obesity -- and who despite intense diet and exercise appeared to be unable to lose any weight whatsoever.

Over the course of six years the Arizona doctor developed a number of natural treatments for the removal of these same harmful, even life-threatening plaques and rapidly reproducing digestive parasites -- and when applied to even worse-case patients suffering extreme obesity (98% of which were in immediate danger of dying) she saw a 100% effectiveness and success rate.

She then borrowed from her research on the severely obese, and applied the same strategies on milder cases of overweight persons -- only to find the same effectiveness and quality results as described above (although the individual weight loss per subject wasn't nearly as much as those obese patients 100 lbs to 200 lbs or more overweight).

So powerful is her secret that she's able to reverse diabetes, rid illness altogether in people suffering from cancer (linked directly to poor diet and overweight factors), as well as an elimination of an entire spectrum of serious and otherwise life-threatening diseases.

Nearly 100% of all her case subjects were told in the alternative by "conventional doctors" that they either had just months or years to live, or they would never live a life anything resembling remotely a "normal" existence -- yet after applying Dr Suzanne's treatments saw a complete contradiction to others doctors' prognoses.

Again, nothing about her secret is unnatural or requires someone to do any major action or modification in their lives.

In fact, her entire treatment is based completely on built-into-nature 'protection agents' scattered throughout the world in the form of select herbs, extracts, and organic constituents, and which can be found in a variety of plants -- but when combined in specific combinations and carefully chosen amounts make for a solution to what is perhaps the world's worst ever plague: OBESITY (and the illnesses and diseases resulting from it -- or at least severely aggravated or exacerbated by it).

Now to everyone else's great gain, whether suffering from just a few extra pounds and inches, to those extremely fat and overweight, this brave, bold lady doctor is releasing to the general public her secret for forever destroying the tight unrelenting closed-fist of obesity's stronghold over the now more than 40% of Americans labeled obese, and others worldwide.

But she's not promising any of us for how long.

Some experts and sociologists suggest that in the bigger scheme of things, the world will never tolerate a discovery of such magnitude, any more than it would be realistic to expect a car that runs on water (even if very real) to ever become commercially available to the general public for day-to-day use.

One well-respected and famous diet & wellness author wrote years ago that if anyone ever "truly unlocked the keys to permanent fat loss, they may actually suffer the same fate as JFK."

Dr. Suzanne Gudakunst is taking the world of diet by storm by promoting her “Top Secret” fat loss program to help people losing fat effectively and permanently. You must asking: “Why such a buzz about this fat loss program?” To put it simple, Dr. Suzanne Gudakunst is demonstrating how using the colon cleansing diet or detox diet can help your body removing fat naturally.

To summarize her first theory, the human body is accumulating toxins from all the chemicals we digest daily through food, water and air. The human body defense will store these nasty stuffs into fat tissue. Do a good “Detox” regularly, it helps the body to remove the toxins PLUS the excess fat and fluid. As you can see, Detox diet has been around for quite some time and it’s not quite a secret from my point of view.

Her second theory is her market punch, her famous “Secret” as she says. She points out the reason that people can’t lose weight has nothing to do with their will-power, over-eating or the right diet. The reason of our obesity and illness is because we all have Plaque and Parasites living in our guts. These 2 elements need to be remove otherwise it will eventually cause us to puff up, gain lots of weight and get sick more often. These worms can die and then become mineralized and cause painful swelling, blockages and other harmful things.

In her fat loss program, she is guiding people to use natural components to remove the parasites and to have a good detox and cleansing program through good nutrition. Her breakthrough Top Secret Fat Loss Program has drug manufacturers, weight-loss “gurus” and other proclaiming lose-fat-fast-schemes to suppress her information from ever going mainstream. She also received death threats for revealing her new way to lose body fat.

INDEX

2008-06-17T06:26:00.001-07:00

Link2Me Link Exchange Directory - The Best Link Exchange for SEO Professionals
Quality directory of webmasters actively seeking link exchange. Improve your search engine rankings and link popularity the easy way. Work clever not hard.

Home Insurance - Compare Buildings & Contents
Direct Line Home Insurance	Barclays Home Insurance	More Than Home Insurance
Churchill Home Insurance	Natwest Home Insurance	Tesco Home Insurance

Pharmaceutical companies
Pharmaceutical databases online, over 100,000 approved prescription drugs, OTC drugs and health products. Include medications, nutritions, supplements, veterinary products, pet meds, cosmetics, drugs active ingredients, pharmaceutical companies

Web Health Infomation Services
Male Health, General Health, Women Health, Skin Care Treatment, Bowel Cleanser, Re Grow Hair, Pills, Health Supplements, Health Products, Weight Loss, Relief Stress, Health Infomation Services

Weight Loss
Your Fastest Way To Permanent Weight Loss. Lose 14 Pounds In Your First Week, And Then Eat Your Way Slim.

Designer Reading Glasses
Designer Reading Glasses and Sunglasses: luxury optical frames, safety lenses: Chanel Christian Dior Dolce & Gabbana Gucci Fendi Prada Oakley.. Newest 08, most popular 2007, populold fashioned models. SMART EYEGLASSES SHOPPING-add lenses online

Chime Cottage Music - specialist online CD shop.
Online CD/MP3 shop for progressive rock, synth rock, electronica, ambient and New Age sounds.

LAMAZE CLASSES - ONLINE LAMAZE SCHOOLS - BIRTHING SCHOOL PREGNANCY
ONLINELAMAZE.COM is a pregancy website where you can learn lamaze style techniques among many others, all from professionals right in the comfort of your own home.

dj corner
Music the universal language everyone can understand. It can make you dance, sing, cry and fall in love. This forum is for music lovers of all types. Discuss your favorite artist, song, and club mixes and experiences.

nanobots in medicine, Nanotechnology and health care
All about nanotechnology and itz application in health care

physiotherapy durham
Durham Physiotherapy - physiotherapy practice in Durham

The Dangers of Excess Body Fat

2008-05-10T05:02:00.000-07:00

Most people's primary motivation for weight management is to improve their appearance. Equally important, however, are the many other benefits of proper nutrition and regular exercise.

Weight management through reduction of excess body fat plays a vital role in maintaining good health and fighting disease. In fact, medical evidence shows that obesity poses a major threat to health and longevity. (The most common definition of obesity is more than 25 percent body fat for men and more than 32 percent for women.) An estimated one in three Americans has some excess body fat; an estimated 20 percent are obese.

Excess body fat is linked to major physical threats like heart disease, cancer, and diabetes. (Three out of four Americans die of either heart disease or cancer each year; according to the National Health and Nutrition Examination survey, approximately 80 percent of those deaths are associated with life-style factors, including inactivity.)

For example, if you're obese, it takes more energy for you to breathe because your heart has to work harder to pump blood to the lungs and to the excess fat throughout the body. This increased work load can cause your heart to become enlarged and can result in high blood pressure and life-threatening erratic heartbeats.

Obese people also tend to have high cholesterol levels, making them more prone to arteriosclerosis, a narrowing of the arteries by deposits of plaque. This becomes life-threatening when blood vessels become so narrow or blocked that vital organs like the brain, heart or kidneys are deprived of blood. Additionally, the narrowing of the blood vessels forces the heart to pump harder, and blood pressure rises. High blood pressure itself poses several health risks, including heart attack, kidney failure, and stroke. About 25 percent of all heart and blood vessel problems are associated with obesity.

Clinical studies have found a relationship between excess body fat and the incidence of cancer. By itself, body fat is thought to be a storage place for carcinogens (cancer-causing chemicals) in both men and women. In women, excess body fat has been linked to a higher rate of breast and uterine cancer; in men, the threat comes from colon and prostate cancer.

There is also a delicate balance between blood sugar, body fat, and the hormone insulin. Excess blood sugar is stored in the liver and other vital organs; when the organs are "full," the excess blood sugar is converted to fat. As fat cells themselves become full, they tend to take in less blood sugar. In some obese people, the pancreas produces more and more insulin, which the body can't use, to regulate blood sugar levels, and the whole system becomes overwhelmed. This poor regulation of blood sugar and insulin results in diabetes, a disease with long-term consequences, including heart disease, kidney failure, blindness, amputation, and death. Excess body fat is also linked to gall bladder disease, gastro-intestinal disease, sexual dysfunction, osteoarthritiis, and stroke.

Reducing Body Fat Reduces Disease Risk

The good news is that reducing body fat reduces the risk of disease. At the University of Pittsburgh, researchers studied 159 people as they followed a weight management program. The subjects were under age 45 and 30-70 pounds overweight. Those subjects who were able to shed just 10-15 percent of their weight and keep it off during the 18-month study showed significant improvement in HDL cholesterol and triglyceride levels, waist-to-hip ratio, and blood pressure. In fact, according to the New England Journal of Medicine, body fat reduction is a more powerful modulator of cardiac structure than drug therapy.

For people with a family history of heart disease, an active lifestyle can slow or stop the process for all but those with serious genetic disorders. Studies by Dean Ornish, MD, have shown that a comprehensive intervention program that includes regular physical activity, a low-fat diet and a stress reduction program can even reverse the heart disease process.

Evidence also shows that an active lifestyle and its help in reducing body fat is associated with a reduced risk for some types of cancers: prostate for men, breast and uterine cancers for women. (Frisch, et al 1985)

In addition, regular physical activity and a low-fat diet are successful in treating non-insulin dependent diabetes (NIDDM); for some patients, it has reduced or eliminated the need for insulin substitutes. In general, regularly active adults have 42 percent lower risk of developing NIDDM.

Gaining Weight Happens to Most of Us

The average American gains at least one pound a year after age 25. Think about it. If you're like most Americans, by the time you're 50, you're likely to gain 25 pounds of fat, or more. In addition, your metabolism is also slowing down, causing your body to work less efficiently at burning the fat it has. At the same time, if you don't exercise regularly, you lose a pound of muscle each year. Consequently, people are not only increasing their body fat stores, increasing their risk of disease, but they're also losing muscle, increasing the risk of injury, decreasing activity performance, and further slowing down metabolism.

Very few Americans exercise in any significant way. The President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports estimates that only one in five Americans exercises for the healthy minimum of 20 minutes, three or more days a week. In fact, the average American gets less than 50 minutes of exercise per week. Even worse, two out of five Americans are completely sedentary.

The Answer: Healthy Eating and Physical Fitness

But there is hope. Moderate weight loss--of fat, not muscle--and a healthy and active lifestyle--not dieting--have been found to lower health risks and medical problems in 90 percent of overweight patients, improving their heart function, blood pressure, glucose tolerance, sleep disorders, and cholesterol levels, as well as lowering their requirements for medication, lowering the incidence and duration of hospitalization, and reducing post-operative complications eight times less likely to die from cancer than the unfit, and 53 percent less likely to die from other diseases. Fit people are also eight times less likely to die from heart disease.

So, are you willing to be patient and make gradual changes in your life that will lead to a healthier, happier you? Once you have made the decision to go forward and accept change, the hard part is over. Sure, there is plenty of work to be done, but it really doesn't matter how long this new process takes. If you allow changes to take place over several years, your body will adjust comfortably, and you will be more likely to maintain the healthy lifestyle permanently.

When you begin achieving improvements in energy and physical and psychological performance, the fun and excitement you experience will make the change well worth the effort. Action creates motivation! Good luck: I hope you enjoy all the wonderful benefits of a safe and effective weight management program.

* Be sure to check with your health care professional before making any changes in your activity or eating habits.

Get Fit on a Shoestring Budget

2008-05-10T05:01:00.002-07:00

Aside from all the health benefits of exercise, a good exercise program can also help you save money and possibly make more money....and you can implement an effective, comprehensive exercise program with very little expense.

Research has demonstrated that people who exercise on a regular basis save thousands of dollars in medical expenses over a lifetime. Because exercise improves your immune system, exercisers usually experience fewer colds and other respiratory infections and thus have fewer "down days" and doctor bills. Exercisers also have fewer sprains and strains, and the incidence of heart attacks, strokes, and certain cancers is lower in exercisers!

Exercise also increases mental acuity, reduces fatigue, and improves the quality of sleep...leading to improved productivity and thus more income for many people.

A comprehensive exercise program consists of two components; aerobic and anaerobic. They work together to give you all the benefits you can derive from an exercise program.

1. Aerobic exercise refers to exercises like brisk walking, jogging, swimming, aerobic dance, outdoor cycling, stationary cycling, rowing, stair climbing, etc. The benefits of aerobic exercise are numerous including increased caloric expenditure, increased metabolism, increased energy levels, decreased incidence of cardiovascular disease, etc.

The simplest, most liked, and usually least expensive of these is walking. Or, If you already have the required equipment such as a rower or stationary cycle, or access to a swimming pool, these would also be inexpensive options. If you're interested in buying exercise equipment, never buy it new! Free classified type newspapers around the country are LOADED with used exercise equipment! I've gotten some great deals by keeping an eye on those classified papers.

I recommend doing some form of aerobic exercise on a daily basis, preferably first thing in the morning. Forget this "twice a week" stuff! Our bodies were "designed" to be active on a daily basis! When we are, all sorts of wonderful things happen, including the fact that our metabolism soars!

Although you should try to average about 45 minutes per day, even if you can only do 10 minutes some days, that's alot better than doing nothing! Get in the habit of exercising everyday...just like brushing your teeth. Ideally, your heart rate should be in your "target range" for most of your aerobic exercise session. That can be calculated as follows... (220 - age) x .6 is your lower limit and (220 - age) x .8 is your upper limit. For example, if you're 40 years old, your lower limit would be 108 beats per minute (180 x .6) and your upper limit would be 144 beats per minute (180 x .8).

2. Anaerobic exercise is the second component of a comprehensive exercise program and refers primarily to resistance exercise like weight training to tone and strengthen your muscles. Weight training is loaded with benefits such as increased metabolism, improved appearance, increased fat burning 24 hours a day, increased sense of well-being and confidence, decreased incidence of osteoporosis, etc....

Weight training can be done at a health club or less expensively at home. For less than $20 you can usually buy the dumbells (small weights) needed for an effective home weight training program. You should weight train three days per week and it can be accomplished in 20 to 30 minutes. If you'd like my guide to developing a safe and effective home weight training program, mail a $6 check to... Greg Landry, M.S., 5253 Dijon Drive, Suite C, Baton Rouge, LA 70808.

My experience over the years is that most people try to "buy" a successful exercise program....they believe that if they "buy" the "latest and greatest" exercise gadget or if they "buy" the magical new supplements that burn five pounds of fat a day, or if they "buy" a health club membership, they can acieve their exercise goals. The fact is that an effective, comprehensive exercise program can be implemented with very little expense! Get started! :)

* Be sure to check with your health care professional before making any changes in your activity habits.

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

2008-05-10T05:01:00.001-07:00

You hear it all the time - "metabolism", but what is it? It's the process of converting food to energy (movement and heat). Metabolism happens in your muscles and organs and the result of it is what we commonly refer to as "burning calories". Metabolism is essentially the speed at which your body's motor is running.

"Basal metabolism" is the metabolic rate or caloric expenditure needed to maintain basal body functions such as your heart beating, breathing, muscle tone, etc. It's how fast your "motor" is running when you're still in a reclined position or sleeping. Basal metabolism accounts for about 75% of the calories you expend on a daily basis!

The good news is that there are 12 ways you can "boost" your metabolism! The more of these you're able to incorporate into your life, the more you'll boost your metabolism. That means you'll be expending ("burning") more calories 24 hours a day!

1. Always eat breakfast! Skipping breakfast sends the message to your body that you're starving because you haven't had food in 18+ hours. As a protective mechanism, your metabolism slows down. Food, especially complex carbohydrates, fuels your metabolism.

2. Eat earlier in the day! Research has demonstrated that you can lose weight simply by eating a substantial breakfast and lunch, and a light dinner. Dinner should be eaten as early as possible, preferably at least four hours before bedtime.

3. Never eat less than 1200 calories per day! Less than 1200 is usually not enough to support your basal metabolism and thus will slow your metabolism.

4. Snack frequently! Complex carbohydrates (fruits, vegetables, and grains) fuel your metabolism. Also, snacking prevents you from becoming too hungry. The hungrier you are, the less control you have over what and how much you eat.

5. Eat more carbohydrates (food from plants), and less fat (food from many animals and other food with added fat)! Carbohydrates boost your metabolism and have fewer calories per weight than fat.

6. Do some type of aerobic exercise (walking, jogging, swimming, stationary cycling, aerobic dancing, etc.) on a daily basis (preferably in the morning)! Forget this twice-a-week stuff. Our bodies were designed to be active on a daily basis! When we are, our metabolism soars!

7. In addition to your regular aerobic exercise, take a brisk 10 to 15 minute walk at lunch or in the evening. This serves to boost your metabolism even more!

8. Tone your muscles with weight training three days per week. Toned muscles send your metabolism through the roof. Do it!

9. Look for situations to be active. Park as far from the store as you can rather than looking for the closest parking spot. Use the stairs rather than the elevator, a broom rather than a blower, etc. Look for the "hard" way to do things!

10. Avoid alcohol! Alcohol depresses your metabolism and stimulates your appetite.

11. Drink 60+ ounces of water a day. Your metabolism needs plenty water to function properly. Carry a bottle of water with you and drink frequently throughout the day.

12. Avoid the"3 P's".....pills, powders, and potions! There are NO quick fixes!

Get started today! You'll feel better and your metabolism will be in "great shape"!

Exercise In The Morning!

2008-05-10T05:00:00.002-07:00

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

So why mornings?...

1. Over 90% of people who exercise *consistently*, exercise in the morning. If you want to exercise consistently, odds are in your favor if you exercise first thing in the morning.

2. When you exercise early in the morning, it "jump starts" your metabolism and keeps it elevated for hours, sometimes up to 24 hours! That means you're burning more calories all day long just because you exercised in the morning!

3. When you exercise in the morning you'll be *energized* for the day! Personally, I feel dramatically different on days when I have and haven't exercised in the morning.

4. Many people find that morning exercise "regulates" their appetite for the day...that they aren't as hungry and that they make better food choices. Several people have told me that it puts them in a "healthy mindset"

5. If you exercise at about the same time every morning... and ideally wake-up at about the same time on a regular basis, your body's endocrine system and circadian rhythms adjust to that, and physiologically, some wonderful things happen; A couple of hours *before* you awaken, your body begins to prepare for waking and exercise because it "knows" it's about to happen...why? because it "knows" you do the same thing just about everyday. You benefit from that in several ways...

a) It's MUCH easier to wake-up. When you wake-up at different times everyday, it confuses your body and thus it's never really "prepared" to awaken.

b) Your metabolism and all the hormones involved in activity and exercise begin to elevate while you're sleeping. Thus, you feel more alert, energized, and ready to exercise when you do wake-up.

c) Hormones prepare your body for exercise by regulating blood pressure, heart rate, blood flow to muscles, etc.

6. For many people, that appointed time every morning becomes something they look forward to. It's time they've set aside to do something good for themselves...to take care of their body and mind. Many find that it's a great time to think clearly, pray, plan their day, or just relax mentally.

7. Research has demonstrated that exercise increases mental acuity... on average it lasts four to ten hours after exercise! No sense in wasting that while you're sleeping. :)

8. Exercise first thing in the morning is really the only way to assure that something else won't crowd exercise out of your schedule. When your days get hectic, exercise usually takes a backseat!

9. If finding time to exercise is difficult, anyone can get up 30 to 60 minutes earlier to exercise (if it's a priority in your life). If necessary, you can go to sleep a little earlier. Also, research has demonstrated that people who exercise on a regular basis have a higher quality of sleep and thus require less sleep! :)

10. You'll feel GREAT! DO IT! :)

Top 20 Benefits of Exercise

2008-05-10T05:00:00.001-07:00

1. Elevates your metabolism so that you burn more calories everyday.

2. Increases your aerobic capacity (fitness level). This gives you the ability to go through your day with less relative energy expenditure. This enables a "fit" person to have more energy at the end of the day and to get more accomplished during the day with less fatigue.

3. Maintains, tones, and strengthens your muscle. Exercise also increases your muscular endurance.

4. Decreases your blood pressure.

5. Increases the oxidation (breakdown and use) of fat.

6. Increases HDL (good) cholesterol.

7. Makes the heart a more efficient pump by increasing stroke volume.

8. Increases hemoglobin concentration in your blood. Hemoglobin is part of the red blood cell that carries oxygen from the lungs to the rest of the body.

9. Decreases the tendency of the blood to clot in the blood vessels. This is important because small clots traveling in the blood are often the cause of heart attacks and strokes.

10. Increases the strength of the bones.

11. Causes the development of new blood vessels in the heart and other muscles.

12. Enlarges the arteries that supply blood to the heart.

13. Decreases blood levels of triglycerides (fat).

14. Improves control of blood sugar.

15. Improves sleep patterns.

16. Increases the efficiency of the digestive system which may reduce the incidence of colon cancer.

17. Increases the thickness of cartilage in joints which has a protective effect on the joints.

18. Decreases a woman's risk of developing endometriosis by 50%.

19. Increases the amount of blood that flows to the skin making it look and feel healthier.

20. Exercise, in addition to all the physiological and anatomical benefits, just makes you feel GREAT!

Top 18 Benefits of Weight Training

2008-05-10T04:59:00.000-07:00

1. Weight training tones your muscles which looks great and raises your basal metabolism... which causes you to burn more calories 24 hours-a-day. You'll even burn more calories while you're sleeping.

2. Weight training can *reverse* the natural decline in your metabolism which begins around age 30.

3. Weight training energizes you.

4. Weight training has a positive affect on almost all of your 650+ muscles.

5. Weight training strengthens your bones reducing your risk of developing osteoporosis.

6. Weight training improves your muscular endurance.

7. Weight training will NOT develop big muscles on women....just toned muscles!

8. Weight training makes you strong. Strength gives you confidence and makes daily activities easier.

9. Weight training makes you less prone to low-back injuries.

10. Weight training decreases your resting blood pressure.

11. Weight training decreases your risk of developing adult onset diabetes.

12. Weight training decreases your gastrointestinal transit time, reducing your risk for developing colon cancer.

13. Weight training increases your blood level of HDL cholesterol (the good type).

14. Weight training improves your posture.

15. Weight training improves the functioning of your immune system.

16. Weight training lowers your resting heart rate, a sign of a more efficient heart.

17. Weight training improves your balance and coordination.

18. Weight training elevates your mood.

Where Diets Go Wrong

2008-05-10T04:58:00.000-07:00

When we discover that we are heavier than we want to be, we have a natural inclination to eat less food. We may skip lunch or eat only a tiny amount of our dinner in the hope that if we eat less our body will burn off some of its fat. But that is not necessarily true. Eating less actually makes it more difficult to lose weight.

Keep in mind that the human body took shape millions of years ago, and at that time there were diets. The only low-calorie event in people's lives was starvation. Those who could cope with a temporary lack of food were the ones who survived. Our bodies, therefore, have developed this built-in mechanism to help us survive in the face of low food intake.

When researchers compare overweight and thin people, they find that they are roughly the same number of calories. What makes overweight people different is the amount of fat that they eat. Thin people tend to eat less fat and more complex carbohydrates.

Losing weight is not something one can do overnight. A carefully planned weight loss program requires common sense and certain guidelines. Unfortunately, there's a lot of misinformantion floating around and lots of desperate people are easily duped and ripped off.

Every day one can open a magazine or newspaper and see advertisements touting some new product, pill or patch that will take excess weight off quickly. Everyone seems to be looking for that "magic" weight loss pill. Millions of Americans are trying to lose weight, spending billions of dollars every year on diet programs and products. Often they do lose some weight. But, if you check with the same people five years later, you will find that nearly all have regained whatever weight they lost.

A survey was done recently to try and determine if any commercial diet program could prove long-term success. Not a single program could do so. So rampant has the so-called diet industry become with new products and false claims that the FDA has now stepped in and started clamping down.

Being seriously overweight and particularly obesity can develop into a number of diseases and serious health problems, and it is now a known fact that when caloric intake is excessive, some of the excess frequently is saturated fat.

The myth is that people get heavy by eating too many calories. Calories are a consideration it's true, but overall they are not the cause of obesity in America today. Americans actually take in fewer calories each day than they did at the beginning of the century. If calories alone were the reason we become overweight, we should all be thin. But we are not. Collectively, we are heavier than ever. Partly, it is because we are more sedentary now. But equally, as important is the fact that the fat content of the American diet has changed dramatically.

People who diet without exercising often get fatter with time. Although your weight may initially drop while dieting, such weight loss consists mostly of water and muscle. When the weight returns, it comes back as fat. To avoid getting fatter over time, increase your metabolism by exercising regularly.

Select an exercise routine that you are comfortable with and remember that walking is one of the best and easiest exercises for strengthening your bones, controlling your weight and toning your muscles.

Are You Drinking Enough Water?

2008-05-10T04:57:00.002-07:00

Most people have no idea how much water they should be drinking, and most Americans live from day to day in a dehydrated state. They don't drink enough water.

Without water, we would be poisoned to death by our own waste products and toxins resulting from metabolism.

Water is vital to digestion and metabolism, acting as a medium for various enzymatic and chemical reactions in the body. It carries nutrients and oxygen to the cells through the blood, regulates body temperature and lubricates our joints (which is particularly important if you're arthritic, have chronic muscular-skeletal problems or are athletically active).

We need water to breathe; we lose approximately one pint of liquid every day just by exhaling.

If you are not in "fluid balance" you can impair every aspect of your body's physiological functioning.

Dr. Howard Flaks, Beverly Hills:
"As a result of not drinking enough water, many people encounter such problems as excess body fat, poor muscle tone and size, decreased digestive efficiency and organ function, increased toxicity in the body, joint and muscle soreness (particularly after exercise) and water retention."

Proper water intake is the key to weight loss," says Dr. Donald Robertson, Scottsdale, Arizona. "If people who are trying to lose weight don't drink enough water, the body can't metabolize the fat, they retain fluid, which keeps their weight up, and the whole procedure we're trying to set up falls apart."

"I'd say the minimum amount of water a healthy person should drink is 10 eight-ounce glasses a day," he continues, "and you need to drink more if you are overweight, exercise a lot, or live in a hot climate. Overweight people should drink an extra eight ounces of water for each 25 pounds that exceeds their ideal weight."

Your water intake should be spread judiciously throughout the day, including the evening. Dr. Flaks cautions against drinking more than four glasses in any given hour. Always check with your physician before embarking on a water intake increase program.

You may ask, "If I drink this much water, won't I constantly be running to the bathroom?" Initially, yes, because of the hypersensitivity of the bladder to increased fluids. But after a few weeks, your bladder calms down, and you urinate less frequently, but in larger amounts.

There is a difference between pure water and other beverages that contain water.

Water is water. Obviously you can get it by consuming fruit juice, soft drinks, beer, coffee or tea. Unfortunately, while such drinks contain water, they also may contain substances that are not healthy and actually contradict some of the positive effects of the added water.

Dr. Jerzy Meduski, Los Angeles, California: "Beer contains water, but it also contains alcohol, which is a toxic substance. Beverages that contain caffeine, such as coffee, stimulate the adrenal glands; fruit juices contain a lot of sugar and stimulate the pancreas. Such drinks may tax the body more than cleanse it."

Another problem with these beverages is that you lose your taste for water.

The way to interpret all of this, therefore, is that the recommended daily water intake means just that--WATER!

Sensible Diet Tips

2008-05-10T04:57:00.001-07:00

Start your diet with a food diary, record everything you eat, what you were doing at the time, and how you felt. That tells you about yourself, your temptation, the emotional states that encourage you to snack and may help you lose once you see how much you eat.

Instead of eating the forbidden piece of candy, brush your teeth. If you're about to cheat, allow yourself a treat, then eat only half a bite and throw the other half away. When hunger hits, wait 10 minutes before eating and see if it passes. Set attainable goals. Don't say, "I want to lose 50 pounds." Say, "I want to lose 5 pounds a month." Get enough sleep but not too much. Try to avoid sugar. Highly sweetened foods tend to make you crave more.

Drink six to eight glasses of water a day. Water itself helps cut down on water retention because it acts as a diuretic. Taken before meals, it dulls the appetite by giving you that "full feeling." Diet with a buddy. Support groups are important, and caring people can help one another succeed. Start your own, even with just one other person.

Substitute activity for eating. When the cravings hit, go to the "Y" or health club if possible; or dust, or walk around the block. This is especially helpful if you eat out of anger.

If the pie on the counter is just too great a temptation and you don't want to throw it away, freeze it. If you're a late-night eater, have a carbohydrate, such as a slice of bread of a cracker, before bedtime to cut down on cravings. Keep an orange slice or a glass of water by your bed to quiet the hunger pangs that wake you up.

If you use food as a reward, establish a new reward system. Buy yourself a non-edible reward. Write down everything you eat - - everything - including what you taste when you cook. If you monitor what you eat, you can't go off your diet.

Weigh yourself once a week at the same time. Your weight fluctuates constantly and you can weigh more at night than you did in the morning, a downer if you stuck to your diet all day. Make dining an event. East from your own special plate, on your own special placemat, and borrow the Japanese art of food arranging to make your meal, no matter how meager, look lovely. This is a trick that helps chronic over-eaters and bingers pay attention to their food instead of consuming it unconsciously.

Don't shop when you're hungry. You'll only buy more fattening food. Avoid finger foods that are easy to eat in large amounts. Avoid consuming large quantities of fattening liquids, which are so easy to overdo. And this includes alcoholic beverages. Keep plenty of crunchy foods like raw vegetables and air-popped fat-free popcorn on hand. They're high in fiber, satisfying and filling. Leave something on your plate, even if you are a charter member of the Clean The Plate Club. It's a good sign that you can stop eating when you want to, not just when your plate is empty.

Lose weight for yourself, not to please your husband, your parents or your friends. Make the kitchen off-limits at any time other than mealtime. Always eat at the table, never in front of the TV set or with the radio on. Concentrate on eating every mouthful slowly and savoring each morsel. Chew everything from 10 to 20 times and count! Never skip meals.

The Positive Weight Loss Approach

2008-05-10T04:56:00.000-07:00

Once you have made up your mind to lose weight, you should make that commitment and go into it with a positive attitude. We all know that losing weight can be quite a challenge. In fact, for some, it can be downright tough. It takes time, practice and support to change lifetime habits. But it's a process you must learn in order to succeed. You and you alone are the one who has the power to lose unwanted pounds.

Think like a winner, and not a loser - - remember that emotions are like muscles and the ones you use most grow the strongest. If you always look at the negative side of things, you'll become a downbeat, pessimistic person. Even slightly negative thoughts have a greater impact on you and last longer than powerful positive thoughts.

Negative thinking doesn't do you any good, it just holds you back from accomplishing the things you want to do. When a negative thought creeps into your mind, replace it reminding yourself that you're somebody, you have self-worth and you possess unique strengths and talents.Contemplate what lies ahead of you. Losing weight is not just about diets. It's about a whole new you and the possibility of creating a new life for yourself. Investigate the weight loss programs that appeal to you and that you feel will teach you the behavioral skills you need to stick with throughout the weight-loss process. First you should look for support among family and friends. It can be an enormous help to discuss obstacles and share skills and tactics with others on the same path. You might look for this support from others you know who are in weight loss programs and you can seek guidance from someone you know who has lost weight and kept it off.

There are success stories across the country today. On television and in newspapers, magazines and tabloids about people who have miraculously lost untold pounds and kept it off. In all instances they say their mental attitude as well as their outlook on life has totally changed.

Diets and weight loss programs are more flexible now than they once were and there are many prepared foods already portioned out. They are made attractive and can be prepared in a matter of minutes. Low-fat and low-calorie foods are on shelves everywhere.

You will probably need to learn new, wiser eating skills. You will want a weight loss regimen that gives you some control, rather than imposing one rigid system. Look for one that offers a variety of different eating plans, so you can choose the one that's best for you.

Keep in mind, too, that your weight loss program will most likely include some physical exercises. Look at the exercising aspect of your program as fun and recreation and not as a form of grueling and sweaty work. The fact is that physical fitness is linked inseparable to all personal effectiveness in every field. Anyone willing to take the few simple steps that lie between them and fitness will shortly begin to feel better, and the improvement will reflect itself in every facet of their existence.

Doctors now say that walking is one of the best exercises. It helps the total circulation of blood throughout the body, and thus has a direct effect on your overall feeling of health. There are things such as aerobics, jogging, swimming and many other exercises which will benefit a weight loss program. Discuss the options with your doctor and take his advice in planning your exercise and weight loss program.

Live a Longer and Healthier Life

2008-05-10T04:55:00.000-07:00

You should balance your activities with the proper amount of rest. Some of the leading experts in the field of aging now believe that regular exercise along with the proper amount of rest may actually add years to the life span. Results from a number of tests indicate that speed and muscular strength of many of the elderly can be extended.

Leading authorities agree that this new data is going to shatter many of the myths about aging and physical performance. The conclusion now is that the performance and ability of the elderly has long been underestimated, diet, proper sleep and exercise along with rest and relaxation are all important factors in preserving our bodies.

Laughter is one of the best things for your mental and physical state. People are naturally attracted to someone who has a good sense of humor. You can develop a good outlook and a good sense of humor by associating with and surrounding yourself with pleasant happy people.

Recognize that stress is a killer. A life filled with stress can really wreak havoc on your body causing a number of illnesses such as heart attacks, strokes, asthma, gastric problems, menstrual disorders, ulcerative colitis, angina, irritable colon, increased blood pressure, ulcers, headaches, etc.

There are different types of stress such as mental, emotional and physical. Emotional stress seems to take the greatest toll on everyone. All stress is not bad; in fact, life would not be very interesting if it were not met with challenges. However, too much stress, too often with no effective and appropriate outlet, does not allow the body and soul to recuperate. You might review a typical week to see if you can identify things that might be making you anxious or causing you stress. Once identified, stressors can be attacked and eliminated.

Are you a worrier? Chronic worriers don't have more serious problems than others - they just think they do. Many worriers try to cope by trying not to think about their problems, but this just makes things worse. Doctors say that chronic worriers feel less anxious if they actually spend a half-hour a day thinking specifically about their problems.

Get plenty of exercise. People who are physically fit look good and feel good. A good exercise regimen will lengthen your life. Improve your appearance, build self confidence and help delay the aging process.

Remember that you need to do something physical every day. If you don't use your joints, quite simply they'll tighten up with age to create the stooped, bent and worn out appearance we so often associate with old age. Studies have shown that people with arthritis experience less pain if they continue to keep their joints flexible. As one gets older, the bones tend to get brittle which is why it is common for senior citizens to break bones and especially their hips when they fall.

Eating right, getting proper sleep and learning to relax are all very valuable in maintaining a healthy body and mind. And keep in mind that eating healthy foods and avoiding those high in fats, sodium and cholesterol will help to decrease your risk of heart disease, high blood pressure and associated problems.

Exercise Melts Body Fat

2008-05-10T04:54:00.002-07:00

If you want to reduce your body fat, focus on increasing the amount of exercise you get rather than decreasing your food intake. A recent national study was done using two groups of sedentary men, one group in their 20's and the other over age 65. A lot was learned from this accumulated data and it is interesting to note that there was a significant relationship between lack of physical activity and fat. Not surprisingly, the most sedentary men had the most body fat. These studies have also indicated that the governments current recommended daily allowance for calories does not correlate with the body's actual energy needs. For example, although 2400 calories have been calculated for older men, they in fact burned an average of 2800 calories daily. The leading experts now recommend that people who want to lose weight start increasing their physical activity. Just being more active in general (such as climbing the stairs instead of taking the elevator, moving around instead of sitting still, sitting up instead of lying down as well as showing some excitement and enthusiasm instead of boredom), are things that more effectively burns calories and reduces body fat. Everyone seems to have lost sight of the value of being active. Consider this, a half-hour aerobic workout accounts for far less energy expenditure than our minute-to-minute movement in the office or at home. Millions of Americans are trying to lose weight, spending approximately $30 billion a year on diet programs and products, often they do lose some weight. But, if you check with the same people five years later, you will find that nearly all have regained whatever weight they lost. A national panel recently sought data to determine if any commercial diet program could prove long-term success. Not a single program could do so.Being seriously overweight and particularly obesity predisposes individuals to a number of diseases and serious health problems, and it's now a known fact that when caloric intake is excessive, some of the excess frequently is saturated fat. People who diet without exercising often get fatter with time. Although your weight may initially drop while dieting, such weight loss consists mostly of water and muscle. When the weight returns, it comes back as fat. To avoid getting fatter over time, increase your metabolism by exercising regularly. Walking is one of the best exercises for strengthening bones, controlling weight, toning the leg muscles, maintaining good posture and improving positive self-concept. To lose weight, it's more important to walk for time than speed. Walking at a moderate pace yields longer workouts with less soreness - leading t more miles and more fat worked off on a regular basis. High intensity walks on alternate days help condition one's system. But in a walking, weight-loss program, you are not requried to walk an hour every day as some people would have you believe. When it comes to good health and weight loss, exercise and diet are inter-related. Exercising without maintaining a balanced diet is no more beneficial than dieting whle remaining inactive.

Losing Weight Takes Effort

2008-05-10T04:54:00.001-07:00

"The heights by great men reached and kept
Were not attained by sudden flight,
But they, while their companions slept,
Were toiling upward in the night."
~~Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
In order to take advantage of losing weight and being successful, you must be prepared--that means " paying your dues."

Nothing is more frustrating than to see that you are gaining weight again.

Be in a position to benefit from your failure. It pays to be prepared, and that comes down to plain, hard work. It's not usually glamorous. It's not always exciting. It's not always fun. It is, however, always necessary.

By being prepared, you have to create a game plan to get back on track right away without beating yourself up and devastating your self-esteem. My game plan is taking it a bite at a time. What's your's? Maybe it's taking it a day at a time, going back to your diet tomorrow. Maybe it's getting angry and becoming more determined then ever to succeed.

Have you ever been at a Weight Watchers or TOPS meeting and noticed several people there who are slim and trim? What about those Jenny Craig and Nutri/System ad's with their before and after pictures? They make losing weight look so effortless, but remember, in reality, these people have been dieting for years.

Without effort and action, you will not succeed. You can't wish your weight away. You have to work at it and be prepared for those times when you slip, so you can pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and move on...

Losing weight demands preparation, effort and commitment to come to fruition.

100 Painless Ways to Cut 100 or More Calories

2008-05-10T04:52:00.001-07:00

"Losing weight can be as simple as cutting out a meatball here and an egg roll there." ~~Elizabeth Somer, M.A., R.D.

REACHING YOUR FAT-LOSS GOALS may be easier than you think. To lose a pound of fat a month, all you need to do is cut 100 calories a day from your diet, assuming the intake and expenditure of all other calories remains the same. That's because a pound of body fat is equivalent to about 3,500 calories. So if you cut 100 calories a day for 31 days, you're cutting 3,100 calories--or about a pound.

Wait...a pound a month? Isn't that a little slow? Well, mounds of research indicate that you're more likely to keep weight off if you lose it slowly. Besides, losing a pound a month doesn't require drastic changes in your eating habits. It can be as simple as eating two egg rolls with your Chinese stir-fry instead of three. Here are 100 painless ways to cut 100 or more calories a day. As a bonus, they all reduce fat or sugar, which means, calorie for calorie, you're getting more vitamins and minerals.

1. Spread 1 tablespoon of all-fruit jam on your toast rather than 1 1/2 tablespoons of butter.

2. Replace 1 cup of whole milk with 1/2 cup of nonfat milk.

3. Eat 2 poached eggs instead of 2 fried eggs.

4. Replace 1/2 cup of granola with 2 cups of Cheerios.

5. Instead of using whole milk and eggs to prepare 2 slices of French toast, use nonfat milk and egg whites.

6. Snack on an orange and a banana instead of a Snickers candy bar.

7. Munch on 35 pretzel sticks instead of 1 ounce of dry-roasted peanuts.

8. Replace 1 cup of sweetened applesauce with 1 cup of unsweetened applesauce.

9. On your lamb-and-vegetable kabob, replace 2 of the 4 chunks of meat with fresh whole mushrooms.

10. Dip an artichoke in 1 tablespoon of low-fat mayonnaise instead of 1 1/2 tablespoons of regular mayonnaise.

11. Steam your asparagus rather than sauté it in 1 tablespoon of butter or oil.

12. Instead of a 5-ounce glass of wine, opt for cherry-flavored sparkling water.

13. For a chewy snack, have 1/2 cup of dried fruit rather than 9 caramels.

14. Replace 3 slices of bacon with 3 slices of Light & Lean Canadian bacon.

15. Eat a Lender's egg bagel instead of a Sara Lee egg bagel.

16. Select 1 cup of home-style baked beans instead of an equal serving of baked beans with franks.

17. Replace 2 biscuits with 2 dinner rolls.

18. When making a sandwich, use 2 slices of Roman Light 7-grain bread instead of Pepperidge Farm wheat bread.

19. Eat 1/2 cup of steamed fresh broccoli instead of 1/2 cup of frozen broccoli in cheese sauce.

20. Make a burrito with 1/2 cup of fat-free refried beans and 1 ounce of nonfat cheese instead of the same amount of traditional refried beans and cheese.

21. Replace an apple muffin with a high-fiber English muffin.

22. Reduce a typical serving of chocolate cake (1/8 of a two-layer cake) by one-third.

23. Switch from 1 cup of whole-milk hot chocolate to 1 cup of steamed 1% milk flavored with a dash of almond extract.

24. Replace 1 cup of caramel-coated popcorn with 2 1/2 cups of air-popped popcorn.

25. Switch from 1/2 cup of yogurt-covered raisins to 1/2 cup of plain raisins.

26. Snack on 1 cup of nonfat plain yogurt instead of 1 cup of custard-style yogurt.

27. Top your celery sticks with 2 tablespoons of fat-free cream cheese instead of 3 tablespoons of regular cream cheese.

28. Replace 2 fried-chicken drumsticks with 2 roasted drumsticks and a cup of peas and carrots.

29. Instead of eating 5 chocolate-chip cookies, savor the taste of 2.

30. Lighten your 2 cups of coffee with 2 tablespoons of evaporated nonfat milk instead of 2 tablespoons of half-and-half.

31. Replace a 12-ounce can of cola with a 12-ounce can of diet cola.

32. Thicken your cream sauce with 1 percent milk and corn starch instead of a roux of butter and flour.

33. At the appetizer tray, choose 4 fresh raw mushrooms instead of 4 batter-fried mushrooms.

34. Use 2 tablespoons of fat-free sour cream instead of regular sour cream (on baked potatoes or in stroganoff). If done twice in the day, 100 calories will be cut.

35. Reduce the size of your steak from 4 1/2 ounces to 3 ounces.

36. Grill a cheese sandwich with nonstick cooking spray instead of margarine.

37. Replace 1 cup of chocolate ice cream with 2/3 cup of nonfat chocolate frozen yogurt.

38. Snack on 2 ounces of oven-baked potato chips instead of regular potato chips.

39. Instead of topping your salad with an ounce of croutons, get your crunch from 1/4 cup of chopped celery.

40. Instead of 1 cup of macaroni salad, eat 3 1/2 cups of spinach salad with 2 tablespoons of low-calorie dressing.

41. Cut the peanut butter on your sandwich from 2 tablespoons to 1 tablespoon.

42. Serve your turkey with 1/4 cup of cranberry sauce instead of 1/2 cup.

43. Order a sandwich on cracked wheat bread instead of a croissant.

44. Complement your hamburger with 1 1/4 ounces of oven-baked tortilla chips instead of a side of fries.

45. Split an apple Danish with a friend rather than eat the entire thing.

46. Order 2 slices of cheese pizza instead of 2 slices of pepperoni pizza.

47. Grab a Dole Fresh Lites Cherry frozen fruit bar instead of a Sunkist Coconut frozen fruit bar.

48. Snack on 1/2 cup of fruit cocktail canned in water instead of 1 cup of fruit cocktail canned in heavy syrup.

49. Switch from 1 cup of fruit punch to 1 cup of sparkling water flavored with 2 teaspoons of concentrated orange juice.

50. Instead of eating garlic bread made with butter, spread baked garlic cloves on French bread.

51. Rather than snack on 1 cup of grapefruit canned in syrup, peel and section 1 small grapefruit.

52. Dip your chips in 1/2 cup of salsa instead of 1/2 cup of guacamole.

53. Switch from 1/2 cup of Frusen Gladje butter pecan ice cream to Breyers butter pecan ice cream.

54. Use 1 tablespoon of mayonnaise in your tuna salad instead of 2 tablespoons.

55. Hold the tartar sauce on your fish sandwich, and squeeze lemon on it instead.

56. Replace 3 fish sticks with 3 ounces of grilled halibut.

57. In sandwich spreads or salads, use 3 teaspoons of dijonnaise instead of 4 teaspoons of mayonnaise.

58. Use 2 tablespoons of light pancake syrup instead of 2 tablespoons of regular syrup.

59. Top your pasta with 1 cup of marinara sauce instead of 1/2 cup of alfredo sauce.

60. For each serving of pasta salad you make, reduce the oil or mayonnaise by 1 tablespoon.

61. Replace 1/2 cup of peaches canned in extra-heavy syrup with 1/2 cup of peaches canned in water.

62. Prepare 1/2 cup of steamed peas and cauliflower instead of frozen peas and cauliflower in cream sauce.

63. Cut back on sampling during cooking. The following "tastes" have 100 calories: 4 tablespoons of beef stroganoff, 3 tablespoons of homemade chocolate pudding, 2 tablespoons of chocolate-chip cookie dough.

64. At an Italian restaurant, snack on a large breadstick instead of a slice of garlic bread.

65. Eat a 3/4-cup serving of pudding made with skim milk rather than a 1-cup serving of pudding made with whole milk.

66. Choose 1/2 cup of brown rice instead of 1 serving of frozen rice pilaf with green beans or 1 serving of frozen Oriental rice and vegetables.

67. Compliment your sandwich with 3/4 cup of split-pea soup instead of 1 cup of chunky bean and ham soup.

68. Replace 3 tablespoons of strawberry topping on your ice cream with 3/4 pint of fresh strawberries.

69. Pass on the second helping of mashed potatoes.

70. Eat 3 grilled prawns with cocktail sauce instead of 3 breaded and fried prawns.

71. Make a pie crust with 1 cup of Grape-Nuts cereal, 1/4 cup of concentrated apple juice and 1 tablespoon of cinnamon, instead of using a traditional graham-cracker crust. You'll save 100 calories per slice.

72. Replace 8 sticks of regular chewing gum with sugar-free chewing gum.

73. Snack on a papaya instead of a bag of M&Ms.

74. Substitute 3 ounces of scallops for 3 ounce of lean beef in your stir-fry.

75. Rather than spread 4 tablespoons of cream cheese on two slices of raisin bread, dip the bread in 1/2 cup nonfat apple-cinnamon yogurt.

76. Munch on 1 cup of frozen grapes instead of an ice cream sandwich.

77. Rather than drink a strawberry milkshake, make a smoothie of 2/3 cup of low-fat milk, 1/2 cup of strawberries and 1/2 a banana.

78. Replace 2 brownies with 2 fig bars.

79. Eat 2 meatballs instead of 4 with your spaghetti.

80. On a hot day, quench your thirst with a glass of ice water with lemon or mint instead of a can of light beer.

81. Eat 1/2 cup of black beans instead of 3 ounces of roast beef.

82. Replace 1 1/2 tablespoons of I Can't Believe It's Not Butter spread with 1 1/2 tablespoons of Nucoa Smart Beat margarine.

83. Choose 1 serving of vegetarian lasagna instead of lasagna with meat.

84. Eat 2 Kellogg's Nutri-Grain bars instead of 2 Kellogg's Pop-Tarts.

85. Drizzle 3 tablespoons of low-calorie French dressing on your salad instead of 2 tablespoons of blue cheese dressing.

86. Replace 1 large flour tortilla with 1 six-inch corn tortilla.

87. Eat a turkey sandwich instead of a chicken salad sandwich.

88. Choose 4 1/2 ounces of tuna packed in water instead of 4 1/2 ounces of tuna packed in oil.

89. At Burger King, have a Whopper Jr. Sandwich with regular fries instead of a Whopper With Cheese Sandwich.

90. Order your Quarter Pounder without cheese.

91. At Jack in the Box, eat a regular taco instead of a super taco.

92. Fix 1 cup of turkey chili with beans rather than regular chili with no beans.

93. Use 1 cup of fat-free cottage cheese instead of regular cottage cheese.

94. Order a sandwich with barbecued chicken instead of barbecued pork.

95. Replace 1 cup of corn with 1 cup of carrots.

96. Reduce your helping of turkey stuffing from 1 cup to 2/3 cup.

97. Have a single scoop of ice cream instead of a double scoop.

98. Replace 2 ounces of corn chips with 2 ounces of SnackWell's wheat crackers.

99. Eat 1 hot dog at the baseball game instead of 2.

100. Shred 2 ounces of fat-free cheddar cheese on nachos instead of regular cheddar.

Why People Fail At Weight Loss

2008-05-10T04:49:00.000-07:00

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

1) People don't truly understand the risks of being overweight. Why do most want to lose weight? Most would say to look better. Looking better certainly is a benefit of losing weight, but this shouldn’t be the sole reason to lose weight. There is a 1000 pound gorilla in the room and it’s often ignored. Being overweight for a long period of time kills thousands of people each year. Thousands of studies have show and proven without any doubt that losing body fat will improve and lengthen your life. This eBook will give you a picture of the dangers of being overweight. Knowing the dangers of being overweight is a tremendous motivator to not only lose fat, but to keep it off.

2) People don't commit to permanent lifestyle changes. So many people think of a "diet" as something temporary. When they are on a "diet" they restrict themselves so much that they are miserable. Sooner or later failure is inevitable because of the unreasonable demands of most "diets." Some of these diets force you to only eat certain foods (e.g., no carbs, special soups etc…) You, like myself, have probably tried them before. The key to losing weight long term is to make gradual lifestyle changes you can stick to forever.

3) Most individuals are not provided the truthful facts of losing weight and becoming healthier. With the conflicting information in the media, and all of the different lose weight quick fad diets, it’s understandable why so many people really don’t know the truth about losing fat and keeping it off long term. We will go over the no-nonsense truth.

4) Most people don't understand they are constantly either gaining fat, or losing fat. There is no in-between. Some people justify binging or giving up because they hit a small road-block. This isn’t an all or nothing game. For example, when I was overweight, if I ate an unhealthy lunch, I’d go ahead and eat an unhealthy dinner since I already "messed up" the day. Or I’d say, I’ll start eating healthy on Monday since I’ve already eaten poorly this weekend. Every person at times eats too much. The successful people will not let a road bump completely derail their entire lifestyle change. If you are not implementing positive lifestyle changes and losing weight, you are gaining weight. Again, there is no "in-between."

5) Most people don't realize what they consume each day. So many overweight people eat thousands of extra calories and fat without realizing it. It’s tough to know if you are gaining weight or losing weight each day unless you are keeping an eye on what you’re consuming. Later in the eBook you will be given an easy way to keep track of your consumption.

10 Ways to Lose Weight without Going on a Diet

2008-05-10T04:48:00.000-07:00

If you're ready to start losing weight, but you don't want to follow a diet, I have good news. You can make a few "painless" changes to your everyday diet that will help you eat less, eat smarter, and lose weight!

Don't drink your calories. Beverages are bottomless these days -- you can't order a soft drink or iced tea at a restaurant without being provided quick, free refills, or having the freedom to get them yourself. To keep from drinking a day's worth of calories, choose herbal tea, unsweetened iced tea with Splenda (or another artificial, no-cal sweetener), diet flavored-water, bottled or tap water with a spritz of lemon or lime, or diet soda. If none of those better choices suits you, allow yourself one glass of the "real thing" and drink only water thereafter.

(Tip: Ask for extra ice in that first glass of soda and you will drink less.) By stopping at one glass, you will save yourself hundreds -- or even thousands -- of calories.

Always eat breakfast. Taking the time to eat could prevent costly mistakes as the day progresses; skipping this important morning meal can lead to an out of control afternoon appetite, oversized portions, poor food choices, and overeating, even later on into the night. Plus, going too long without eating may cause your metabolism to slow down. If you can't eat first thing in the morning, a healthful, mid-morning snack is a good idea. If you are not hungry in the morning, it could be a sign that you are eating too close to bedtime. Set a cut-off time for evening eating (such as 7 p.m.) and you will probably feel more like eating in the a.m.

Drink plenty of water throughout the day to stay hydrated. You hear it all the time, but you really do need to work in those recommended six to eight 8-ounce glasses of water each day. Thirst can easily be mistaken for hunger, so you could be reaching for food when you are actually thirsty. Eating water-rich foods like fruit will help you stay well-hydrated, too. Don't wait until you are thirsty to drink; try sipping water throughout the day and you may be surprised to find that your appetite seems much tamer.

Add at least one more serving of produce to as many meals as possible. Veggies and fruit are all nutrient-rich, low-cal and filling -- just be careful of creamy dips or dressings, butter, cheese sauce, and fried vegetables. Salsa, soups, and pasta sauce are easy ways to work in even more vegetable servings. Keep the skin on fresh produce, such as apples, whenever possible as it contains more fiber. Remember, fiber takes a while to digest so you feel fuller longer after eating it, which will help you eat less in the long run.

Make a salad your starter. Having a salad before your meal will almost certainly prevent you from overeating. Load up all the veggies you like, but just be careful about adding high-fat extras such as pasta salads, shredded cheese or cream-based dressings. (Tip: Spray dressings are excellent for cutting calories as most only have about 10 calories per spritz). Prepackaged, washed salads make it easy to add a salad to any meal without extra effort. Most fast food restaurants offer a reasonably-priced side salad, or some menus offer the option to substitute salad for another side item when purchasing a "combo" or "value" meal.

Be a better baker. Start baking immediately following a meal so you will be less likely to sample. Chew flavorful gum like peppermint or spearmint so your mouth will be otherwise occupied. Healthier baking ingredient substitutions help cut fat and calories.

Go for grains. Whole grains will help you feel full longer than refined carbohydrates. In the morning, fiber-rich cereal like Kellog's All-Bran, is a good choice, as is oatmeal. Brown rice, whole grain bread, and whole wheat crackers, are all good ways to include grains in your day: A slice of whole wheat bread goes well with a salad; microwavable, single-serving brown rice is easy to add to lunch at the office; keep wheat crackers stored in your desk drawer for when the afternoon munchies strike.

Always keep healthy frozen meals on hand. They will be a backup plan for nights when you don't have time to prepare and cook a healthy meal. Try to choose meals with around 300 to 350 calories. (Tip: Even some of the healthier frozen meal choices are skimpy on veggies, so be sure to add a packaged salad or a microwavable, single-serving frozen vegetable to your "instant meal" to better round it out.

Choose foods that will help you feel satisfied longer. While both protein and fat help you feel sated longer than simple carbohydrates, protein naturally contains fewer calories per ounce than fat. Eggs, lean meats, skinless poultry, and reduced-fat dairy products are ideal protein sources. A snack like yogurt, a boiled egg, string cheese or turkey slices will give you an energy boost and quell hunger pangs. Whole grains also contain protein, so you may find combining an animal or dairy protein with a complex carb such as whole wheat crackers or whole grain bread to be even more effective at keeping your energy up and hunger down. If you don't eat meat or dairy, there are also several other sources of protein, such as beans, legumes, and nuts.

Catch some "Zs." Did you know getting enough rest can have a direct impact on your ability to lose weight? Not getting enough sleep can cause you to eat more often or make poor choices (In an effort to compensate for feeling groggy, we tend to naturally reach for higher-calorie, high-fat foods.). Getting enough sleep also ensures that you feel energized enough to exercise and that you work out to your fullest capacity when you do. Even if you can't add additional sleeping hours, take some time to simply do nothing, practice deep breathing, read, or listen to some calming music every day. Making a point to relax more can keep emotional eating -- particularly stress-eating -- at bay.

Heart Disease and Your Weight

2008-05-10T04:47:00.000-07:00

What is Heart Disease?

Heart disease is a number of abnormal conditions affecting the heart and the blood vessels in the heart. Types of heart disease include coronary artery disease, heart failure, and arrhythmia. The most common form of heart disease is coronary artery disease, a narrowing or blockage of coronary arteries, which is the major reason people have heart attacks.

How Prevalent is Heart Disease?

According to the Centers for Disease Control, heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States and is a major cause of disability.

In 2002, almost 700,000 people died of heart disease, just over half of which were women. These statistics mean that nearly 30% all U.S. deaths were due to heart disease.

Heart disease has been the deadliest health condition for women for 100 years. According to the American Heart Association, heart disease has been the leading killer of adult females since 1908.

How is Weight Connected to Heart Disease?

Overweight is considered a major risk factor for both coronary heart disease and heart attack. Being 20% overweight or more significantly increases your risk for developing heart disease, especially if you have a lot of abdominal fat. The American Heart Association has found that even if you have no other related health conditions, obesity itself increases risk of heart disease.

Being sedentary causes heart disease risk to increase, possibly even more so for women -– inactive females are more likely to become diabetic, have high blood pressure and/or high cholesterol. All three of these conditions increase the chance of developing heart disease.

Apples vs. Pears

Your risk of developing heart disease may be heightened even more by the way your weight is distributed on your body. Being overweight and “apple-shaped” -- meaning you carry most of your excess weight in your abdominal area -- is considered riskier than being overweight and “pear-shaped.” Apple-shaped individuals also have many other increased health risks including high blood pressure, high blood cholesterol, diabetes, and stroke.

To find out if your waistline increases your risk of heart disease, you can measure yourself with a measuring tape. You may need a partner to help you measure accurately. The measurement should be taken at the narrowest part of your waist. A high-risk waistline is 35 inches or higher for women and 40 inches or higher for men.

What You Can Do

The good news is, reducing your weight by just 10% can begin to lower your risk of developing heart disease and other obesity-related health problems. Heart disease can often be connected to “known risk factors” with being overweight considered a “modifiable” risk factor (a risk you can do something to prevent). Age and race, on the other hand, are “nonmodifiable” risk factors.

In addition to managing your weight, you can reduce your chances of developing heart disease by controlling other related risk factors such as: controlling your blood pressure, lowering your cholesterol, quitting smoking and getting enough exercise.

A healthy diet is also an important part of lowering your risk of heart disease. The American Heart Association recommends a diet that contains no more than 30% of daily calories from fat. For example, if you eat a diet of 2,000 calories per day, no more than 600 calories should come from fat.

What is a Calorie ... and Why Should I Care?

2008-05-10T04:45:00.002-07:00

The official definition of a calorie is "...the amount of heat needed to raise the temperature of a liter of water 1 degree (DHHS)." But if that's a little too scientific for you, think of it this way...

A calorie isn't actually a tangible thing, it's a unit of measurement.

A calorie measures the energy in food and beverages we take in. We all need that energy to live. Everything we do relies on the energy that comes in the form of calories.

The food we eat becomes the fuel that runs our bodies. Drinks also contain calories; sodas, for example, are referred to as "empty calories" meaning they carry no other nutritional value; but the calories definitely still count.

No matter the form of your calories ...

if you "overload your tank" you will find yourself gaining weight.

Understanding caloric needs is an integral part of weight loss. Research over the years has proven -- whether diets focus on fat or carbs -- that calories still count. Why? Regardless of what diet you're following, if you take in more calories than you need ... you gain weight.

The daily recommended caloric intake for the average American maintaining their weight is 2,000 calories, give or take a few: Men can eat a little more, women, less. Your specific, individual calorie needs depend on several factors such as your activity level and metabolism.

Where are Calories?

Calories are found in four components of foods. They are: fat, carbohydrates, protein and alcohol (i.e., sugar). Fat contains twice the calories of carbohydrates or protein.

Are All Calories the Same?

It depends on who you ask. The overwhelming response among experts over the years has been a "calorie is a calorie is a calorie", that, no matter where your calorie comes from, it doesn't work any differently.

There is a bit of controversy about whether or not a calorie's value can vary among particular foods or when people follow a certain diet.

In a study that appeared in the professional publication, Nutrition Journal, "'A calorie is a calorie' violates the second law of thermodynamics," researchers go so far as to say that the "calorie is a calorie" theory is completely untrue and is an "old idea" that has helped to continue the obesity epidemic.

But until medical science can prove there are different types of calories that bring different results, it's safe to assume that there aren't any variations.

How do Calories Get Stored as Fat?

We all have a basal caloric need that our bodies require each day to provide its minimum functions, including keeping our organs running.

When you are in excess of that, your body doesn't have any choice but to do something with those extra calories. It puts them in storage in the form of fat.

In other words, calories turn into fat when they're sitting around doing nothing. When you have taken in 3,500 calories above your caloric needs ... you gain a pound.

Learn to Count Calories and You'll Lose Weight

It follows that if it takes 3,500 extra calories to gain a pound, all it takes is to cut 3,500 calories to lose one. This is best achieved by cutting some calories from your regular diet with simple changes, such as choosing reduced-calorie beverages daily and burning additional calories by exercising on a regular basis.

Reducing your caloric intake by and/or burning a total of 500 calories a day will lead to an average of one pound lost each week, a healthy and sustainable rate at which to lose weight. The most important thing to remember is to not cut calories too drastically. Not only can it "backfire" and actually prevent weight loss, doing so puts your health at risk.

How to Calculate Your Caloric Intake and Use it to Lose Weight

2008-05-10T04:45:00.001-07:00

Question:How many calories should I eat if I want to lose weight?

Answer:

It's Relative

Technically, there is no magic number of calories we should all eat each day to lose weight. While most people can lose weight eating around 1,500 calories, you can assess your own personal caloric needs with a little math.

Why Estimate Your Caloric Needs?

To estimate how many calories you should consume in order to maintain your weight, you'll need to do a little math. By using a simple formula called the Harris-Benedict principle, you can assess your basal metabolic rate -- also known as your BMR.

(Then, to lose weight, you'll need to cut calories or burn extra calories and shoot for a level lower than the results you get with this formula.)

Calculate Your BMR

Your BMR is the amount of energy your body needs to function.

We use about 60% of the calories we consume each day for basic bodily functions such as breathing.

Other factors that influence your BMR are height, weight, age and sex.

Step one is to calculate your BMR with the following formula:

Women:
655 + (4.3 x weight in pounds) + (4.7 x height in inches) - (4.7 x age in years)

Men:
66 + (6.3 x weight in pounds) + (12.9 x height in inches) - (6.8 x age in years)

Please note that this formula applies only to adults.

Calculate Activity

Step two: In order to incorporate activity into your daily caloric needs, do the following calculation:

If you are sedentary : BMR x 20 percent

If you are lightly active: BMR x 30 percent

If you are moderately active (You exercise most days a week.): BMR x 40 percent
If you are very active (You exercise intensely on a daily basis or for prolonged periods.): BMR x 50 percent

If you are extra active (You do hard labor or are in athletic training.): BMR x 60 percent

Add this number to your BMR.

The result of this formula will be the number of calories you can eat every day and maintain your current weightt. In order to lose weight, you'll need to take in fewer calories than this result.

As you lose weight, you can re-calculate the formula to assess your new BMR.

7 Portion Control Secrets

2008-05-10T04:40:00.000-07:00

Getting into the habit of controlling your portion sizes isn't as hard as you might think. It all comes down to finding ways to cut calories while continuing to eat the foods you enjoy. So here are seven ways to cut back on super-sized servings and pare down your portions.

Meet yourself half-way.

You can cut the calories of your favorite foods by 50% without changing anything about them -- just eat half. For example, if you usually eat a deli sandwich at lunch, eat half it, but replace your chips with carrot sticks. Still hungry? Before you reach for the rest of your sandwich, munch on a piece of fruit. Produce takes longer to eat and digest than other foods, which means you'll have more time to notice you're getting full.

Plus, the added fiber in both the carrots and fruit will help you feel more satisfied, for much longer, than chips would have.

When you are dining at a restaurant, ask the waiter for a take-out container as soon as he gets your order. Put half of your meal in the box as soon as it arrives. Try to eat slowly and enjoy the conversation and the restaurant's ambiance. Remember, it takes about 20 minutes to start to feel full, so eating at a slower pace will prevent you from overeating. You can always take some of the food back out of the carton at the restaurant if you're still truly hungry, but chances are you won't want to.
More: 10 Tips for Eating Out
Downsize your dinner.
If heating up leftovers the next day isn't your cup of tea, find out if your eatery offers lunch-sized portions of their dishes. These are almost always significantly smaller than full-sized dinner entrees, so don't be afraid to ask if you can purchase the lunch entree at dinner time.

If that's not an option, ask to order from the children's menu ... practicing this portion control pointer will save your waistline some inches and your wallet some bucks.
Resist the "upsize" offer.
As we all know, fast food portions are already oversized, so there's no need to add insult to injury by upgrading your meal. No matter how much of a "better deal" it may seem, don't be tempted. In fact, steering clear of "meal deals" altogether is very wise. You're much better off ordering a grilled chicken sandwich, or even a regular hamburger (hold the mayo on both), along with a side salad, than ordering a combo that comes with a silo-sized soda, too.

Kids meals are a good alternative at fast food restaurants; they contain what were considered normal-sized portions for us grown-ups a few decades ago.
Good portions come in small packages.
If you find your will power is overpowered by a full bag of potato chips sitting in the pantry, don't buy the large bags. Get the individual lunch-sized bags one at a time. (Just don't buy the 12-bag assortment box of chips if you think you'll be tempted to finish off the entire box in a sitting. Mini bags of chips are three for $1 at my grocer, so that is exactly what I limit myself to.)

If you're budget-minded, go ahead and buy the full-size bag and divvy out the chips into single serving zipper bags as soon as you get them home; you'll still be much more likely to keep yourself in check than if you were eating from the bag.
Size up servings.
Just how many of those chips are in a serving? Check the nutrition label to find out -- you may be surprised at how small an actual serving looks compared to what you usually eat. Learn what a serving is of your favorite snacks; start by measuring them out the next few times you eat them. Once you get into the habit of seeing how much a serving really looks like, you'll eventually be able to "eyeball" servings and know how much is too much.

More: Learn to Read Nutrition Labels

Be gone, buffets!
My family is the gotta-love-a-bargain sort and going to a buffet used to be a weekly habit. (What could be better than all the food you want at one flat price?) I used to think I could tag along and still keep myself in check by sheer determination. The reality? I have to avoid buffets like the plague. Frankly, it is nearly impossible to practice portion control in an "all-you-can-eat" situation. If you've ever left a buffet feeling sick, just think about how you felt the next time you're tempted to gorge... that's what I do when I feel guilty about not going along.

Compare to control.
A really nifty way of learning to control portions is to mentally compare them with common, every day objects that you are used to seeing. Some of the reminders I use are that three ounces of meat is the size of a deck of cards or an audio tape; one ounce of meat is the size of a matchbook; and one cup of potatoes, rice or pasta looks like a tennis ball.

5 Ways to Help Your Overweight Child

2008-05-10T04:39:00.000-07:00

f your child is overweight, it's important to make small changes that are easy to adjust to rather than take drastic measures. Here are a few ways you can help your child eat healthier and make better choices.

1. Do Not Solely Focus on the Overweight Child

Don't single out the overweight child; instead, create an environment of support and change. Have the whole family eat the same healthful foods and cut back on fast food. Nothing is worse than being forced to eat a diet meal while everyone else at the table enjoys your favorite foods. Rather than providing your overweight child with special food, make the point that everyone is trying something new tonight. Consider keeping serving dishes away from the table and downsizing your dinner plates, two changes that can prevent both kids and adults from overeating.

Teach Your Kids About Better Choices, Portion Size and Food Labels

Take your children grocery shopping and talk to them about making smart choices among the many varieties of foods that are available at the store. Make a point to teach your kids how to read food labels and to pay special attention to serving sizes and total number of servings on the packaging of their favorite foods. Let them pick out a new fruit or vegetable to try at least once a week. Better still, let them help you prepare the new food (or watch you do so, if they're still a bit too young) so they can learn healthy cooking techniques that will serve them well in the future.

3. Talk to Your Kids About Emotional Eating and the Sense of Hunger

Many of us tend to give in to emotional eating, and kids may eat in response to feelings such as sadness and anxiety, too. It's important to help your child avoid eating for these reasons because emotional eating is a tough habit to break. Talk to your children about whether or not they're really hungry when they want a snack; you may find they'll admit they're not if asked outright. Discuss why eating as a result of boredom or anxiety isn't a good habit. If your child does eat emotionally, it's even more important that you choose the snacks you keep on hand carefully and limit or eliminate highly-processed, high-calorie foods such as candy, cookies, and snack cakes. Remember, if it's not in the house, your kids can't eat it.

4. Cut Back on Beverages That Provide Empty Calories

Kids drink a lot of empty calories, meaning they drink beverages that provide few if any actual nutrients, but plenty of calories, such as juice, sport drinks, and soda pop. The best way to prevent weight gain from drinking too many calories is to make water the main beverage for the entire family. Most of us don't drink enough water, and even mild dehydration can lead to problems such as headaches or feeling groggy. Besides, drinks such as soda and coffee actually contribute to dehydration. (Tip: Try adding a little fruit juice to some seltzer water when the kids want a special drink.)

5. Trim TV Time

Research has shown that the more TV kids watch, the more likely they are to be overweight. One of the best ways to get your kids to watch less TV is to make sure the family sits down for dinner together with the TV turned off. It's not unusual for kids today to skip meals to watch TV, or even eat while they're playing video games. The family meal will bring everyone closer and provide the opportunity for them to learn by example as they observe your eating habits. Limit everyone's TV time (even your own), and replace it with activities that get the whole family moving or doing something together, such as playing tag or board games.

Just the FAQs: Do I Need to Lose Weight?

2008-05-10T04:37:00.000-07:00

Q: I weigh 145 pounds. Do I need to lose weight?

A: That's not a question I can answer. But I can tell you some ways to find out.

If you feel you're carrying around a little extra weight -- but your doctor says you're in good health -- you probably don't need to lose weight unless its affecting your activity level or well-being.

Being overweight means your weight is just a little higher than what is considered normal weight for your height. If you've put on more than a few pounds, you will need to assess how your weight is impacting your risk of developing serious weight-related diseases and health conditions.

If and when your weight affects your daily well-being, and/or you have higher risks for disease or illness (and/or family history) due to your excess weight, then it's time to start losing weight.

There are three main ways that weight is measured. They are: percent body fat, waist-to-hip ratio, and BMI.

If you discover that your results are in the "danger zone" of health risks via any of these assessment tools, you'll know you need to lose weight for the sake of your health.

Percent Body Fat

PBF is measured with a painless test called "caliper measurement". This test measures subcutaneous (under the skin) fat using a skinfold caliper. The caliper is used to grasp a fold of skin and pull it away from your muscle.

The folds are usually measured at the waist, hips, and thighs, and several other locations on the body. The findings are then calculated into a formula that allows your body fat to be estimated.

There are a few reasons why percent body fat measurement may not be ideal: The older you are, the less likely the results are to be accurate, because of the way fat distribution changes as we age; it is best for those under the age of 55, though it can become less accurate by your 40s.

Additionally, the accuracy of the results can vary according to the skill of the person taking the measurements and the quality of the caliper used to take the measurement. Lastly, the more overweight an individual is, the less accurate the results are likely to be.

What Does it Mean?

Body fat caliper measurement first came about in the 90's and it wasn't until 2000 that standards for body fat ranges were identified. According to those findings, a woman between the age of 20 and 39 has increased health risks at 33; the risks greatly increase at 39. For men, health risks increase at 20 and greatly increase at 25.

How to Not Gain Weight at Your First Job

2008-05-10T04:32:00.000-07:00

If you're ready to start your first job, you may think your biggest challenge will be getting accustomed to living in a cubicle. While cubicle-dwelling is daunting, another risk of full-time desk jobs is lurking -- on-the-job weight gain. Here are five easy ways to keep the pounds at bay.

Eat a healthy breakfast. Mom was right on this one, breakfast really is the most important meal of the day. Eating in the a.m. stabilizes your blood sugar (which can head off cravings) and may prevent you from overeating later on. If your stomach does a flip-flop at the thought of eating first thing in the morning, take it to go and eat within an a hour of getting to work. If all else fails, have a small mid-morning snack, such as string cheese and a few whole-grain crackers.

Just don't allow your hunger to get out of control. You're unlikely to make smart choices at lunch if you're listening to your growling stomach instead of the little voice telling you to eat sensibly.

Don't get taken over by take-out. Every day you will inevitably be approached by someone who utters the words, "We're ordering from _____ (fill in the blank with a deliciously fattening deli or horribly high-cal Italian eatery). Do you want something?" And as you consider the turkey on whole wheat and carrot sticks you brown-bagged, you will most definitely be tempted by the convenient offer because "Oh, my, how wonderful a slice of nice hot, cheesy pizza would be right about now." But resist! This is one I learned from experience: Not only will getting daily take out catch up with your waistline, it will wallop your wallet, too.

Of course, no one can just say no eating out or take-out all the time. It's just a matter of doing a little homework so you can make the best choices among what is available. Acquaint yourself with nearby eateries and the healthiest choices at each. This could be as simple as snatching those take-out menus from the break room and making a few notes on what suits your taste buds and your diet, or, obtain your own copies for your desk and highlight the best choices for quick, easy reference.

Get some fridge benefits. Take advantage of the availability of a communal fridge by stocking diet-friendly staples not six packs of soda. Stock snacks such as string cheese, low-fat yogurt, and reduced-fat pudding cups as well as stowing away lunches that need refrigeration like leftovers or salads. Just make sure your name is your stash, or someone else will surely eat it.

Tip: Eat a well-balanced lunch comprised of a lean protein and complex carbohydrates. Both will help you keep your blood sugar at an even keel and your energy level up.

Don't shell out candy at your desk. A dish overflowing with chocolate candies is a sure-fire way to make new friends, but it probably won't help your weight-management efforts. It's tough to resist something that is constantly within view and at arm's reach. Consider this oh-so-healthy alternative to sweets: I was surprised to find the receptionist at my temp job had begun keeping a bowl of fresh fruit at her desk instead of the usual candy. While I was speaking to her, a coworker helped himself to an apple, and mentioned that his new daily fruit habit had helped him to lose 3 pounds over the last six weeks.

Get up and walk around instead of e-mailing, instant messaging or calling coworkers. It's way too easy to rely on the phone and e-mail to communicate with colleagues instead of doing the legwork. After all, that's what those modern conveniences are for, right? Well, if it means you're plastered to a desk chair for the next eight hours, maybe convenience isn’t worth the true cost of a sedentary lifestyle. Simply walking around the office to take someone a print-out or ask a question contributes to your total daily activity; every little bit of movement counts, no matter how insignificant it seems.