Can you really just by thinking about it? Well studies have shown that athletes can improve their game through the technique of visualizing the correct sequence of muscle movements. During the process of visualization it seems that even though the muscles don’t move, the brain sends electrical impulses that mimic the impulses sent when the action is physically carried through. That is practicing by thinking about it.

People who want to are often their own worst enemy. Looking in the mirror they chide themselves for their flabby thighs or stomach over hanging the belt. They don’t see that they’ve lost weight, they just see how much more weight they should lose. This mind set just re-enforces their poor self image. Then when a caramel swirl cookie beckons, they figure why not, they’re fat and flabby anyway.

Want to know a better thought process? Think of your body the way you want it to be. If you have a picture of your former thinner self, use it as a guideline. That’s the real you. Whenever you’re tempted by a double chocolate brownie think of the thin you.

You can use your mind to control your eating habits. If you’re tempted to eat, just delay gratification for 15 minutes. In most cases when the time has passed, so has the craving.

Visualization can be used as a substitute for eating. Think of a place where you feel safe and happy. Perhaps it’s the beach with the waves rhythmically pounding the shore, the sand underfoot, and the sun glistening off the water. Smell the salt air and feel the cool breeze ruffling your hair. When you feel an eating binge coming on, close your eyes and picture your safe place. You are turning your attention away from the momentary satisfaction of eating, to the longer term satisfaction of losing weight, by focusing on a pleasant memory.

Remind yourself you are in control of your food, not the other way around. Give yourself permission to have whatever you want. Deprivation as a diet doesn’t work. It’s like when someone says DON’T think of a pink elephant, the first thing you think of is — the pink elephant. If you tell yourself: I can’t have pizza, I can’t have pizza, I can’t have pizza, the more you’ll want the pizza. Give yourself permission to have the pizza, but just a small taste. Thank about what you like best about the pizza. Savor the crispy crust, the tang of the tomato sauce and the flavor of the cheese, then stop eating. You’ve had the taste of pizza, you don’t have to eat the entire portion.

Use the barter system. There are times when you want a forbidden food so much it’s almost painful. Decide in advance an exercise you will do for a certain length of time in exchange for allowing yourself the forbidden food. It could be walking for 30 minutes, 100 tummy crunches, or riding a stationary bike for 15 minutes. When you have just got to have that cappuccino mocha, do the exchange first before you have the mocha. Don’t’ say ‘well I’ll have mocha and when I get home tonight I’ll walk for 30 minutes,’ that doesn’t work. The trick is that you have to do the exercise first. A lot of time it’s just not convenient to exercise. For example: you might be at the office. Exercising works to decrease your appetite so when you finish you might not even want that mocha. And if you do have the mocha, you’ve worked off a lot of the calories with the exercise.

You don’t have to radically change your lifestyle or your eating habits to lose weight. Small changes in your daily routine can add up to major changes on the scale.

We all know that drinking water is good for you, but can it also help you take off the pounds? Yes if it’s ice water. If you drink an 8 ounce glass of ice cold water, your body burns up 25 calories to get its temperature back to normal. If you drink only 4 glasses of ice water a day, you’ll lose 12 pounds in a year.

Exercise in the morning, not at night. There is evidence that exercise raises your metabolism about 10% for 4 to 6 hours afterwards. If you exercise at night, a portion of the time your metabolism increases is when you’re sleeping. That’s when you burn the least amount of energy. Change your exercise to the morning and that 10% increase will burn off more energy.

Have a cup of soup before dinner. Soup takes longer to eat and fills you up before you get to the main course. Stick with the broth based soups and away from cream soups.

Where ever you drive, park your car at the far end of the parking lot. You will be amazed at the extra walking that squeezes into your day. Extra walking means more calories burned. Of course stay safe, if you’re in a dark neighborhood park close to your destination and under lights.

Take the stairs if you only need to go up a few flights.

Eat a salad 15 minutes before your dinner. It’s takes about 20 minutes for your tummy to signal your brain that it’s full and has had enough food. If you can kick start the timer by having a nice green salad first, you’ll feel fuller faster.

When you eat out, eat half of what’s on your plate: half of the appetizer, half of the salad, half of the entrée, half of desert. Odds are you’ll be just as satisfied and you’ll have cut the calories in half. If you eat out once a day like most people do, you can drop a couple of pounds a week with just this one change.

If you want something to snack on, drink a glass of water. Sometimes the urge to put something in our mouths isn’t hunger but boredom.

Exchange your potato chips, corn chips and other fried snacks for pretzels. The fat content in pretzels is far lower than the other snacks. And you still get the crunch.

Don’t drink fruit juice, eat the whole fruit instead.

Exchange one fatty item in your diet for a nonfat item. For example instead of whole milk use skim milk; instead of regular mayonnaise use nonfat, instead of full fat cream cheese use nonfat.

So you’ve decided to join a fitness center to get the exercise you need for your weight loss programs. There are basics every and any fitness center should have.

Safe equipment and safe instruction

The equipment should be well maintained and stowed properly. Free weights, jump ropes, fitness balls and such, should all be secured and not just lying about. Instructors should be close at hand to demonstrate and monitor correct usage. First time users should be guided through the proper use of any equipment. If there are safety features, safety belts, or required harnesses to use certain equipment, they should work and their usage should be enforced by the staff. Sloppiness leads to an unsafe workout environment.

Cleanliness is a high priority

Locker rooms shouldn’t smell like, well, locker rooms. The shower area should be disinfected regularly. Used towels should be in laundry containers or out of sight. Jacuzzis and swimming pools should be at the proper temperatures and tested on a regular basis. Equipment should be wiped down after usage. The staff should encourage clients to use sanitary towelettes to wipe hand rails, bars and seats on equipment after usage. All areas should be properly ventilated, heated and cooled. Neatness counts and shows a respect for the members.

Qualified staff

Make sure the staff, trainers and instructors are qualified. Do they make the members feel comfortable during their work outs? Does the staff push members beyond their limits by encouraging them to do more sets, lift heavier weights, or go faster than is safe. Do they know the correct methods of using the equipment? Is the staff paying attention to the members using the equipment or just standing around? Is the ratio of staff to members appropriate? The lack of adequate staffing and a lax attitude can lead to accidents.

Crowd control

There is nothing worse than getting psyched up for a workout and then having to wait for the crowds ahead to finish. It’s not good for the member’s outlook and it’s not good for a body to have to stop and start because equipment isn’t available. A member shouldn’t have to rush through a set of exercises because there’s a line forming behind them. If group classes are offered there should be room for each member of the class to move freely without worrying about being kicked in the head.

Child Care

If the center offers child care services is it licensed by the state or city if required? Is the area monitored by adults? Does it maintain a satisfactory ratio of adults to children. Is the area clean? Is it well lighted and have appropriate toys?

Safety outside the building

The exterior of the building should be well lighted and so should the parking lot. Many facilities get the most usage in the early morning, when it can be dark and after work when it’s dark. If possible the reception area should have clear visibility of the parking lot in case of problems. The staff should keep an eye on the exterior spaces for signs of loitering and unwelcome visitors.

Joining a fitness center can motivate you to stick with your exercise programme. But there are so many to choose from, how can you narrow down the field?

Determine what your goals are for your fitness program.

Do you want to lose weight, get in shape for an athletic event, improve your chosen sport or establish a life long fitness routine? Knowing what you want from a center will help you choose the right center. Take a few minutes and think about your goals.

Friendly or firm — philosophy counts

Do you want a congenial atmosphere where the trainers are your friends and gently motivate you towards a fitter and firmer body? Or do you need the no nonsense ‘let’s get going’ approach? Or perhaps you prefer the camaraderie of your peer group pushing you to greater fitness. The atmosphere of the center will influence your enjoyment of the program and if you enjoy the program you’ll be consistent in your attendance.

Visiting the center’s website will give you some insight into the center’s philosophy. Better yet visit the center itself. While you’re there take a moment and look at the members and the interaction between the members and the instructors.

Location, location, location

It’s important in real estate and it’s important for your fitness center. Choose a center that offers what you want and what you need, but also consider its location. If you have to travel out of your way, the odds are you won’t do it when you need it the most. Pick a center that is either close to home or close to work. That way you can work in your work out without spending as much time traveling to it as you spend using it.

You gotta have it

If racquet ball is your favorite sport, then your fitness center has got to have racquet ball courts. If your heart is set on circuit training then the right equipment and instructors have got to be available. If swimming is your preferred method of getting fit, make sure your center has a lap pool. You might think it doesn’t matter, but in the long run, it will. You will be more likely to make excuses not to go, if the center doesn’t offer what you need.

Amenities

Spa, massage, swimming pool, sauna, and Jacuzzi are all wonderful amenities but will you use them? And will they be available when you want to use them? While the appeal of having the day’s tensions and stress massaged away sounds wonderful, will you actually the service? Or would onsite day care be more useful to you? Most centers have busy time periods before the work day and after work, will the amenities you want to use be too busy? If your idea of the ideal workout includes a steam and sauna followed by a quick refreshing dip in the pool, make sure your center has them.

Show me the money

Memberships fees can range from a few dollars a visit to thousands per year. Make sure the center you choose fits within your budget.

Exercise combined with a few changes in your diet can melt off the pounds in no time. But if you think exercise means hours sweating in the gym, think again. As with any new exercise program check with your doctor before proceeding.

Studies have shown that walking at a brisk pace has the same benefits to your heart as jogging, with less stress to your joints. Walkers are less prone to injuries than joggers. A brisk pace means that you can talk while you’re walking without gasping for air. If you can sing a tune you’re going too slow. You should be able to keep up the pace for 30 to 60 minutes without a lot of stress.

If your goal is to lose a pound a week you have to either increase your exercise to burn up 3500 calories or decrease your food intake by 3500 calories. On a daily basis that means a change of 500 calories. Walking a mile takes the average person 15 minutes and burns up 100 calories. So you’d have to walk about five miles a day, or spend an hour and fifteen minutes walking to lose a pound a week.

You don’t need a lot of expensive equipment to start walking. A good pair of walking shoes is essential, but other than you don’t need much of anything else. Wear loose clothing of natural fibers, so if you sweat, the moisture will be wicked away from your body and evaporate. Wear sun block and a hat.

You can walk at any time of day (or night for that matter). Some people prefer the morning because it gives them a boost of energy for the day. Others prefer at the end of the day so they can unwind.

Start your walking program with a 15 minute walk for a few days in a row. Then gradually increase the time by five minutes. By the end of two weeks you should be up to 30 to 45 minutes a day. You’re burning 200 to 350 calories without any changes in your diet. After six months you’ll have lost from 12 – 20 pounds. If you want to accelerate the weight loss,walk faster, cover more ground in the same amount of time.

If you decrease the amount of food you eat by 200 calories a day you double the weight loss. 200 calories isn’t really that much of a sacrifice. For example regular salad dressing has about 100 calories per tablespoon; a serving size is two tablespoons, so substituting nonfat salad dressing would save 200 calories. A 3.5 inch bagel with two tablespoons of cream cheese is about 400 calories. Eat half of the bagel instead of the whole one, and you’ve saved your 200 calories. A glass of whole milk is 150 calories, skim milk is 90, if you drink 3 glasses of milk a day you save 180 calories by switching to skim.

There you have it: an easy way to lose weight, increase your fitness level and strengthen your cardiovascular system and all you did was take a walk.

1. Eat breakfast. This meal gets you off to a good start in lots of ways. It’s been shown the people who eat breakfast while on a diet, lose more weight than ones who don’t. Your breakfast doesn’t have to elaborate. Have a half a bagel spread with low fat cream cheese or peanut butter and a piece of fruit. Two hard boiled eggs, a glass of skim milk and a few crackers. A fruit smoothie made with nonfat yogurt, fresh strawberries and orange juice.

2. Make lunch your big meal and dinner a light supper. You need energy to get you through the busiest part of the day. Food eaten in the evening just sits in your tummy and makes you feel heavy. Make it a rule not to eat after 8 PM every evening.

3. Exercise before you eat. Exercise boosts your metabolism and decreases your appetite. You don’t have to go to the gym, a brisk 20 minute walk will do it. You can exercise inside as well. Try going up and down the stairs, running in place, doing 15 minutes of Pilates or your favorite exercise regime. Take your break at work and use it to stretch.

4. Eat every four hours. That means three meals and two snacks for most of us. Keep the snacks low calorie. The idea is to keep your blood sugar on an even level. You won’t be starving and give in to the candy machine.

5. Decrease the level of stress in your life. Stress causes an increase in the hormone cortisol, which is linked to fat storage. When you feel stressed take a time out to meditate, practice deep breathing or just think about a happy memory.

6. Make sure you’re getting your vitamins and minerals, taking a daily supplement to boost what you’re getting from your food can be a good idea. There are studies that show calcium has fat blocking properties and vitamin C helps with insulin production.

7. Picture yourself at the weight you want to be. Don’t belittle yourself with the weight you haven’t lost but congratulate yourself with the weight you have lost. Keep a positive body image.

American adults have a major problem in being overweight. Nearly two-thirds of the adult population is inclined towards obesity. Unfortunately much of the money spent on diet and weight loss programs is not producing positive results.

The various weight loss programs offered need to be compared and analyzed before making a choice. Most diets seem to tell you what you should and shouldn’t eat. As though one size fitted all. People, however, are all different and what suits one person is not sure to suit another.It is therefore important to examine carefully what you would need to do to meet the requirements of the diet; to make sure that it is something you will stick with once you have started. Then having compared various diets to find the most suitable, you can pick the best program for you.

Here are some hints to consider before deciding on any particular program.

Select a diet which would suit your life style. Your working pattern, meal times and any medical restrictions need to be taken into consideration. If you are not sure which type of diet would suit you best, try a metabolic type of diet.They use a questionnaire which helps you to identify the correct proportion of carbohydrates and protein most suitable for you.

A Macrobiotic Diet is basically a vegetarian diet which has lots of fiber and is very low fat. This diet by itself can be a cure for some conditions and can help prevent some illnesses from creeping in.

A Detox Diet is designed to rid your body of toxins consumed by way of junk food and unhealthy beverages.

If you need a low calorie diet, the best choice would probably be between the Zone or the South Beach Diet. The Atkins diet could also be taken into consideration. They’re all based on a low carbohydrate intake.

Some people react adversely to proteins. If this is the case, go for an alkaline diet. This will help balance the effects of caffeine, sugar and the proteins.

After selecting your diet, staying with it is the path to success. Only a very small percentage of people who lose weight on a diet actually stick with it for the long term. This is usually because they picked a diet that did not suit them in the first case.

The added bonus to all these cancer and heart-disease fighting foods is that they also help you to lose weight. The Sonoma Diet Plan is based on scientific research that shows how to live a healthier, more energized life. You will feel better and look better once you’re on this diet. With all of the power foods, your body will get the nutrients needed for health, and will not make you gain weight. The recipes that you’ll find in this diet plan bring out the best flavors in every food and will help your body absorb the nutrients in the most effective way possible.

The Sonoma Diet Plan helps you to lose weight quickly during the early stages, your weight loss will gradually taper off until you reach your target weight. You can then continue on the Sonoma Diet Plan to maintain your ideal weight by using these good eating habits for the rest of your life.

The Sonoma Diet information is presented in a book called The Sonoma Diet and is also available online. Not only is the diet plan described in detail, but you get healthy and attractive recipe choices, tips and instructions. The goal of the diet plan is to provide you with delicious healthy food that you enjoy eating. Losing weight and keeping it off is just a byproduct of the plan.

The literature and support you receive through the online program provides answers to your questions and supports you when the going gets rough. Users of the Sonoma Diet often report a difference in the way they feel and look within the first few days of following the diet plan. Be prepared to learn a new way of thinking and feeling as well. You’ll look at food and at life in a whole new way. You’ll see what it is that you’ve been missing in all those failed diets that you have tried before. Once you try the Sonoma Diet Plan, you’ll never want to return to your old eating habits.

Lets face it, most diets are boring and the trouble with fat burning is you have to exercise to do it. So wouldn’t it be nice if you could reduce those “love handles”with a bit less effort.

Well there is some good news.

The Chinese have for centuries extolled the virtues of Green Tea for its medicinal qualities, but recent studies may be of more interest to all you dieters out there.

One recent study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition (Vol. 81, No. 1, 122-129, January 2005), indicated the ingestion of a tea rich in catechins (catechins are a major component of green tea extract) leads to a lowering of body fat.

There is further evidence to support the facts that:

• Green Tea can lower cholesterol and increase energy expenditure

• Green Tea also causes carbohydrates to be released slowly, preventing sharp increases in blood-insulin levels. This promotes the burning of fat.

• Drinking green tea can facilitate weight loss by affecting glucose

All of this is good new for those trying to lose weight.

There are, however, major benefits to drinking Green Tea other than fat burning.

Today, scientific research in both Asia and the west is providing hard evidence for the health benefits long associated with drinking Green Tea.

There is research indicating that drinking Green Tea lowers total cholesterol levels, as well as improving the ratio of good (HDL) cholesterol to bad (LDL) cholesterol.

Researchers recently concluded that a compound in Green Tea inhibits the growth of cancer cells.

Green Tea’s secret is that it is rich in EGCG (epigallocatechin gallate ) which is a powerful antioxident. Antioxidants work by neutralizing highly reactive, destructive compounds called free radicals. From warding off heart disease to slowing degeneration of the brain and eyes, talk of the health benefits of antioxidants are quite common today.

Research suggests that consumption of antioxidant-rich foods reduces damage to cells and biochemicals from free radicals. This may slow down, prevent, or even reverse certain diseases that result from cellular damage, and perhaps even slow down the natural aging process.

Green tea has also been shown to be effective in inhibiting the abnormal formation of blood clots.This takes on added importance when you consider that thrombosis (the formation of abnormal blood clots) is the leading cause of heart attacks and stroke.

Should you take Green Tea as a means of losing weight and burning fat? Well the weight of evidence shows that it will definitely assist, just don’t expect the pounds to drop off without taking any other actions.

So should you take Green Tea to help as part of a healthy diet? Absolutely, the potential health benefits are enormous and if you are no fan of caffeine then Green Tea has roughly half the caffeine content of coffee.

Diet, weight loss, fat burning

Don’t groan! By exercising, you can lose weight while you eat more calories than if you simply went on a diet. Regular physical activity is much more effective at keeping the weight off in the long run than any diet.

Success means good eating and good exercise

Follow a moderate low-fat diet and an exercise program that combines aerobic activity and strength training. That’s the key to losing weight – and keeping it off.

Begin slowly with exercises you find comfortable and build as your body becomes accustomed to the activity level. Don’t start out too hard or too fast. Chances are you may injure yourself or quit before you’ve done yourself much good.

And remember, you can’t lose weight overnight. Set a realistic weight-loss goal for yourself – like one to two pounds a week – eat healthy, get going on a program of regular physical activity, and you’ll be delighted by what you accomplish.

Maintaining a lower, healthier body weight is something you can accomplish. So start now and keep on going!
Get Rid Of Fat Successfully

Since 1994, food manufacturers have been required by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to include food labels on all packaged food items. Labels can be a tremendous help in controlling our diets—but only if we understand them.

Here is a primer to use as you browse the labels in your pantry and at the grocery store.

Serving Size.

The serving size is listed at the top of the label. This is an important part of meal planning and also where many people go wrong. To get the total number of carbs, calories, etc., in an item, simply multiply the listed units by the number of servings. You may be surprised at how many items you assume are only 1 serving that are actually 2 or 3. The smaller the item, the more likely you are to make mistakes.

Calories.

Calories are the units of energy within a food item. When you eat, your body converts calories into energy, uses what it can, and then stores the rest in the form of fat. On labels, you’ll find separate numbers for calories and calories from fat. The fat calorie number refers to the number of calories derived from fat. The higher this number, the more fat in the product. For example, a can of diced tomatoes may have 30 calories (units of energy) and 0 calories from fat, making this a product your body can use efficiently. However, a prepackaged children’s snack may have 130 calories with 40 calories from fat, making the processed food item a less efficient source of body fuel.

Daily Percent Values (% DV).

These tell you what portion of the recommended amounts of an item (fat, carbohydrates, vitamins, etc.) are in a single serving in comparison to how much you need for a full day. You should take this number in account when selecting items from the grocery shelf. For example, it you are going to buy a bottle of pasta sauce, and Brand A provides 11% DV of fat and Brand B provides 40% DV of fat, the best choice is Brand A. Be sure to look at the numbers in the context of all the others on the label. If brand A turns out to be heavy on the sodium, you should continue to shop, taking a look at Brand C and Brand D.

Fat, Sugar, Fiber, Sodium and Carbohydrates.

These are the sections of the label that seem to draw the most attention from dieters. However, everyone should consider them important. If you have dietary food restrictions, high blood pressure, or diabetes, these numbers could mean the difference between remaining in good health and heading towards the danger zone. If you are on a low carb diet, you can monitor your protein intake by paying attention to the carbohydrate and sugar content. Likewise, those on a low fat diet will want to know the fat and fiber content.

The FDA provides information on what specific label terms are supposed to mean.

“No fat” or “fat free” means that the item contains less than 1/2 gram of fat per serving, “Sugar free” means that the item contains less than 1/2 gram of sugar per serving, and “Good source of fiber” indicates 2.5 g to 4.9 g. per serving. A full list can be obtained from the FDA website. You’ll note that there is no definition for “low carb,” so be particularly wary when this phrase is used.

Healthy Diet,