Basics of Losing Weight

Failed diets and out of control obesity may lead you to believe that losing weight is difficult but it is quite easy, at least on paper. The only thing you need to do is keep the calories that you burn greater than the calories that you eat. So why is this article so long?

Your first step is to figure out how many calories you are burning each day. There are a few formulas that have come out over the years that estimate how many calories you burn per day based on your sex, age, weight, height and physical activity. When using these formulas, keep in mind that the number you get gives you an estimate not a number that never changes day to day. It will fluctuate.

Safe weight loss is considered 1-2 pounds per week. While it is possible to lose more, it is extremely unhealthy to do so. So how many calories do you actually have to cut out of your diet? One pound of body fat equals about 3500 calories. If you want to lose one pound in a week, you need to cut 3500 calories out of your diet per week. While this might sound like a lot, per day it comes out to a 500 calorie deficit.

Your next step is to ask yourself how you want to get rid of any unwanted weight. You can cut 500 calories out of your diet per day, or increase the amount of calories you burn by 500 calories per day. A combination of these two methods is the best way to go.

Attitude: Your Weight Loss Secret

Copyright 2006 Howard McGarity

"It's a contest of purposeless suffering....to me of course, it's all about living." - Lance Armstrong comments on the grueling demands of competitive cycling, after his fourth Tour de France victory in 2002.

With the start of the Tour de Georgia last week and the approach of the Tour de France in July, I find myself checking in to see what Lance Armstrong is up to these days.  I sometimes do this when I’m in need of a little motivation.

Of course, you remember that all of Lance Armstrong's seven Tour de France wins followed a cancer diagnosis in 1996.  This was not just any cancer, but a highly aggressive testicular carcinoma that rapidly metastasized to his lungs and brain.

Most people would have crumbled, but based on Armstrong's attitude toward life, his response was absolutely predictable.

After absorbing the terror of a certain death sentence, he assaulted the aggressor with the same guts and determination that he exhibits on grueling inclines in the French Alps.  It is in the mountains where he typically leaves his competitors in the dust.

Armstrong’s motto… "Knowledge is power and attitude is everything".  The rest is history.

As someone who helps people lose weight and improve fitness by changing their habits and behaviors, I'd like to take a closer look at the subject of attitude.

After all, it's attitude that determines whether you drag yourself off the couch and out the door for an invigorating walk, or spend the afternoon watching TV.

Whether it's to enhance your life, or save your life, to a very large degree, it is attitude that determines where you end up.

If you would like a good example of how attitude can overcome a real downer of an experience, consider Kelly Luckett of Decatur, Georgia.  She ran 26.2 miles last year, as the third ever female amputee to compete in the Boston Marathon. That's 26.2 miles folks...in six hours, twenty minutes and two seconds.

Ms. Luckett had the choice to either succumb to her disability or live life fully.  She chose to not only live, but to strive for excellence and the result was outstanding.

With the list of things I have to do today, I have a “pretty good reason” to stay hunched over my desk until dinnertime, but I guess I have just motivated myself to haul up the anchor and take my protesting body out for a run.

It's all about living!

Tips to “Boost” Your Attitude:

Most of us understand the reasons for our poor physical fitness and the answer to losing weight.  We have read volumes on diet and exercise, but it is our attitude that prevents us from doing what needs to be done.

One way to develop a powerfully positive attitude, even if you don’t feel that way, is to behave as if you do.  To that end, planning your actions and anticipating setbacks, in advance, is essential.

1.  Schedule workouts on your calendar.  Making an important appointment with yourself, in writing, carries more weight than just the vague intention to do something.  Schedule for first thing in the morning because research shows that people who exercise before the business day begins are most likely to stick with it.

2.  A little bit of something is better than nothing.  Regardless of how short you are on time or how blah you're feeling, commit to just five or ten minutes.  Every little bit helps and, almost always, once you get going, your energy picks up and you have a great workout.

3.  Be flexible.  A change of plans is not an excuse to do nothing.   If you usually exercise in the gym, and you’re out of town, go for a jog.  If you forgot your running shoes, go for a brisk walk. Honor your commitment to your exercise appointment.

4.  When possible, join your spouse or a workout partner.  It’s a lot less easy to cop out if someone else is depending on you.

5.  Check out Lance’s autobiography, “It’s Not About the Bike.   My Journey Back to Life”.  Last time I looked, you could get a used copy for fifty cents on http://www.Amazon.com .  If this book doesn’t motivate you, nothing will!

"Be Strong... Be Lean"

Howard McGarity

"Coach Mac"

Attitude: Your Weight Loss Secret

Copyright 2006 Howard McGarity

"It's a contest of purposeless suffering....to me of course, it's all about living." - Lance Armstrong comments on the grueling demands of competitive cycling, after his fourth Tour de France victory in 2002.

With the start of the Tour de Georgia last week and the approach of the Tour de France in July, I find myself checking in to see what Lance Armstrong is up to these days.  I sometimes do this when I’m in need of a little motivation.

Of course, you remember that all of Lance Armstrong's seven Tour de France wins followed a cancer diagnosis in 1996.  This was not just any cancer, but a highly aggressive testicular carcinoma that rapidly metastasized to his lungs and brain.

Most people would have crumbled, but based on Armstrong's attitude toward life, his response was absolutely predictable.

After absorbing the terror of a certain death sentence, he assaulted the aggressor with the same guts and determination that he exhibits on grueling inclines in the French Alps.  It is in the mountains where he typically leaves his competitors in the dust.

Armstrong’s motto… "Knowledge is power and attitude is everything".  The rest is history.

As someone who helps people lose weight and improve fitness by changing their habits and behaviors, I'd like to take a closer look at the subject of attitude.

After all, it's attitude that determines whether you drag yourself off the couch and out the door for an invigorating walk, or spend the afternoon watching TV.

Whether it's to enhance your life, or save your life, to a very large degree, it is attitude that determines where you end up.

If you would like a good example of how attitude can overcome a real downer of an experience, consider Kelly Luckett of Decatur, Georgia.  She ran 26.2 miles last year, as the third ever female amputee to compete in the Boston Marathon. That's 26.2 miles folks...in six hours, twenty minutes and two seconds.

Ms. Luckett had the choice to either succumb to her disability or live life fully.  She chose to not only live, but to strive for excellence and the result was outstanding.

With the list of things I have to do today, I have a “pretty good reason” to stay hunched over my desk until dinnertime, but I guess I have just motivated myself to haul up the anchor and take my protesting body out for a run.

It's all about living!

Tips to “Boost” Your Attitude:

Most of us understand the reasons for our poor physical fitness and the answer to losing weight.  We have read volumes on diet and exercise, but it is our attitude that prevents us from doing what needs to be done.

One way to develop a powerfully positive attitude, even if you don’t feel that way, is to behave as if you do.  To that end, planning your actions and anticipating setbacks, in advance, is essential.

1.  Schedule workouts on your calendar.  Making an important appointment with yourself, in writing, carries more weight than just the vague intention to do something.  Schedule for first thing in the morning because research shows that people who exercise before the business day begins are most likely to stick with it.

2.  A little bit of something is better than nothing.  Regardless of how short you are on time or how blah you're feeling, commit to just five or ten minutes.  Every little bit helps and, almost always, once you get going, your energy picks up and you have a great workout.

3.  Be flexible.  A change of plans is not an excuse to do nothing.   If you usually exercise in the gym, and you’re out of town, go for a jog.  If you forgot your running shoes, go for a brisk walk. Honor your commitment to your exercise appointment.

4.  When possible, join your spouse or a workout partner.  It’s a lot less easy to cop out if someone else is depending on you.

5.  Check out Lance’s autobiography, “It’s Not About the Bike.   My Journey Back to Life”.  Last time I looked, you could get a used copy for fifty cents on http://www.Amazon.com .  If this book doesn’t motivate you, nothing will!

"Be Strong... Be Lean"

Howard McGarity

"Coach Mac"

Are You Using The Weight Loss Secret That Personal Trainers Use all the time

Whether you like him or not, you have to respect Dr Phil just because of one thing.

He continually asks his guests one simple question: "How's it working for you?"

Success in anything comes from FINDING WHAT WORKS then DOING WHAT WORKS.

I am going to reveal to you the Secret Weight Loss Formula that Celebrity personal trainer don't want you to know about.

Before I reveal the secret, first I need to explain to you that there is process that your body goes through to burn body fat.

So how does your body burn fat?

It is a 2 steps process and in order you need to:
1.    Release the fat from the fat cells and only then
2.    You can burn the fat

That process is the same for every human being. I will outline the steps and then show you how you can easily apply some fundamental rules to allow your body to burn the maximum amount of fat with less effort and minimum time. Once you understand that simple process, you can easily see why you are not getting the results that you want. Even bigger, you will finally see that getting that dream body is getting so much closer to reality that you will be extremely motivated to get started as soon as you can.

How does your body release the fat from the cells?

Before you can turn your body into a fat burning machine, here what needs to happen: your body fat need to be released from the fat cells. You can accomplish this step successfully with your nutrition program. Here are some specific tips that you can apply right away to achieve that.

1.    Eat 4-6 small, frequent meals and never skip meals.
2.    Include small amounts of good fats.
3.    Eat natural foods; avoid processed & refined foods
4.    Eat lean proteins with each meal.
5.    Eat more complex carbs, fruits & vegetables.

The most misunderstood weight loss strategy. How to burn the *fat* instead of burning muscles.

Releasing fat from the fat cells is not the end of it; actually, it is just the beginning. Because the fat needs to be transported from the fat cells to your muscles so it can be burned there. This is done through your blood and the cardiovascular system is responsible for that. The more effective is that system, the more effective your body will become at burning fat. You can improve your cardio vascular system by doing so cardio training.  However, don't go out yet and spend 1 hour on the treadmill because you probably not going to be doing too much good like that.

The reason is excessive cardio combined with a restrictive diet burns fat but mostly muscle tissue. That is not a good thing at all, because muscle tissue is where you burn the fat and if you are burning away muscle tissue, you are burning your ability to burn more fat in the future (weight loss plateau). You just don't cut the hand that feed you. So cardio burns fat and it can also burn muscle tissue, this is a huge dilemma. Damn if you do, damn if you don't. But wait there is a solution to that…

You need to do some MODERATE cardio training. The key word here is moderate.
Doing too much cardio can be detrimental and I am sure you have seen those people that are doing cardio on a daily basis and still not getting anywhere. The result is a low metabolism. Low metabolism means, your body fat is not going anywhere, anytime
soon. Here is what you need to do:

1.    Do some moderate cardio training; the key word here is moderate
2.    Never diet but consume little fewer calories that you will burn (No starvation diets, Please...)

The world most efficient "fat burner" is FREE and You already have it.

Before I reveal to you how personal trainer get those celebrities in the best shape of their life in such short period there is one more thing that I want you to understand. Because it is very important.
Weight loss marketers always claim that they have the magic "fat burner" that will melt your fat away. The problem is that they have a new one coming out every year, so I wonder if the one from last year was so effective, why we need a new one. There is only one thing that actually burn body fat is you already have it. It does not come in a bottle or a special recipe. Body fat can only be burned inside of your muscle tissue. I repeat Body fat can only be burn in your muscle tissue. This is the most important concept for you to grasp.

Your muscle tissue is your best friend when it comes to burn body fat. You need to preserve muscle tissues in order to keep losing weight. Most people go on a starvation diet combined a lot of cardio to lose weight. At first it may seems like this is working because they are losing scale weight. Now think about, scale weight does not tell you if weight loss is from fat, water or muscle tissue. Scale weight by itself is not a good indicator of success.

Losing water is only temporary,
Losing muscle will simply lower your metabolism and put you in the Yo-Yo dieting bandwagon. This should be avoided at all cost.
Losing fat while maintaining muscle mass is what your main goal should be.

To maintain muscle tissues you need to:
1.    Do some resistance training. (This is not optional, it is mandatory)


The secret

Now that you understand the whole fat burning process, I am going to reveal to you how celebrity personal trainers do to get those amazing transformations. The strategy is to combine all the steps that I outlined so the body works as a unit.  First the trainer makes sure that his client is eating the proper food on a regular basis.

By that I mean eating so that fat WILL be released from the fat cells. Then and only then they exercise the body to burn the fat. The important idea to take from this is:

"The fat can ONLY be burned after it is released from the fat cells".

If you know anybody that has been exercising like a maniac and they don't seem to go anywhere, now you know why.

The reverse is also true, Do you know somebody that is eating properly but they are not including cardio AND resistance training. Now you know why their body  still look the same.

All you need to do is to combine a nutrition program, along with some MODERATE cardio program and maintain muscle mass with resistance training. Everything is combined with one goal in mind: Turning your body into an Automatic fat burning machine. It is that easy.

Don't like the results you have been getting?  Then CHANGE YOUR STRATEGY.

How do you change your strategy? How do you find one that works?

DO NOT continue doing something just because "THEY" say it's the way things should be done. Allow yourself to choose the solution that will work for you, regardless of what it may be. The only way for you to know who is right is to measure your progress and ACTUALLY track your results.

CHANGE IS HARD, but it's also worth it. Not getting results makes change EXTREMELY HARD.

Get support from friends, family or a coach. Losing weight is not as hard at it seems once you know what to do. Stop now and sign up to my Forbidden Weight loss Secrets blog at http://www.charlesblain.com because you will receive weight loss secrets that you will not get anywhere else. The result will be that body that you've always wanted.

Good Luck with your journey…If you really *need* specific help and you are very *serious* visit

Are You Still Following Your New Years Resolution To Lose Weight?

One of the most common New Year’s Resolutions is “to lose weight, and get in shape”. However within a few weeks an overwhelming majority of people are right back where they started eating foods that aren’t healthy and not exercising. So why do so many people start out with good intentions and fail?

Most people focus on short term goals and instant gratification. They want to lose weight but aren’t committed to making the lifestyle changes necessary to lead a healthier life. Let’s be honest that chocolate covered doughnut with sprinkles certainly tastes better than a bowl of oatmeal, and who wouldn’t want to eat something that tastes better. Truth is unless you are training for an athletic event its ok to have a chocolate doughnut from time to time. The key is not to have a chocolate doughnut every morning. Realize that there are some foods that just aren’t healthy and you should only be eating them on a limited basis and in moderation.

The second part of getting in shape and losing weight is exercise. Again people start out with the best intentions I’m going to run 5 miles every day. However if you haven’t run a mile in more years than you care to admit, this is a recipe for failure. Set moderate and obtainable goals for yourself. First start out with walking one mile. After a few weeks start walking for two miles, then three. Once you can comfortably walk the 5 miles, start walking four and half miles and run for a half mile. Keep up adding to the length you run and subtracting from the length you walk. It may take 6 months or more for you get to that stage, and that’s ok. It’s not important that you succeed quickly, just that you succeed.

One of the biggest reasons people give up weight loss resolutions is temporary defeat. Maybe they went on a vacation and gained a few pounds, or they had some big projects for work and haven’t exercised for a week or two, and what’s the point in starting back up again. When you start down the road to a healthier lifestyle realize there will be bumps and even a few dead ends on the way. Realize its ok to make a mistake as long as you get back on the right path again, and try not to repeat the same mistakes you did last time.

© Copyright.Fitness-Infomercial.com, All Rights Reserved.

Aged and Weight Loss Surgery

Weight loss surgery is gaining popularity with each passing day. It’s the last option for all those suffering from morbid obesity. Weight-loss surgery is riskier among elderly, but may be best option for some of them as it also provides immense health benefits. Gastric-bypass surgery for weight loss has become very common place and one of the preferred choices for getting rid of morbid obesity amongst aged population.

With Medicare picking up the cost, weight loss surgery has become an affordable option for getting rid off obesity. After the surgery, most of the people couldn’t eat as much therefore the weight drop off faster than they could believe. Exercising made it even easier. The best part about these surgeries is that it also takes care of heart problems, poor circulation, wasted knees and sleep apnea that are often faced by most of the aged.

Obesity at an advanced stage of life is a big threat to life. Most the times it’s the result of a fast-food culture and a sedentary lifestyle. They tend to make us fatter than ever. Senior people who are morbidly obese — at least 100 pounds overweight — are increasingly opting for some form of gastric bypass surgery as a last resort to get rid of this embarrassing situation. It helps to improve their health and quality of life for the years they have left.

According to recent research, seniors can benefit from weight-loss surgery as much as younger people and maybe even more. It has been noticed that patients over the age of 60 got the same benefits from the surgery and had a comparable rate of postoperative complications as compared to younger people. The procedure produces good results and improves quality of life with about the same rate of mortality and complications as seniors who have heart-bypass and hip replacement surgery.

The best part about Weight Loss surgery is that besides providing relief from obesity, it helps in correcting a host of diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, sleep apnea, heartburn reflux and makes the knees and joints last longer. So, it has turned out to be a pleasant option for most of its beneficiary.

After Christmas Weight-Watchers

Christmas Is Over – Weight-Watchers Return To Watching.

It is always sad when a holiday comes to an end, especially a holiday like Christmas that means so much to so many people but stay positive, - it’s only 363 days until the next one. For now the priority must be to reclaim your body and take control of your life again and that starts with your weight.

Throughout our series of weight-watcher articles we always focus on the same basic theme: If you truly want to lose weight you only have to focus on two things - eat less and move more. It really is simple.

Over Christmas we have all gained between one and five pounds (450 to 2,250 grams) and that means that to get back to pre-Christmas weight will take us between one and five weeks. It is not possible to lose weight faster than one pound (450g) per week and expect it remain lost. Therefore this article is about going back to basics of how to lose one pound each week.

One pound (450g) is equivalent to 3,500 calories, or five hundred calories each day. An adult requires a minimum of 2,000 calories each day to remain fit and healthy in the developed world we consume an average of 3,500 calories each day. This intake gives us many options for losing weight. For instance we can reduce our daily intake by 500 calories providing we do not fall below 2,000 calories each day. This will help your weight and consequently your health but will not make you fitter and more able to enjoy life.

That is why we suggest that initially you set out to reduce your daily calorie intake by 300 calories and burn off a further 200 calories through light exercise.

See our calorie burn-off chart at: http://www.recipesmania.com/calorieexerciserate.html

This way you work on both your aerobic fitness and diet at the same time and then as you become fitter you will increase your burn off rate and therefore allow for a few extra rewards in your diet. Remember it is not good practice to lose weight at a rate greater than one-pound (450g) each week or you will soon be putting all that weight back on again rendering your program worthless. The whole point of losing weight is keeping it lost, not losing it this month and watching it come back next.

Start today and you will see results within a week.

This article is copyright © David McCarthy 2005. It may be reproduced in its entirety with no additions. Any changes require written approval from the author.

Aerobic Exercise for Better Fitness

It doesn't matter who you are in the world, your body needs aerobic exercise. A healthy body and quality way of life requires it. It has many of pros and will help you perform greater in all aspects of your life. So what are the benefits of aerobic exercise?

More effective implementation of the lungs by raising the oxygen transported to them and the heart using this oxygen more efficiently are a few of the advantages of aerobic exercise. The word aerobic translates to with air, or with oxygen.  Exercise that is less intense and longer in length is aerobic. 15 to 30 minutes is about how long the big muscle group should be continuously worked when an athlete does aerobic exercises. The mission of the athlete is to maintain a maximum heart rate of around sixty to eighty %. Swimming, cycling, light running, and walking are just a few aerobic exercises. These activities should be able to be done without someone having to gasp for breath. If you cannot carry on a short conversation while exercising, you possibly are turning it up a notch by anaerobically exercising.

Working a certain group of muscles for an allotted amount of time to achieve your target heart rate is the objective of aerobic exercise. This works the heart more efficiently and has the body expend a greater amount of calories. Often people will hit the aerobic curve. This is when you begin working out and raise your intensity  to the top then decrease gradually. Keeping a continuous heart rate is more effective. The lungs and heart endure for more time and work more efficiently when they are trained. People who perform aerobic exercise on a routine basis will have to exercise longer to reach their target heart rate as their endurance is increased. People who are just beginning will get to their target heart rate fast until their body gets used to the workload.

An aerobics class could be a good start for people who want to reap the rewards of aerobic exercise and aren't positive how to begin. Both higher and lower intensity exercises are available in an aerobics class. The class instructor will  show class members how to proceed with these moves either way. How much you carry your arms and legs up during the work out is how the intensity is measured. Athletes should do the level of intensity according to their level of fitness and the regularity of their aerobic sessions.

While in an aerobic exercise work out, the body sends more blood and oxygen to the muscles. It is not smart to stop suddenly from an aerobic session. This can lead to dizziness and muscular spasms. After a relatively intense work out, a cooling down session is always a good idea. If someone gets too tired during an aerobic session, they can run in place for a little while until able to go on. Work outs that are higher in intensity and shorter in time is called anaerobic exercise. The body wears out faster and creates muscle more actively with anaerobics. A lot of sports are categorized as anaerobic exercises: soccer, downhill skiing, weights, basketball, and football. Another example is running or sprinting. The body will more likely be sore at the conclusion of anaerobic exercise.

To picture that often we don't do aerobic exercise is wild because it has so variety of benefits. It helps control and decreases body fat, raises our whole stamina, gives us extra energy, assists in our resistance to exhaustion, tones our muscles, and increases our lean body mass. It also aids us mentally by lifting mood, decreasing anxiety, reducing depression, reducing tension, and helping us sleep better at night. Who cannot benefit a bit from all that?These are benefits that people could all use.

This type exercise is no doubt essential for cardiovascular fitness even if it may be a little difficult at first. A healthy body requires regular work out sessions and is an ongoing process. People who have already achieved good cardiovascular condition can keep this by exercising at least three times weekly. People who are trying to decrease weight and elevate their level of health should work out four or five intervals a week.

Aerobic Effort for Good Fitness

No matter who you are in the world, you have to have aerobic exercise. It is required for a healthy body and a quality way of life. It has many of pros and will make you feel greater in all aspects of your life. Why should you do aerobics?

Muscle groups get more blood and oxygen from the body during an aerobic exercise session. It is not good to halt suddenly from an aerobic activity. Cramping and dizziness can occur from this. After a relatively intense work out, a cooling off session is always a good idea. Running in place for a little while is a good suggestion if anyone gets too tired during a work out session. More efficient use of the lungs by raising the oxygen transported to them as well as the heart using this oxygen more effectively are a few of the pros of aerobic exercise. The definition of aerobic translates to with air, or with oxygen.  It is a work out that is lower in intensity and lengthier in duration. With aerobic work outs, a person uses the same large muscle group in a repetitive movement from between fifteen to thirty. A  heart rate of around 60 to 80% is the objective to maintain. Just a few aerobic activities are: light running, cycling, walking, or treading water. These sessions should be able to be done without someone breathing hard. You are possibly anaerobically exercising if you are unable to carry on a short conversation.

Aerobic exercise has so many benefits that it is wild to picture that we sometimes do not take the time to do it for ourselves. It maintains and reduces body fat, boosts our total stamina, gives us extra energy, assists in our resilience to tiredness, increases our muscles, and increases our lean body mass. It also helps us mentally by improving mood, lowering anxiety, reducing depression, reducing tension, and having us sleep better at night. Who cannot benefit a bit from all that?These are pros that people could all use.

Exercise that is higher in intensity and shorter in time is called anaerobic exercise. The body wears out faster and develops muscle more quickly with anaerobics. Many sports are categorized as anaerobic exercises: soccer, downhill skiing, weight lifting, basketball, and football. Running or sprinting is another one. Anaerobic exercise will boost the chances of the body becoming sore.

An aerobics class may be a good start for people who want to reap the rewards of aerobic exercise and aren't positive how to begin. In an aerobics class, you can do high or low intensity cardiovascular. The instructor will be able to show class members how to perform these moves either way. How high you carry your limbs up during the aerobic session is how the intensity is measured. People must do the level of intensity pertaining to their abilities and the frequency of their aerobic sessions.

The objective while working out aerobically is to achieve your target heart rate and remain at that for the entire period you are working that group of muscles. This works the heart more efficiently and has the body burn a greater amount of calories. The aerobic curve is something some people will reach. This is when you begin exercising and elevate your intensity level to the peak then slow down gradually. It is more efficient to maintain that continuous rate as your heart rate rises. The lungs and heart endure longer and work more effectively when they are trained. People that perform aerobic exercise on a routine interval will have to exercise harder to reach their target heart rate as their endurance increases. People who are just beginning will reach their target heart rate fast until their body becomes adjusted to the exercise.

Aerobic exercise may be somewhat difficult to do at first, but it is absolutely necessary for cardiovascular fitness. A healthy body takes steady aerobic sessions and is a continuous process. People who are in good cardiovascular condition can keep this by exercising a minimum of three times a week. Those who are trying to lose weight and elevate their level of health should exercise four or five intervals a week.

A Whole Body Approach To Fat Loss

Copyright 2006  The Fitness Consulting Group

What’s the Secret to losing bodyfat and keeping it off?

Ask 100 different fitness experts this question, and you’ll probably get 80 or more different answers.  That’s one reason why fitness and fat loss gets so darn confusing-everybody seems to have “the answer.”

You’ve got 101 different theories about how to induce fat loss including super-slow training, heart rate training, circuit training, Pilates, yoga principles, high-rep weight training, and aerobics.

When it comes to nutrition, there are even more fad diets than exercise theories.  The Atkins Diet, The South Beach Diet, Eat 4 Your Blood Type, Low Fat, Low Carb, Low Calorie, The Zone…even Dr. Phil has a diet book.

Well, I’m going to simplify things for you. Work the whole body each session!  No tricky split routines, no bodypart training…just training the body the way it was intended to function, as a whole.

Human movement, stabilization, balance and strength are the results of a whole body approach to strength training.  Until recently, the fitness industry had forgotten how to incorporate the entire body in exercise programming.

The human body has over 600 muscles, all intended to work as one complete and complimentary system. Traditional exercise programs have neglected the majority of these muscles by training in a one-dimensional environment. This type of training handicaps the body from performing the way it is designed to function.

Training in a fixed plane environment leads to isolated results, muscle imbalance, and injury.  In contrast, the whole body approach to resistance training prepares participants of any fitness level to achieve great improvements in body composition and function better in daily life as well.  The three-dimensional environment of training movements, not individual muscles, enables the body to become efficient in both static and dynamic environments.  Participants achieve balanced, long lasting, effective results.

This method is fun because it is a whole body approach.  The same movement patterns that we used as children (pushing, pulling, twisting, lunging, squatting, stepping and balance in multiple planes) are the core of your approach to fat loss.  From beginners to the most advanced exercise fanatic, this approach to fat loss and fitness will provide fun and effective workouts and lasting results.

Full body training is an extremely effective way to loose weight as involves dynamic, whole body movement that increase caloric expenditure.  Training movements instead of individual muscles can also help change body composition by increasing muscle mass, increasing growth hormone output, raising metabolism, maximizing caloric output, and ultimately decreasing body fat.

Now, regardless of how great your workout is, food intake is the key factor that will either make you or brake you as far as fat loss goes.  The only way that the human body drops body fat is by being in what is called a calorie deficit.  This brings us back to LAW OF THERMODYNAMICS. Remember, I’ll say it one more time...this law states that if you eat more calories in a day than you burn you will gain fat, if you burn more calories in a day than you eat you will lose fat, and if you eat the same amount of calories in a day as you burn you will remain constant.  This is a law!!!!  It is as true as the law of gravity and it is how the body works.  Knowing this, it is simple.  If you want to lose fat you need to adjust you daily calorie intake so that you are into a calorie deficit.  You need to get your calorie count low enough to begin fat loss, but at the same time keeping it high enough to remain healthy.  The second step to optimizing you food intake is by spreading your food out evenly throughout the day.  Ideally, you want to be on a five meal per day plan.  By spreading your calories evenly through five small meals your metabolism works its best for you.  When you constantly give your body food with small meals your body does not feel the need to store fat.  On the contrary when eating large, infrequent meals your body feels the need to store some food as fat for it is unsure as to when it will be fed again.  Get on a scheduled meal plan that your body will respond to.  Five meals a day, approximately three hours apart works great.  A healthy start point for you protein, carbohydrate, and fat ratio’s is 25% of you food coming from protein, 60% of your food coming from carbohydrate, and 15% of your food intake coming from fats.

Now, I’m going to give you an industry secret.  A lot of personal trainers out there are gonna be upset with me for it is too valuable to give away, but I’m going do it any way.  If you want to lose fat and you are unsure of how many calories you are supposed to eat and are not in a position to hire professional assistance, barring any medical conditions, a simple formula to follow is this.  Take your body weight and add a zero on the end.  Use that as your general guideline, split the number evenly among five meals per day and your body should be in a calorie deficit.  For example if you weigh 180lbs., add a zero, your now at 1800 calories.  Divide that over five meals per day, your eating 360 calories per meal.  Keeping each meal balanced approximately 60% carbs, 25% proteins, 15% fat, you are eating in a healthy way to lose weight.  It works!!  Note, if you have any medical conditions always consult with your physician first. How quickly will you see results?  Although results will vary with each individual, full body training coupled with a proper nutrition program will help you achieve greater results than most other programs in less time.  The results can come quicker and be longer lasting.

16 Ways to Burn Stubborn Body Fat

Eat less ... lose weight?!? Here's the other stuff you can do to get leaner.

1)  Don’t diet to extremes. Reducing calories by 15-20% a day will almost exclusively burn fat while larger cuts in calories will burn a combo of muscle tissue and fat. Muscle drives the metabolism – calorie burning. If you’re currently eating 3000 calories, reduce to 2400-2550, but do so according to smart guidelines like those laid out in The Living Health Weight Loss Audio.

2)  Graze all day. Professional athletes and models eat all day long yet keep their total calories under control. The grazing method, 5-6 small meals, elevates the metabolism. Each time you eat, the metabolism increases, and over a 6-10 week period, that increase can parlay into another 2-3 pounds of fat loss.

3)  Increase Protein. Carbs, protein and fat – are equal in their efficiency to be stored as body fat, but protein exerts a greater metabolic boosting effect than carbs or dietary fat. When calories drop, protein saves muscle which helps keep the metabolism elevated. Aim for 1.2 grams per pound of bodyweight daily.

4)  Play with Carbs. Carbs help retain metabolic boosting muscle yet they can stimulate fat storage. Following a modified low carb diet – staggering your carbohydrate intake is one of the most effective ways to jump start your
metabolism and to burn stubborn fat fast (as outlined in Maximize Your Metabolism and the Living Health Audio Program.)


5)  Go Backward. One reason fat loss comes to a halt; the body downgrades its metabolism to meet its dwindling intake of calories. The solution: dramatically increase your calorie intake once every 2-3 weeks. The one day splurge “re-sets” the metabolism by restoring thyroid levels, the calorie burning hormone that declines with dieting.

6)  Skip the Late Night Carbs. Carbs eaten before bedtime are more likely to be stored as body fat so focus on lean proteins and fiber based vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower and salad fixings. The lone exception: if you train late at night and your goal is to build muscle mass, you’ll need the carbs to replenish glycogen and support growth.

7)  Go Fish. When calories are controlled, the inclusion of omega-3 fatty acids found in salmon, trout and sardines may promote speedier fat loss. One study revealed dieters who ate fish on a daily basis lost more weight than those who ate fish just once a week (Am Journ Clin Nutr 70:817-825, 1999)

8)  Go Spicy. Red peppers, the spicy ingredient in Mexican and Indian dishes contains Capsaicin which can increase the metabolic rate by effecting the Sympathetic Branch of the Nervous system. Spiking your chicken dishes with red might be a small benefit or you can gulp 5 to 10 encapsulated grams of Capsaicin from your local health food store. (Journal of Nutrition 116:1272-1278, 1986.)

9)  Don’t Be Cardio Crazy! Radically reducing calories slows the metabolism short circuiting fat loss. Same is true with radical caloric expenditure. You know: 2 cardio sessions a day. Excess cardio slows the metabolism, promotes a loss in muscle and even can lower testosterone levels. For real results, stick to 4-6 sessions a week, 30 – 45 minutes at a clip and maintain a high level of intensity.

10)  Separate Cardio From Weight Training. What happens when you do cardio first and follow it up with weight training? You don’t build as much muscle density. How about cardio after training? You risk overtraining and the negative hormonal milieu that can stifle the metabolic rate. The best scenario; hit the cardio in the morning – on an empty stomach – get in a few meals and return to the gym later in the day to build muscle density.

11)  Serotonin Control. Serotonin is a brain chemical that helps controls hunger. Guess what? It can take a nose dive with dieting. ( R.J. Wurtman and J.J. Wurtman, “Brain serotonin, carbohydrate-craving, obesity, and depression.” Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology 398 (1996): 35-41.) One way to prevent a drop; smaller, more frequent meals.

12)  Garlic Chicken! Mother Earth’s flavor enhancer stimulates adrenaline and uncoupling proteins (UCP). Adrenaline triggers fat breakdown and UCP, located in metabolically active “brown fat”, increase calorie burning. Garlic also controls cortisol levels which can supports muscle retention while dieting. For best results use fresh raw garlic in your salads or on your other meals, but if you can't handle raw garlic then use fresh bulbs in you cooking or give supplements a try. (Oi Y, et al., Allyl-containing sulfides in garlic increase uncoupling protein content in brown adipose tissue, and noradenaline and adrenaline secretion in rats. J Nutr 129:336-342,1999.) (Wang HX, Et al., Natural products with hypoglycemic, hypotensive, hypocholesterolemic, antiatherosclerotic and antithrombotic activities. Life Sci 65:2663-2677,1999.)

13)  Sip Green Tea. Green tea contains caffeine and polyphenols called epilgallocatechin gallate which have been shown to increase calorie burning. These special calorie burning compounds help burn an extra 100 or-so calories a day, about equal to a brisk walk. In maximizing fat loss, every calorie counts. (Dullo, A.G., et al., Efficiency of a green tea extract rich in catechin polyphenols and caffeine in increasing 24-h energy expenditure and fat oxidation in humans. Am J Clin Nutr, 1999. 70(6):p.1040-5.)

14)  Fat? Yes Fat! To rip up, you have to eat fewer carbs, but on occasion – say once a week - you can add a little healthy fat, 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil, some red meat, walnuts or cashews. The reason? Dietary fat can make the body more effective in using and burning fat – as long as calories and carbs remain under control. (Thomas CD et al. Nutrient Balance and Energy Expenditure During the Ad Libitum Feeding of High Fat and High Carbohydrate Diets in Humans. Am J Clin Nutr 1992;55:934)

15)  Thyroid Support. Irony of Ironies. When you eat less and try to dump body fat, a lot of times the metabolism adapts and burns quite a bit fewer calories. One way to get around the slowdown is with phosphates. A combo of 537 mgs of calcium phosphate, 107 mgs of potassium phosphate and 25 mgs of sodium phosphate given to strict dieters yielded a 12-19% more elevated metabolism than dieters who did not use phosphates.

16)  Write It Down. This one seems simple, but it’s one of the most overlooked tips in shedding fat. Dieters who record what they eat, meal by meal, day by day, not only make better choices, but cheat less and eat fewer total calories. Writing it down “keeps you honest” and is a tool for reminding you that getting lean is a day by day process.

10 Secrets to a Fit Family

It's no secret that many parents and their children are overweight. These 10 simple ‘secrets’ can help you change your family's lifestyle so that you can all become fit and healthy.

1) Eat Whole Grain Foods

Processed and refined grains, such as white bread, white rice, cereal, pasta, and other foods made with white flour have a high glycemic index, low amounts of fiber, and less vitamins and minerals as foods made with whole grains. Making the switch to whole grain foods, including whole wheat bread, whole grain pasta, brown rice, and cereals made with whole grains, are an easy and healthy way to make your family's diet more nutritious.


2) Limit Soda and Fruit Drinks

Soda and fruit drinks have low nutritional value and a lot of calories. At about 150 calories per 12 ounce serving, your kids will gain an extra pound about every 3 weeks if they drink just one can of soda each day.
Cutting back or eliminating soda, fruit drinks, and even fruit juice, can be a good way to get rid of a lot of extra calories and leave room for your kids to eat more nutritious foods.


3) Eat More Fruits and Vegetables

Most children don't eat enough fruits and vegetables and that usually means that they are eating other less nutritious foods. With a high fiber content and lots of vitamins and minerals, fruits and vegetables are an important part of a healthy diet. And because they have lots of water in them, eating fruits and vegetables can help you to feel full and satisfied so that you don't overeat.


4) Eat More Foods with Calcium

A common mistake people make when trying to lose weight is that they stop drinking milk, eating cheese and yogurt. Calcium is important to build healthy bones and to help you lose weight. You should encourage your kids to drink low-fat milk, eat portioned amounts of cheese and yogurt to help lose weight and maintain a healthy weight.


5) Be More Active

Everyone knows that part of the cause of the current obesity epidemic is that people are much less active then they used to be. Getting kids involved in organized activities, which can be either team or individual sports, and cutting back on the amount of time in front of the TV, computer and playing video games will burn calories and improve fitness levels.

Family activities are also a good way to be more physically active. Even simple things, like walking across a parking lot, using stairs, and going for short family walks or bike rides, can make a big difference.


6) Know Where Calories Come From

While you don't necessarily need to do daily calorie counts, keep a diary of what your family eats for a few days can help you see where extra calories are coming from. Are your kids overweight because of the calories they get from a bedtime snack or those two glasses of Kool Aid or soda he drinks? Or maybe because his portion sizes are too large?

If you know where your kids' calories are coming from, you will know where to make changes and how you can cut back, especially on foods that have a lot of empty calories.


7) Learn About Carbs

Carbs get a bad wrap, especially with all of the proponents of high protein diets, like the Atkins and South Beach Diet. Not all carbs are created equal. While it is a good idea to avoid foods that have refined such as white bread, foods made with white flour, and foods and beverages sweetened with sugar, other carbs should be part of a balanced diet.

Instead of avoiding all carbs, just learn about how to choose foods with ‘good’ carbohydrates, which includes fruits, vegetables, beans, and whole grain foods.


8) Learn About Fats

Like carbs, there are ‘good’ and ‘bad’ fats. Instead of making the mistake of trying to stick to a low fat diet, and simply substituting other foods that are often just as high in calories, you should eat foods that have ‘good’ fat in them. This includes foods with polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats. On the other hand, you should avoid saturated fats and trans fats.


9) Choose Healthy Meals when Eating Out

Even if your family eats healthy at home, if you eat super-sized fast food meals a few times a week, they are probably still at risk for becoming overweight. If you eat out a lot, review the nutritional facts of the restaurant's menu and watch your portion sizes. Calories and fat quickly adds up when eating out!


10) Stay Motivated!

Most people know what they need to do to be healthier however, eating healthy and exercising is not easy.   Education about the specifics of a healthy diet, getting the whole family involved, and setting goals, can help your family stay healthy and fit.  Hire a personal trainer or seek the counsel of a dietitian to keep you on the healthy track.

10 Real Life Diet Tips

Are you tired of diet tips handed out by someone with apparently unlimited income and time? For some of us, it may just not be practical to spend half of our Sunday preparing carefully portioned meals for the rest of the week, or financially feasible to buy all our meals prepackaged in just the right portions. And there are those of us who cringe at the thought of weighing food to achieve 'optimal portion sizes'. Here are ten real life diet tips for the rest of us.

1. Eating out? Restaurant portions tend to be enormous, and if it's on the plate, we tend to eat it. If it's possible, order from the kid’s menu, where portions are more reasonably sized.

2. Keep healthy snacks around and easily accessible. A bowl of fruit on the kitchen table, a container of celery or carrot sticks in the refrigerator, or a couple of pop-open cans of fruit salad in your desk at work will help you grab for something healthy when those first hunger pains begin. In other words, you'll be more likely to grab something low-calorie and good for you if it's easy to eat.

3. Substitute frozen vegetables for canned. Canned veggies tend to be high in sodium, which you don't need, and low in real nutrition, which you do. Buy economy size bags with zip closures to make it easy to pour out a single serving for a meal.

4. Buy a vegetable steamer. Steaming is one of the healthiest ways to cook vegetables. The food retains nearly all of its natural nutrients instead of leaching it out into the cooking water. Even better, it makes your veggies taste great - which means you'll be more likely to eat them instead of filling up on fatty foods that pack on weight.

5. Never eat standing up. One of the easiest ways to sabotage your diet is to 'eat without thinking'. Treat eating with the respect that it deserves. Fix yourself a plate. Sit down and eat properly. You'll be less likely to just pop food into your mouth without paying attention.

6. Spread your meals out. When you eat three meals a day, your body tends to store whatever it doesn't need right that moment. By adopting a 'grazing' habit, you'll keep your metabolism working throughout the day. Have a small breakfast, a piece of fruit with crackers or toast at mid-morning, a light lunch and an 'after school snack' mid-afternoon. Just remember that you're breaking up the same amount of food into smaller meals, not ADDING more food into your daily diet.

7. Grab a fruit juice or flavored water instead of soda. Soda is nothing but empty calories. No nutrients, lots of sugar. Instead, grab a bottle of 100% fruit juice, or water flavored with a spritz of fruit.

8. Drink water. Even the FDA recommends at least 8 full 8 ounce glasses of water a day to keep your body working right. When you're dieting, you should drink even more. It's not just that full feeling - water helps your body digest foods properly and cleans out your system.

9. Can't afford a gym membership? Make a pact with friends to exercise together. Make a date at least three times a week to play volleyball, take a walk or spend half an hour doing something active.

10. Skip the potato chips. Fatty snacks fried in hydrogenated oil like potato chips contribute fat and calories and not much else. Instead, grab a handful of dried fruit or a cup of yogurt for the same amount of calories and a lot more nutritional benefit.

10 Easy Ways to a ‘Healthy-Diet’ for Kids

Creating a Healthy Home can be easier than you think.

Creating a nutritionally healthy home is one of the most important steps you can take to ensure the health of your child. To start, make smart food choices, and help your child develop a positive relationship with healthy food. Your children will learn their food smarts from your example.

Here are the top 10 tips for getting children to eat healthy food:

1. Do not restrict food. Restricting food increases the risk your child may develop eating disorders such as anorexia or bulimia later in life. It can also have a negative effect on growth and development.   Also by restricting food you will actually increase the risk of overeating later in the day which will cause weight gain.

2. Keep healthy food at hand. Children will eat what's readily available. Keep fruit in a bowl on the counter, not buried in the crisper section of your fridge. Remember, your child can only choose foods that you stock in the house, by limiting ‘junk food’ you will, by default, teach your child how to choose healthier foods.

3. Don't label foods as "good" or "bad." Instead, tie foods to the things your child cares about, such as sports, academics and hobbies. Let your child know that lean protein such as turkey and calcium in dairy products give strength to their sports and academic performance, the antioxidants in fruits and vegetables add luster to skin and hair and the carbs in whole grains will give them energy to play.

4. Praise healthy choices. Give your children a proud smile and tell them how smart they are when they choose healthy foods. Kids thrive on positive reinforcement!

5. Don't nag about unhealthy choices. If your child chooses unhealthy foods infrequently, ignore it. However, if your child always wants fatty, fried food, redirect the choice. You might try roasting potato sticks in the oven (tossed in just a bit of oil) instead of buying french fries. Or, if your child wants candy, you might make fresh strawberries dipped in a little chocolate sauce. Too busy? Then keep naturally sweet dried fruit at home for quick snacks.  With consistent effort taste buds change and soon your child will be craving healthy foods.

6. Never use food as a reward. This could create weight problems in later life. Instead, reward your children with something physical and fun -- perhaps a trip to the park or a quick game of catch.

7. Sit down to family dinners at night. If this isn't a tradition in your home, it should be. Research shows that children who eat dinners at the table with their parents have better nutrition and are less likely to get in serious trouble as teenagers. Start with one night a week, and then work up to three or four, to gradually build the habit.

8. Prepare plates in the kitchen. There you can put healthy portions of each item on everyone's dinner plate. Your children will learn to recognize correct portion sizes.  Too often people go for seconds and even thirds just because the food is right there.  You might notice that you need less food to feel full!

9. Give the kids some control. Ask your children to take three bites of all the foods on their plate and give it a grade, such as A, B, C, D, or F. When healthy foods - especially certain vegetables -- get high marks, serve them more often. Offer the items your children don't like less frequently. This lets your children participate in decision making. After all, dining is a family affair!

1. Consult your pediatrician. Always talk with your child's doctor before putting your child on a diet, trying to help your child gain weight, or making any significant changes in the type of foods your child eats. Never diagnose your child as too heavy, or too thin, by yourself.  If weight change is recommended seek the help of a Dietitian.

9 Ways To Feed Your Soul By Simply Walking

We live in a culture that honors Type A, driven behaviors. That includes exercise and for many people, it’s taken away the joy out of simply walking. Instead of seeing walking as something you must do to get in shape, see it as a gift of being alive and let yourself fully enjoy the experience.

1) Walk with deep awareness of how it feels to move your body.
2) Experience the act of walking as if you've never, ever done it before.
3) Be aware. Be present in the moment. Really feel your body as you're moving.
4) Pay attention to how your feet feel with each rolling step on the earth.
5) Notice the strength and power in your muscles.
6) Feel yourself moving in space.
7) Observe the wind on your skin and the temperature of the air.
8) Have a beauty feast while you're out. Notice the light coming through the leaves. See the flowers with fresh eyes.
9) Take a fresh look at the world as you move through it. Assume nothing. Experience the wonder of life as if you've never seen anything before. Watch the people as if you'd never seen a human before.

Let walking become a cherished and enriching part of your life. Turn it into something wonderful that you look forward to with both body and soul.

7 Weight Loss Tips for Kids and Their Families

Here is a sure-fire list of diet dos and don'ts to help your family triumph over obesity:

1. Be a ‘healthy’ role model. The number one thing that parents can do is to be a good role model for their children, Parents so often unknowingly set their kids up for failure.  If there are chips, cookies and Twinkies and no fruit or vegetables when your kids look for snacks, how can they succeed?  Line your refrigerator and cabinets with fresh fruits, nuts, low-fat cheese, easy things for kids to snack on besides ‘junk food’.

In a 2000 survey conducted by the CDC, close to 80% of adults reported eating fewer than the recommended five or more servings of fruit and vegetables daily -- not good role-model behavior.

2. Be positive. Don’t tell your child to ‘lose weight’ say, 'Let's be healthy and start taking care of our bodies’. Focus on the foods you can eat, not the ones that you should limit eating. Say, 'Let's go pick out fruits and make a fruit salad,' not 'Don't eat this or that.' Instead of saying, 'We have to exercise,' say, 'Lets go to the park.' Use positive words and phrases when talking with your kid.

3. Make healthy eating a family affair.  Create family meals together and for the entire family. Do not single out an overweight family member with special diet food.  Your entire family can benefit form healthy eating regardless of weight.

A family that eats together, eats better, according to a recent study in the journal Archives of Family Medicine. The study showed children who report frequent family dinners have healthier diets than their peers who don't.

4. Avoid portion distortion. When serving food you must use portion control, buffet-type or family-style situations tends to promote overeating.  Fill up on salads and cooked vegetables  at meals and always wait 10-15 minutes before having a second helping.  Second helpings should only be taken if truly hungry.

5. Start the day off right with a good breakfast. A bowl of low-sugar cereal with low-fat milk, low-fat yogurt with a granola or breakfast bar, or an English muffin with peanut butter, rather than a doughnut or muffin. A healthy breakfast will put your family on the healthy track for the rest of the day.

6. Make time for physical activity. Make physical activity a family activity. Every night after dinner in the summer, go for a half-hour walk and make it an activity that kids look forward to. If you can afford it, enroll your kids in dancing or a sporting activity that they enjoy because they need to enjoy it to keep doing it. Or just turn on some dance music and have a dance party around the house.

7. Try again.  Weight loss and healthy eating is not easy.  There will be times when you and your family will struggle with this new lifestyle.  It is important to keep trying.  Failure is certain if you are not trying.

7 Top Foods to Include in your Kid’s Diet

Here is a list of the top 7 healthiest foods to feed your kid and why it’s so healthy:


1. Oatmeal: A fabulous breakfast food, full of B vitamins, iron, zinc and calcium. Old-fashioned oatmeal offers plenty of carbohydrate for quick energy and high fiber.  Add berries and honey to make it a delicious perfect food for those fast-paced school day mornings! 

2. Yogurt: Kick your child's dairy consumption up a notch and include yogurt on the menu. A great source of calcium, yogurt is easier to digest than regular milk, and the cultures (check the label to make sure they're in there!) are very beneficial to good colon health. Watch it on the sugar content though.  A great idea is to buy plain yogurt and sweeten it yourself with fresh fruit!

3. Broccoli: it is one of the best vegetables for anyone, especially growing kids.  It has loads of calcium, potassium, beta-carotene and a wide variety of the B vitamins.  If your child is not a fan of plain vegetables include broccoli in a casserole or put a little shredded cheese on top to add flavor.

4. Protein: One size does not fit all when it comes to protein. The fact is that growing kids need protein to keep growing. How you're going to give it to them can vary widely, according to your preferences. Good choices include legumes, beans (combined with a grain to make a complete protein), soy products like tofu, eggs or lean meat, fish or poultry.

5. Whole Grains: The best nutrition is found in whole grains. Brown rice and whole wheat bread are a quantum leap over their white counterparts and offer necessary fiber, minerals and vitamins.  Choose grain products with the words “whole”, “unbleached” and “intact” or “ground”.

6. Nut Butters: Peanut butter and other nut butters are great fast and easy foods for kids. Kids need fat (it's a good fat if it doesn't have hydrogenated oils mixed in it) and they need the protein.  Try spreading almond or sunflower seed butter on crackers, toast or celery sticks for a quick and nutritious snack.

7. Fresh Fruit: My personal choice would be cantaloupe in the melon department. Vitamin C, beta-carotene, bits and pieces of B vitamins and trace minerals and calcium fill every juicy bite. Any in season fresh fruit is sure to be packed with healthy goodness!

7 Tips to Help Your Kid Develop a Positive Self-Image

Try these 7 tips to foster optimism and resilience in your overweight child:

1) Believe in your Children.  Assure your children that you are on their side and that you expect then to be the best person that they can be, although you don’t expect them to be the best at anything.  No one is perfect.

2) Find other adults who believe in your children.  Teachers, aunts, uncles, neighbors and friends can help you make a positive difference for you overweight child.  Other adults that can see beyond the weight and also believe in your child can help your child take control of their lives.

3) Encourage your children to stay interested in activities.  Let them know that their interests are valuable and deserve to be developed, whatever it is.

4) Celebrate your children’s winning experiences and help them to accept defeats graciously.    Let your child know that you appreciate their efforts and positive attitude win or lose.  Positive attitude and effort is for more important than victory.

5) Encourage upbeat conversations about the future.  Assume they are going to college and thinking about good careers.  Let your child know that you believe they are capable.

6) Be a role model for perseverance.  Be sure your children hear you say that some tasks are difficult, but that you are not a quitter.

7) Facilitate family fun and laughter.  A family that can joke, laugh, and lighten up their day’s with humor can help to prevent negativity and tension.

7 Tips to Health and Weight Loss 4 Kids

1 Role Model –Your heath and weight directly effect your child’s health and weight.  Children with just one overweight parent have a 25% risk of becoming an overweight or obese adult.  If both parents are overweight the risk of becoming an overweight adult jumps to 50%.

2 Be Positive- No one enjoys receiving negative feedback.  Talk to your child with compassion and encouragement. Instead of saying, 'Lose weight', say, 'Let's be healthy and start taking care of our bodies'.  Focus on the foods you can eat, not the ones that you cannot. Say, 'Let's go pick out fruits and make a fruit salad,' not 'Don't eat that.'

3 Make healthy eating a family affair - A family that eats together, eats better, according to a recent study in the journal Archives of Family Medicine. Children who report frequent family dinners have healthier diets than their peers who don't, the study showed. Also fill your refrigerator and cabinets with fresh fruits, nuts, low-fat cheese, and things for everyone to snack on.

4 Eat Breakfast – A breakfast that consists of protein, starch and fat will keep your children more alert during school.  Studies have shown that weight loss is much more difficult in people who skip breakfast.

5 Make time for physical activity - Make physical activity a family activity. Every night after dinner in the summer, go for a half-hour walk and make it an activity that kids look forward to. If you can afford it, enroll your kids in dancing or a sporting activity that they enjoy because they need to enjoy it to keep doing it. Or just turn on some dance music and have a dance party around the house.

6 Don't say diet - Put your child on any diet and you are setting them up for an eating disorder - whether binge eating or closet eating or another type of disorder.  Lifestyle changes have proven to be the most effective to lose weight and keep it off.

7 Avoid portion distortion - When serving the food try to portion out meal on dishes and avoid buffet-type or family-style eating.  When exposed to so much food it is easy for your eyes to be bigger than your stomach.  Resist the first temptation to have seconds then check in with yourself to see if you are really hungry.

7 Tips on How to Not Let Stress Affect Your Weight

Is stress affecting your weight loss battle?

Stress brought on by dieting is added to the personal and work life stresses that we face every day, often resulting in a "vicious cycle" of increased stress and increased food intake. People under stress tend to engage in self-defeating and unhealthy behaviors such as binge eating and there is strong biologic evidence that stressed-out people may tend to put on the pounds faster. "I'm stressed, therefore I eat." Many people complain that they overeat in response to workplace or personal stress. If this sounds like you, read the following tips for managing stress-related overeating to help you check this unhealthy habit.

1. Practice waiting. Postpone your instant gratification when hunger hits. Tell yourself you'll wait 10 to 30, minutes to eat. Chances are good if your cravings are only stress-related, they'll disappear when you allow yourself to become distracted.

2. Keep a food journal of what you eat each day. Knowing you have to write down every snack or nibble can be a good way to remind yourself to think before eating.

3. Enlist a friend's help - ideally one who also is tempted by stress-related cravings. When you feel like eating, write him/her a quick note or make a phone call.

4. Keep yourself nourished. Eat regular, healthy snacks to maintain your energy level. Skipping meals while under stress only prompts you to eat more, and unhealthily, when you do get around to eating.

5. Post some reminder messages wherever you're likely to see them when stress-related cravings begin. Use any message that works for you. Examples might be "Are you really hungry?" or "Think about why you're eating."

6. Physically remove tempting food items from your home or office. Never go shopping while hungry and always make a list of food items prior to shopping; bring home only what you feel good about eating.

7. Take time for yourself every day. Whether it's 10 minutes to reflect and relax, or whether it's some fun activity that will revitalize you, it's critical to do it. Health is not just physical, mental well-being is just as important, you deserve to mentally de-stress everyday!