The Mathematics of Fitness

To get fit, you need to master simple mathematical concepts.

Losing weight involves creating a calorie deficit to shed those unwanted pounds. Let's get started with a bit of basic information.

A pound of fat equals about 3,500 calories. To lose 1 pound of fat, you need to eliminate 3,500 calories from your dietary intake. So how do you get rid of those calories?

While millions of claims say you can lose weight with miracle potions and techniques, there are only three ways to get weight off and keep it off.

1. Eat less calories every day than you burn off. Our bodies burn off calories just by performing basic life functions. Physical activity burns off additional calories. Eat fewer calories for a slimmer physique.
2. Boost your physical activity to burn off more calories. Exercising is a great way to get rid of pounds. If you burn off an extra 500 calories everyday by engaging in physical activity, in a week you will lose 1 pound.
3. Eat fewer calories and exercise. A combination of exercise and lowering your calorie intake is a recipe for fitness success. For example, you can reduce your food intake by 300 calories daily and workout to burn off another 200 calories. After a week, you will lose 1 pound because of the 500 additional calories you got rid of every day.

A variety of factors affect weight loss along the way and consistency is a key element to achieve long-lasting results. With patience and endurance, you will achieve your weight loss goals sooner than you think!

Staying Fit At Summer Barbecues

This past weekend kicked off a series of summer barbecues tempting us with their irresistible aroma. But you don't have to avoid summer barbecues to stay fit.

Making healthy choices keeps you in shape throughout the entire summer season.

Here are a handful of suggestions:

• Choose veggie burgers or turkey burgers instead of beef burgers and skip the cheese. Add healthier options to flavor your burger, such as lettuce, onions and tomatoes.
• Bratwurst and kielbasa on the grill smell delicious but pack on the pounds. Opt for beef or turkey frankfurters instead.
• Put your burger or hot dog on a whole wheat bun instead of a regular one to add nutrients.
• Avoid the potato chips and potato salad and snack on baked beans, raw vegetables, salsa and pretzels instead.
• Steer clear of alcohol, soda and lemonade. It is healthier to refresh yourself with water to replenish essential water lost while perspiring. Add a touch of lemon for flavor.
• You don't have to skip dessert. Instead of downing that slice of pie, have fresh fruit, a dash of whipped cream and a small slice of angel food cake.

Don't skip those unforgettable summer barbecues with friends and family. Make healthy eating choices and enjoy yourself!

Is Portion Distortion Ruining Your Fitness Picture?

If your fitness routine isn't delivering the desired results, portion distortion may be the culprit. Even healthy foods in excess will pack on pounds.

Eating too much of a good thing can cause you to gain weight or remain stagnant in your fitness goals.

Portion sizes in restaurants have grown over the past twenty-five years and we wind up doing the same thing in our own homes.

To lose more weight, you need to cut down portion sizes.

Consider these ways to proportion your portions for better fitness:

• When you dine out, eat half the serving and have the other half wrapped to go for another meal.
• Instead of ordering a meal at a restaurant, order an appetizer as your main course.
• If you must go to a fast food restaurant, never super size your value meal and avoid fried foods.
• Use smaller plates at home to encourage smaller portions.
• Remember you can have leftovers at home, too, by saving extra food in sealed containers.
• Follow directions on the package carefully and consider serving sizes so you only have one.

By taking control of your portion sizes, you improve your fitness picture for optimum health.

Is Eating An Emotional Experience?

Do you find eating is an emotional experience for you?

If you ever woke up on the sofa with an empty bag of chips next to you and no memory of how you wound up there, you've fallen victim to emotional eating.

According to leading nutritional experts, about 75 percent of overeating is caused by emotion. In other words, we are getting far too comfortable with comfort foods.

Most emotional eating starts with the desire to relieve stress. Instead of snacking, figure out the reasons for your anxiety and find new skills to combat your issues.

To overcome your emotions at the moment, you can:

• Eliminate chips and chocolate from your cabinets and stock up on healthier snacks such as applesauce, bananas and whole wheat toast.
• Exercising is one of the best ways to relieve stress and stay fit. Take a walk, shoot a few hoops, jog around the block or do calisthenics and cardio to get past your emotions.
• Keep a journal tracking your progress, highlighting your achievements and reinforcing your goals.
• Instead of eating to relieve stress, talk to someone you trust or visit online forums for advice.

When you take control of your emotions, you are also taking care of your overall fitness and well-being.

Does Your Diet Need Anger Management?

Slow traffic on overcrowded roads. Co-workers who refuse to carry their weight. Family members who won't pick up after themselves.

There are countless reasons for the rage that swells up within us, calling upon our anger management skills to squelch our impatience. Is dieting another issue that makes you frustrated?

Your anxiety about dieting may be holding you back from achieving the healthy, attractive body you really want.

Consider these easy ways to get rid of dieting rage:

• Enjoy the healthy journey without constantly worrying how many pounds you lost. After all, it's a lifestyle change you are trying to achieve first, and the pounds will then melt off naturally.
• Crash diets put you on the fast track to dieting frustration and failure. Slow and steady wins the race and helps you reach your dieting goals without grief.
• Have someone join you for the dieting experience. Jog with a neighbor, tally calories with your best friend, walk your dog everyday or join an online forum to find a fitness friend.
• Be patient with yourself and the world around you. Life constantly presents changing circumstances that may cause you to stop and restart your diet. Go with the flow and you will always return to the right path.

If dietary distress is holding you back from losing the weight you want, de-stress so you can enjoy your fitness routine instead of dreading it.

How To Keep The Weight Off Now That You're Fit

After a lot of hard work, you finally reached your goal weight. Is it time to celebrate with a rich dessert? You may want to reconsider.

While self deprivation is never suggested, you have to change your habits to successfully lose weight.

Getting rid of old habits should be a lifestyle change, not a temporary state of mind.

Unfortunately, almost ninety percent of people who lose weight struggle with keeping it off.

You can beat those odds by maintaining your new lifestyle - remember:

• there are healthy snacks that are equally tasty without all the fat;
• you worked hard to achieve your goals and don't want to step back; and
• if you do indulge, will that pull an emotional trigger that sends you back to unhealthy eating habits?

More ways to maintain your new weight and lifestyle include having a fitness buddy and setting new challenges for yourself.

Sometimes people feel lost after they lose weight. Having a fitness buddy keeps you active and thinking about weight loss.

Setting new challenges, such as running a marathon or learning how to play golf, makes fitness fun and rewarding.

By keeping a healthy perspective, you can stay fit and happy for the rest of your life.

5 Signs of A Diet Scam

When you are trying to lose weight and hit a stumbling block, there are always commercials to tempt you with false claims.

Hoping to lure you with lofty statements at your lowest point, diet companies take your money and you wind up more frustrated than ever.

If you are looking for the ideal nutritional plan to reach your goals beware of the following five phrases:

• You can eat whatever you want and still lose weight. If you could eat whatever you want and be slim, would there be so many overweight people in the world?
• Lose all the weight you want without diet or exercise. Losing weight involves a lifestyle change that includes regular exercise and well-balanced eating and there is no substitute.
• Pounds will melt away when you use this pill, potion or patch. Magic potions only exist in fairy tales, not the diet industry. Magically, they get your money and you get scammed.
• You can shed unwanted pounds forever. Keeping weight off involves ongoing discipline to choose healthy foods and engage in exercise. Statements or potions won't keep those pounds from coming back.
• This product is endorsed by doctors and celebrities. Find out the credentials of the physicians endorsing products or whether they are a paid investor. Celebrities are also paid to provide convincing testimonials that may have little factual basis.

Remember, if a diet plan sounds too good to be true than it probably is.

Stick to tried and true methods that include healthy foods, exercise and plenty of water to achieve your fitness goals.

Meal Budgeting For Weight Loss

What is meal budgeting and how will it help you lose weight?

When you plan your finances, you put together a basic budget based on your income versus your expenditures. Dieting works the same way as your finances because what you take in equals calories and the energy you expend burns them.

When you want to take control of your money, you put together a spreadsheet to track your expenses and available cash. To get a handle on your weight, consider keeping a food journal so you know how many calories you are consuming daily and what you are doing to burn them.

Your food journal could include:

• the number of meals you eat with the calories;
• the time of day you eat;
• a daily tally of calories consumed; and
• the times you fit fitness into your day and the number of calories you burn.

Just like getting your finances in order, you can get a handle on your weight loss goals by keeping track of your daily habits.

Once you know the total calories you consume and the total calories you burn, you can determine the bottom line to minimize your daily calories, monitor times during the day when you eat the most and make sure you include fitness in your everyday routine.

Can Foods Help You Get Rid of Belly Fat?

If you have belly fat, did you know certain foods can help you get rid of it?

According to a study published in the Diabetes Care journal, eating a diet that is high in MUFAs (monounsaturated fatty acids) can actually reduce that unwanted belly fat from building up.

Foods that contain MUFAs include:

1. Peanut butter - satisfying and offers magnesium, potassium and Vitamin E;
2. Sunflower seeds - portable snacks with Vitamins B and E;
3. Macadamia nuts - contains antioxidant selenium and is a source of fiber;
4. Avocado - helps reduce cholesterol with beta stosterol;
5. Semi-sweet and dark chocolate - irresistible and contains antioxidants;
6. Almonds - adds flavor, protein, fiber and Vitamin E;
7. Flaxseed oil - gives you Omega-3s like fish to boost brain and heart health; and
8. Olive oil - fights bad cholesterol and contains antioxidants.

All these great foods actually help minimize body fat over time. Coupled with a simple daily fitness routine and you will look and feel better in just a few months.

6 Foods That Will Surprise You

Often the greatest mistake you can make when dieting is assuming certain foods are healthy and others are not.

Based on reputation, some foods are dismissed when they are actually healthy and other foods are not as healthy as you may think.

Here are some examples:

1. Although granola bars are revered as a healthy snack filled with nuts, whole oats and dried fruit, they are usually dipped in sugary syrup or contain chocolate chips. Even the granola bars that don't contain a lot of sugar have little fiber, protein, vitamins and minerals, putting them in a class with candy bars.
2. Bottled tea beverages, though promoted for their antioxidant abilities, actually contain a significant amount of sugar to rival soft drinks.
3. Frozen yogurt usually does not contain active cultures like the healthy, refrigerated kind. Additionally, frozen yogurt usually contains excessive amounts of sugar.
4. Beef has gotten a bad name but it is actually the cut and amount that matters. Having a 3-ounce serving of lean beef contains more than half the daily requirement for protein along with a myriad of other essential nutrients.
5. White potatoes have also gotten bad press, but it is actually adding butter, sour cream and frying them that makes them unhealthy. Eating plain white potatoes with the skin provides essential carbs, vitamin C, Vitamin B6 and potassium while making you feel full and satisfied.
6. Pizza contains a myriad of nutrients along with the four basic food groups. Eating pizza with whole wheat crust and veggie toppings is both nutritious and delicious.

So from now on, you can pass on those chewy granola bars and enjoy a tasty steak instead!

5 Tips For Healthier Eating in the New Year

If you are suffering from a high-calorie holiday hangover, you are not alone.

All those tempting treats can put on pounds quickly and the New Year gives you a fresh start for better eating and healthy living habits.

Consider these 5 tips for the healthiest New Year ever:

• Don't forget the fiber. A combination of protein and fiber helps to curb your appetite, regulates blood sugar, promotes regularity and reduces blood cholesterol. Ideally you should have 21 to 38 grams of fiber daily.
• Don't forget the fish. Not just brain food, fish has vitamins, minerals, protein and omega-3 fatty acids to help reduce the risk of heart disease, cancer and even minimize the potential for diabetes.
• Eat plenty of dark green, leafy vegetables. You mom told you to eat your veggies and she was right because dark green, leafy vegetable contain beta carotene and lutein to combat cancer, stroke and heart disease.
• Control your portions. By using a smaller plate and eating slower, you can eat less without feeling hungry.
• Don't forget the beans. Bean are rich in carbs, protein and fiber to control cholesterol, promote regularity and minimize the risk of cancers.

By facing the New Year with a healthier perspective, you will look and feel better sooner than you think.

Five Ways To Avoid Overeating

Holidays, gatherings and occasions continually challenge our self-control when it comes to eating.

Consider these five ways to avoid overeating during these difficult times:

1. Walk away from the situation. By simply changing your surrounding for awhile, you can avoid temptation.

2. Trick your taste buds. If you continually crave something sweet, eat something salty like a pickle. If you're looking for something salty, go for a spicy flavor such as a hot pepper.

3. Get up and move. Getting physical can keep your mind off food so take a walk or do some stretches to balance the cravings.

4. Avoid food if you are sad or angry. Rather than using food as comfort, sit with your feelings and write them down if you need a release.

5. Give yourself a special treat. Rewarding yourself with an activity that does not include food, such as a bath or massage, is a great way to take you mind off snacking and still feel pampered.

By taking the focus off snacking for awhile, you can avoid overeating for a healthier lifestyle and a better relationship with food.

A Halloween Sugar High and Holiday Sweets

Halloween seems to be the time of year that gets us started with sweet treats and it goes on right into the New Year, when we all get on the scale and make resolutions to lose ten pounds.

No matter how many people may succumb to this temptation, it is still an unhealthy choice to avoid.

The refined sugar found in Halloween candy and pre-packaged holiday treats offers no nutritional value and contributes to serious conditions such as obesity, diabetes and severe dental decay.

Consider these tips to steer clear of those tempting treats so you feel and look fantastic through the holidays:

• Keep in mind the U.S. Department of Agriculture guidelines for people on a 2,000 calorie diet diet are 10 teaspoons of added sugar (80 grams), which is the approximate amount of sugar in one glass of soda;
• With the amount of sugar in soda in mind, drink water rather than sweetened beverages;
• Buy Halloween candy you don't like so you won't be tempted to pick;
• Keep candy and sweets out of sight rather than displayed in irresistible bowls or on the counter;
• Make sure you fill up on healthy snacks so you won't be hungry for all the sweet snacks; and
• Avoid total self-deprivation during the holidays by allowing yourself just one of your favorite treats - but if you can't have just one - you need to stay away from the temptation altogether.

By keeping these few simple tips in mind from October through December, you can face the New Year without worrying about unwanted weight gain.

Thanksgiving Diet Tips

While we always want to know how big the Thanksgiving turkey is, do we bother to weigh ourselves before the big feast?

Often we avoid the scale from Thanksgiving until the New Year so we remain unaware of the pounds we are packing on.

With turkey day right around the corner, consider these simple Thanksgiving diet tips to avoid gaining an excessive amount of weight that will require you to make a New Year's resolution to knock it off:

• weigh yourself before Thanksgiving and after to judge just how much you indulged and use this as a guideline to avoid equal indulgences during the other upcoming holidays;
• eat a light, healthy snack, such as fruit, vegetables or low-fat dairy, an hour before Thanksgiving dinner so you are not hungry;
• avoid second helpings, even if those sweet potatoes are the best you ever tasted;
• stick to one dessert instead of piling your plate with tiny versions of everything available which wind up adding on lots of extra calories;
• take it easy on the butter and gravy - use only a small amount or none at all;
• don't add salt to your meal;
• and take a walk after Thanksgiving dinner to get a bit of exercise after eating.

By following the above Thanksgiving diet tips, you will look great for rest of the holidays and the New Year.

Caffeine and Weight Loss

If you are a coffee maniac, there is good news -- you don't have to skip your cup of coffee to get a good workout. In fact, caffeine and weight loss may go hand in hand.

According to Lawrence Armstrong, professor of exercise physiology at the Human Performance Laboratory at the University of Connecticut, "For years, people have believed that consuming caffeine would dehydrate the body or result in electrolyte imbalance or that it might affect body temperature and have a negative impact on heat tolerance during exercise. Our research indicates that none of these concerns is valid."

The research conducted by Armstrong and his colleagues, along with a review of over a dozen studies, revealed that moderate coffee consumption of up to around 500 milligrams daily did not have an adverse impact on exercise.

Even though coffee is a mild diuretic, it is not strong enough to interfere with working out.

Armstrong also believes, based on previous studies, that java may jolt performance and help fight fatigue. In fact, caffeine was once outlawed at the Olympics because of the performing-enhancing effects it has.

While this is not an invitation to start drinking several cups of coffee everyday, it is good to note that your morning cup of caffeine is likely to boost your weight loss efforts rather than inhibit it.

Fight the Flab at Holiday Time

Recently the Hollywood actress Jessica Alba stated she would get fat, indicating, "If it's for a challenging or inspiring role, I'd do it." While celebrities have a staff to help them achieve fitness goals, we need to face our figures ourselves and take full responsibility for our eating habits.

As Halloween approaches, once again the season of overeating begins. Trick or treating is the kick off to Thanksgiving and all the other winter holidays that are related to a variety of foods.

Here are some ways to beat the holiday food rush:

• Bag up healthy snacks and keep them at work so you won't be tempted to snack on those holiday candies and cookies in the break room;
  
• Purchase healthy choices for holidays –- for example, instead of candy for Halloween, purchase pretzels or gift certificates;
  
• Put the focus back on fun and away from food at the holidays by encouraging long walks, sleigh rides and snowballs fights so everyone is exercising rather than eating;
  
• Eat a light, healthy snack before you attend holiday parties so you won't be tempted by fattening appetizers or sweets; and
  
• If you really can't resist temptation, have very small portions –- the same goes for alcohol, which can really pack on the pounds.

By having healthy habits and a bit of self-control, you can avoid unwanted weight gain during the holidays and still have a great time.

The GM Diet Versus a Healthy Lifestyle

Have you heard about the GM Diet?

The GM diet is a health and diet program that was developed for dependents and employees of General Motors, Inc. to encourage fitness and wellness. It was created in conjunction with a grant from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and Department of Agriculture, and field tested at the Johns Hopkins Research Center.

The GM diet was designed to target a weight loss of 10 to 17 pounds per week by cleaning the system and burning more calories than what is taken in. The plan was also intended to flush the system, boost overall well-being and improve disposition and emotional clarity.

During the first seven days, diet followers must abstain from alcohol and drink 10 glasses of water every day.

• The first day you eat fruit;
• The second day vegetables;
• The third day fruits and vegetables;
• The fourth day bananas and milk;
• The fifth day beef and tomatoes;
• The sixth day beef and vegetables;
• And the seventh day brown rice vegetables and fruit juice.

By this time, you are supposed to safely achieve a weight loss of 10 to 17 pounds. And after the first week, you can have two alcoholic beverages daily, such as white wine or cordials, to aid digestion.

Although it seems to be a somewhat safe way to shed excess pounds quickly, there is definitely no substitute for a healthy, well-balanced lifestyle. Developing a daily routine that includes the four food groups, exercise, relaxation and plenty of sleep is the key to outstanding lifetime health and fitness.

Five Dieting Mistakes to Avoid

You are already on your way to losing weight and maintaining a healthy lifestyle because you have cut back on sugar, fat and salt and added more fiber, protein, fruit and vegetables to your daily diet.

While you are well on the road to dieting success, make sure you avoid the following five mistakes:

1. Don't eat too much, even if it's fruits and vegetables. Even too much of a good thing is simply too much and can pack on extra unwanted calories.
2. Don't forget to write everything down. When you keep a food journal, you have an accurate understanding of exactly what you are eating and how to improve your habits.
3. Don't be tempted to eat just "one". Sweet, salty snacks can be trigger foods that bring on binge eating so avoid temptation.
4. Don't speculate about portion size. Measure your portions so you know you are eating the right amount of food.
5. Don't skip meals. Develop meal plans and stick to them to avoid hunger and possible binge eating.

By avoiding common dieting mistakes, you will be fit and trim sooner than you think!

Five Dieting Tips for the Fall

The crisp air, colorful trees and sending the kids back to school reminds us that fall has returned. Now that fall is back, you can resume your regular daily routine and make sure it includes exercise.

Consider the following tips to encourage you to fit fitness into your day:

1. Make time to exercise. Whether you go to the gym, take a long walk or work out at home, set a time for fitness and stick to it.
2. Make fitness a habit. Just like sleeping, eating meals and showering, you need to fit fitness into your daily routine because it is essential for good health.
3. Make up new fitness routines. If you spent the summer playing volleyball and swimming, add exciting new fitness routines to your day for the fall such as hiking, joining a yoga class or playing football.
4. Make a list. Just like your list of school supplies and daily to-do's, making a list of healthy fall foods can help you to maintain positive eating habits.
5. Make a fitness plan. Plan to walk with other people at work during lunch or in your neighborhood when you get home. Join a fitness club or schedule sessions with a personal trainer. Make a fitness plan that involves outsiders to encourage you to stick to the program.

You WILL feel great this fall when you make fitness a priority in your daily schedule.

The South Beach Diet and Low Carb Eating

The South Beach Diet and low carb eating have been buzzwords for the past few years since the Atkins Diet began to phase out.

Although no diet is a substitute for healthy daily eating habits, you can still walk away from any diet with improved skills for healthy living.

Many people have failed at the South Beach Diet because the diet features low calorie, generic meals that are somewhat low protein.

However, low carb eating such as the South Beach diet can teach us several relevant eating patterns, such as:

• Keeping saturated fats out of our daily diet;
• using cooking spray, fish fat and olive oil instead of vegetable oil or butter;
• and developing better eating habits everyday to look and feel your best.

By choosing more fruits, vegetables, whole grains and proteins...and less fatty snacks, sugar, saturated fats and processed foods...you can build a lifetime of common sense eating for better overall well-being.

While a diet may not always succeed, consistent healthy eating habits are a sure road to nutrition success.