Living a Healthy Life!
Nettie Mae

People are obsessed with dieting and weight loss! Don’t believe me? Just tune-in to any source of advertising…you’re instantly bombarded with the latest diet schemes and “Hollywood” food fads.

Here in America, we have built a thriving industry trying to control our weight and treat the consequences of over-indulgence. The cost of weight loss and obesity related health care treatments is staggering…Americans alone spend around $114 billion every year! And even with all this interest in losing weight, we continue to pack on the pounds like never before…

– A whopping 64 percent of U.S. adults are either overweight or obese…up about eight percent from earlier estimates.

– Among children and teens ages 6-19, 15 percent or almost nine million are overweight…triple the rate in 1980!

– Nearly one-third of all adults are now classified as obese.

For Americans, modern life may be getting TOO easy. Our cushy lifestyle means we expend less energy and consequently need fewer calories to sustain our normal body weight.

Think about it for a moment…

Entertainment no longer requires energy expenditure. In fact, it’s usually quite the opposite. We now entertain ourselves in the comfort of our own home while watching TV and munching on our favorite snack. Whether it’s television, computers, remote controls, or automobiles, we are moving less and burning fewer calories. Common activities that were once a part of our normal routine have disappeared…activities like climbing stairs, pushing a lawn mower or walking to get somewhere.

And please do not misunderstand me…I appreciate comfortable living just as much as the next person. But, here is the problem…

With all of our modern day conveniences and “cushy” style of living we have not adjusted our caloric intake to compensate for our decreased caloric expenditure. We consume more calorie rich and nutrient deficient foods than ever before. Consider a few of the following examples comparing what we eat “today” vs the 1970’s (U.S. Department of Agriculture survey):

– We are currently eating more grain products, but almost all of them are refined grains (white bread, etc.). Grain consumption has jumped 45 percent since the 1970’s, from 138 pounds of grains per person per year to 200 pounds! Only 2 percent of the wheat flour is consumed as whole wheat.

– Our consumption of fruits and vegetables has increased, but only because French fries and potato chips are included as vegetables. Potato products account for almost a third of our “produce” choices.

– We’re drinking less milk, but we’ve more than doubled our cheese intake. Cheese now outranks meat as the number one source of saturated fat in our diets.

– We’ve cut back on red meat, but have more than made up for the loss by increasing our intake of chicken (battered and fried), so that overall, we’re eating 13 pounds more meat today than we did back in the 1970’s.

– We’re drinking three times more carbonated soft drinks than milk, compared to the 1970’s, when milk consumption was twice that of pop.

– We use 25 percent less butter, but pour twice as much vegetable oil on our food and salads, so our total added fat intake has increased 32 percent.

– Sugar consumption has been another cause of our expanding waistlines. Sugar intake is simply off the charts. People are consuming roughly twice the amount of sugar they need each day, about 20 teaspoons on a 2000 calorie/day diet. The added sugar is found mostly in junk foods, such as pop, cake, and cookies. In 1978, the government found that sugars constituted only 11 percent of the average person’s calories. Now, this number has ballooned to 16 percent for the average American adult and as much as 20 percent for American teenagers!

Unfortunately, it would seem that the days of wholesome and nutritious family dinners are being replaced by fast food and eating on-the-run. We have gradually come to accept that it’s “OK” to sacrifice healthy foods for the sake of convenience and that larger serving portions equate to better value.

It’s time recognize that we are consuming too many calories and time to start doing something about it! Each of us can decide TODAY that healthy eating and exercise habits WILL become a normal part of our life!

We can begin by exploring our values, thoughts and habits… slowly and deliberately weed-out the unhealthy habits and activities and start living a more productive and rewarding life. And remember, it has taken a long time to develop bad habits, so be patient as you work toward your goal!
About the Author

Sick and tired of being Sick and Tired, Nettie Mae quit her 3rd shift factory job. To see what keeps her going, visit http://www.frutavida4u.com/nettiemae/.

Tags: America, Author, Automobiles, Caloric Expenditure, Caloric Intake, Consequences, Conveniences, Energy Expenditure, energy;, Fewer Calories, Food Fads, food;, foods, grain products;, Health Care Treatments, Indulgence, Lawn Mower, less energy, Losing Weight, Mae, Nettie Mae, Normal Body Weight, obesity;, Potato Chips, Potato products, Related Health, Remote Controls, Snack, Stairs, U.S. Department of Agriculture, United States;, USD;, vegetable oil, Watching Tv —

If motivation for how to lose stomach fat was easy, no one would be overweight in our country. We would all be the ideal weight and pictures of fitness. In order for you to get and keep your motivation there are some tips you can follow.

Ultimately though, it’s up to you to figure out what things will not only help you get motivated, but to keep that motivation intact. Of course, everyone knows of the dire consequences associated with having too much body fat and living a sedentary lifestyle. It is one of those things though that until (or unless) it happens to you or someone you love, you just stay complacent and think that it will never happen to you.

Of course, it can and will if you don’t take control now. There are a few aspects to losing weight, such as eating better foods, less junk, and getting a lot of exercise. Believe it or not, for many people the motivation to lose weight will often start with working out.

I know that may sound ridiculous, but if you get past the idea that exercising is just jumping in the car and going to the gym, you may begin to understand what I mean about how to lose stomach fat.

For instance, if you enjoy dancing think how much fun you’d have going to a dancing class. What you might not realize is that that is a great way to lose weight, too.

If you enjoy getting outside, it is so easy to get some exercise by riding your bike, or just taking your dog for a walk. When you realize that exercise doesn’t have to be a chore, but rather some form of physical activity that you can actually enjoy you will see that the motivation may not be so hard to come by.

Another great way to get and keep your motivation is to find a friend to exercise with. It can be as simple as the two of you taking a class together, joining a gym, or just going for walks, having a buddy can make all the difference. A little friendly competition never hurt anyone.

There are a few reasons for this. One of them is that you will feel a certain amount of peer pressure when you start working out with a friend. You don’t want to let your friend down, you know they’re counting on you. By including your friend in your workout plans you’ll also be making it more of a social event rather than an ‘exercise’ session. No one wants to miss out on a chance to socialize!

One thing you don’t want to do is put yourself under a lot of pressure by setting up an unrealistic time frame. Don’t wait until a few weeks before a wedding, or vacation. If you do, you will just be setting yourself up for failure. It will be virtually impossible for you to meet your goal and once the event comes and goes you will probably be done working out. Instead just make a commitment to yourself to get healthy, that is the best way on how to lose stomach fat.

Tags: Amoun, Body Fat, Consequences, Dancing Class, Easy Exercise, Eating Habits, Exercise Bike, Find A Friend, Find Friend, Fitness, Fun, How To Lose Stomach, How To Lose Stomach Fat, Ideal Weight, Joining A Gym, Losing Weight, Many People, Motivation To Lose Weight, Physical Activity, Sedentary Lifestyle, Walks —

Have you had just about all you can take from the diet industry? If so, then you are not alone. It seems as if they are always thrusting a new diet pill, secret concoction or gimmick our way; in the hopes that we will buy into their inflated promises…at least one more time. While the truth is that some of those weight loss products really do work, more and more people are wondering how to lose weight naturally.

This type of thinking is actually much more healthy in the long run. Let’s say there was a safe pill for weight loss. All you had to do was take it once a day, and then you could whatever you want and sit on the couch watching television. You could drop 25 pounds by just taking a pill, what would be so wrong about that?

There are two main problems with all diet pills (and we’re not counting the potential of harmful side effects, either). First, you will never develop good eating habits if you pop a pill and be done with it. But then what happens if you stop taking the pills? Not only would you gain all of the weight back, but you would probably gain more because you would be accustomed to eating without any regard to the consequences. The second problem is that even though you would be losing weight, all of that bad food would be taking its toll on your overall health. Again, we’re not talking about the side effects of the diet pills themselves, but rather the harmful effects of the unhealthy food itself.

The question of how to lose weight naturally has a fairly simple answer. It’s really just a matter of burning more calories than you take in, and making sure what you do take in is healthy for you. Furthermore, you shouldn’t take any synthetic supplements or drugs in your efforts to drop those extra pounds.

Food is the key to natural weight loss. Choosing foods as close to their natural state is the quickest way to ensure you are eating right. For example, a carrot is better for you than a big piece of fat-laden, sugar-added carrot cake that’s covered with another layer of fat and sugar in the form of frosting. Does that mean you can’t eat carrot cake? Not at all, but it does mean that you shouldn’t kid yourself that you’re eating healthy because there’s a trace of vegetable matter in the piece of cake.

Fresh fruits and vegetables (frozen is also a good choice), whole grains, healthy fats and lean protein are the cornerstone of a healthy diet for weight loss. Your fruits and vegetables should cover a wide variety of colors to make sure you’re getting as many vitamins, minerals and micronutrients as possible. Unprocessed whole grains are better than processed; for example, oats are a better choice for how to lose weight naturally than oatmeal cookies. Avoid white flour and white rice as well.

Tags: Atkins, Calories, Carrot Cake, Consequences, Couch, Diet Industry, Diet Pills, Eating Habits, Fruits And Vegetables, Gimmick, Good Eating Habits, Healthy Diet, Losing Weight, Natural Weight Loss, New Diet Pill, Promises, Regard, Secret Concoction, Simple Answer, Supplements, Taking The Pills, Unhealthy Food, Vitamins And Minerals, Watching Television, weight loss products; —

Odds are if you need belly fat loss you also need to lose weight other places as well.
To me, belly fat is the most embarrassing and unsightly fat you can have. What happens when you put your favorite jeans on? Your belly fat gets pushed up and spills over the top of the jeans. This is called muffin top. How cute, right? Wrong!

I hate it and belly fat loss is also the most difficult to achieve, second only to arm fat. You have to lose weight all over to lose weight in your belly and the best way to do that is to take in less calories than you burn in one day.

I want you to do something, not for me, but for yourself. Start this all off by taking a thirty minute walk everyday. If you cannot go for thirty minutes the first week then work up to it. Walking is the best thing you can do for yourself. Walking will improve lung and muscle function. Your heart will love you for it. Carry a water bottle to stay hydrated especially if it is warm outside. You can sweat out a considerable amount of water and nutrients in thirty minutes if you are not careful.

Losing weight takes commitment to yourself but staying motivated can be a challenge sometimes. If motivation to lose weight was easy to come by, no one would be overweight in our country. We would all be our ideal weights and pictures of fitness.

It’s up to you to figure out what things will help you get and stay motivated. Everyone knows the consequences associated with having too much body fat and living a sedentary lifestyle. It’s one of those things though that until it happens to you or someone you love, you just stay complacent and think that it will never happen.

Of course, it can and will if you don’t take control now. There are a few aspects to losing weight, such as eating better foods, less junk, and getting a lot of exercise. Believe it or not, for many people the motivation to lose weight will often start with finding a work out you can live with. That is why I suggest starting with walking for thirty minutes a day. It is easy to stick to. You can always incorporate more into a work out, but it pays to start simple.

Another great way to get and keep your motivation is to find a like minded friend to exercise with. It can be as simple as the two of you taking a class together, joining a gym, or just going for walks, having a buddy can make all the difference.

One thing you don’t want to do is put yourself under a lot of pressure by setting up an unrealistic time frame. Don’t wait until a few weeks before a wedding, or vacation. If you do, you’ll just be setting yourself up for failure. It will be virtually impossible for you to achieve your belly fat loss and once the event comes and goes you’ll probably be done working out. Instead just make a commitment to yourself to get healthy, that is the best motivation to lose weight.

Tags: Body Fat, Calories, Consequences, Eating Habits, Exercise, Fat Loss, Fitness, Heart, Jeans, Losing Weight, Motivation To Lose Weight, Muffin Top, Muscle Function, Nutrients, Odds, Sedentary Lifestyle, Water Bottle, Weights —