One of the best and cheapest ways to get in shape is by walking for weight loss. You dont need a gym membership or fancy equipment. You probably wont even have to spend money on gas, since most of us can step outside our front door and begin. In climates where its warm all year round, walking is convenient during any month. In cold-winter climes, walking might have to be taken indoors for a short while, but there are ways to get your miles in even when the outside is covered in ice. You should keep in mind that walking for weight loss isnt going to show a drastic change on the scale if youre overeating.

If you dont change how you eat at all and you being a walking plan, you will probably start to lose weight, or at least not gain weight. But what you put into your body is the first and foremost indicator of whether or not you will lose weight. The only way to lose weight is to take in fewer calories than you use; and not just in one day, but over a period of time. If anyones telling you that you can drop pounds any other way, its simply not true.

But a great way to burn more calories and use more than you consume is by walking for weight loss. So combined with a healthy eating plan, walking is a great way to slim down. Even if youre not trying to lose weight, you just want to be healthier, walking is great exercise that works your whole body. Its easy, inexpensive and one of the exercises that makes you less likely to become injured than something like running, skiing or lifting weights.

If youre ready to start walking for weight loss, the only real expense required is a good pair of walking shoes. These dont have to cost you hundreds of dollars, but you should get the best pair you can afford. If youve never done much walking or youre very overweight its a good idea to go to a shoe store that specializes in sports shoes and athletics, have your foot measured, and get some recommendations from the experts. Do your research online, too, to find a good pair for a decent price. If you take off walking with a pair that doesnt support your foot, youll probably want to quit after a few days of hurting feet and sore calf muscles.

Do you have health problems or are currently under a doctors treatment for anything, be sure and give them a call before you start walking for weight loss. And use common sense. Dont plan to start by walking 4 miles in 100 degree heat.

Start slowly, expect to be a little sore, and work your way up. Find an indoor place like a mall where you can walk during very hot or cold weather so you can stay comfortable. Then youll be able to enjoy walking for weight loss all year long.

Tags: Anyones, Calories, Climates, Climes, Cold Winter, Drastic Change, Eating Habits, Exercises, Fancy Equipment, Fewer Calories, Gain Weight, Gym Membership, Healthy Eating Plan, Lifting Weights, Losing Weight, Overeating, Period Of Time, Shoe Store, Sports Shoes, Walking Exercise, Walking Shoes, Ways To Get In Shape, Weight Loss —

The flat abs diet has six core principles that will help you to lose belly fat and have a sleeker body all around. Even if you cant get rid of your gut through endless crunches, you should see success with this flat abs diet. That is because new research has show that what you eat may be just as important as how much you exercise.

The first important step is to eat more fiber. You should eat at least 25 grams of fiber a day. The reason is that bulk fiber is like a sponge which, when combined with water, moves the fat through your body more quickly.

The best high fiber foods are fruits and vegetables. In addition to having a lot of fiber naturally, fruits and vegetables are very low in calories. Whole grains are preferable to processed flours for the same reason.

Part of what makes natural food so good for you is the chew factor. It takes longer to eat these foods, so your brain has time to get the signals that your stomach is sending that it is full. Researchers have found that eating high fiber plant food with any meal reduces the average amount of calories by 100.

The next step is to opt for a sensible amount of high quality carbs. The flat abs diet does not require that you dramatically limit your carbohydrates the way the Adkins or South Beach plans do. However, if you want to lose your belly fat, you will have to control your carb intake.

Again, fruits and vegetables provide the highest quality carbs available. They are the foods least likely to promote bloat. Because they are composed of a lot of water, they have fewer calories and carbs for their volume.

You should have no more than 65 percent of your diet in carbs. That means that on an 1800 calorie diet, you will have between 200 and 300 grams of carbs. On the Adkins diet, you can have no more than 35 grams of carbs, so as you can see the flat abs diet is more generous.

Next, you want to drink lots of water at least eight 8-ounce glasses a day.

Many people think that drinking water will make them bloat when the opposite is actually true. Water washes away the sodium in the body and thus reduces bloat.

If you are having trouble consuming that much water, try these variations:

Drink 2 glasses of lukewarm water twice a day. It is easier to consume lots of water in a single setting if it is not ice cold.
If you like cold water, freeze fruit or small pieces of fruit and float it in your water. It will keep the water cold and add a nice flavor to it.
Use small amounts of fruit juice or other extracts such as mint to flavor the water.

Along those lines, tip number 4 on the flat abs diet is to avoid sodium wherever possible. A woman needs 500 mg. of sodium to keep her body functioning regularly but the average American woman gets between 3000 and 6000 mg. daily. If you eat a typical meal at a Chinese restaurant, you will get about 3000 mg. of sodium. The body responds to this sodium intake by retaining water. The next day, you will see the result on the scale and in the mirror. Its not that the Chinese food added too many calories its that it has so much sodium.

The next bit of advice is to not eat too much at night. When you put food in your body less than three hours before going to sleep, it causes you to bloat. Plan to shut down the kitchen after a light to moderate dinner. If you must eat, consider limiting it to a snack of 100 calories or less. A cup of tea can often satisfy your need for food after dinner.

Finally, the last bit of advice on our flat abs diet has nothing to do with food at all. Instead, you will want to work on reducing stress.

Stress triggers the hormone cortisol which turns up your appetite and directs your body to deposit fat around your abdomen. One way to eliminate stress (and lose weight) is to exercise. You should also practice ways of relaxing when you get into a stressful situation.

So, there you have it. When exercise alone isnt working to remove your belly fat, try the flat abs diet.

Tags: 1800 Calorie Diet, Abs Diet, Adkins Diet, Bloat, Calories, Core Principles, Crunches, Diet Exercise, Drinking Water, Fewer Calories, Fiber Plant, Flours, food;, Fruits And Vegetables, Healthy Diet, High Fiber Foods, high fiber plant food, Losing Weight, Lot Of Water, Natural Food, Ounce Glasses, Plant Food, South Beach, Sponge, Whole Grains —

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 —

DIET FOR LIVING A HEALTHY LIFE
Jerry Lee

DIET FOR LIVING A HEALTHY LIFE

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):

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!

http://healthebooks.net

About the Author

Editor of http://healthebooks.net

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