Dieting and the Hill

Strange title - I know, but I was thinking about this this morning!



When I lived in Cardiff my house was at the top of a steep hill. One day when my eldest son was a baby in a buggy, my husband and I were walking up the hill - it was hail stoning and very slippery. It seemed as if we were taking one step forward and about 10 backwards! Now, as I considered this I began to think that we would never have dreamed of giving up and saying - "Oh well, that's it - we're never going to get there so we may as well give up!" It was our home!!



Now we live further West and are still on top of a hill. The first part of the hill is easy (or easier...), the next part is steeper and tougher to climb, then the more we persevere and carry on going, the steepness gradually evens out and before we know it we're at the top (which is flatter), then as we turn left we walk down the gentle slope to our house! When we are at the bottom of the hill we start off enthusiastically because it's easy to begin with, then we reach the middle section and think - I wish I didn't have this hill to climb, but soon we get to the top and realise the trouble, straining muscles etc was worth it because home is nearby!



As I was pondering this this morning, I began to think that maybe I should treat my healthy living, weight loss campaign this way!



When I start my diet, I am enthusiastic and the going is good (this is a picture of the bottom of the hill)

Then things get in the way, like parties, lunches or plain ole cravings (this is the picture of the middle - when our willpower wanes and our enthusiasm seems to have evaporated) BUT

If we carry on - pressing towards the goal - despite the hardships, cravings, parties, lunches etc we WILL reach the top (WOW what a view is to be had at the top of my hill - lushious green fields and trees). When we view ourselves in the mirror in that beautiful dress or stunning suit - we will know the hard climb and the tears (of hardwork and joy) will be worth it!



Let's reach our wonderful destination - a slim, fit, healthy body! We wouldn't give up climbing that hill when we knew our loved ones were waiting for us...



Have a fab day everyone and remember - you are SO worth it!!

Your Winter Workout

Be sensible
If it's very cold or raining hard, stay indoors. The last thing you want is to slip and injure yourself or, in a severe situation, get frostbite.

Wear layers
You need appropriate clothing in cold weather. Layers are very important to ensure that you stay warm but don't overheat during exercise. Choose technical fabrics such as dry F.I.T. (by Nike) or polypropylene (a synthetic fabric that draws moisture away from the skin) so you stay dry and warm. Avoid fabrics like cotton and wool that retain moisture and stick to your skin and make you colder. If it's blustery, your outer layer of clothing should protect against wind chill. Don't forget to wear a hat in the cold since a significant amount of heat is lost through the head.

Be foot-friendly
When exercising outdoors in the winter time, choose all-weather, well-cushioned trainers with a good tread to reduce the chance of slipping and twisting your ankle.

Be aware of your breathing
Cold air may irritate the respiratory tract and bring on angina (chest pain) or asthma in certain people so make sure your breathing doesn't feel restricted while exercising. If it does, stop immediately and go indoors.

Stay hydrated
Even though you don't sweat as much in cold weather, you're still perspiring which means you're losing water and salt. Drink lots of water before, during and after working out to replenish fluids.

Before you set off
Make sure you warm up for around ten minutes before setting off in the chill. If you exercise when your muscles are cold you have a greater chance of pulling a muscle and getting injured. Don't expect to go at your normal pace - give yourself time to acclimatise to the different conditions and progress slowly but safely.

Enjoy your run
Being outdoors can really make your workout more fun. You'll have a constant change of scenery and can use props like a park bench for tricep dips and stairs for step-ups to challenge yourself. Just be aware of what your body is telling you and stop if you become uncomfortable or too cold. Make sure you cool down properly and stretch again at the end of your workout, preferably inside where it's warm. Save floor work for days you stay indoors. Enjoy your winter workout routine.

10 Ways to Plateau Proof your Diet

If your progress has already slowed, don’t get discouraged. Break out of that slimming slump, jumpstart your weight loss and get you back on track to reaching your goals with steps 6-10.

1. Keep drinking that water! You’ve heard it a thousand times before but it’s more important than ever now, since water is essential for keeping your metabolism humming along. Sip at least 1 – 1½ litres of water every day.

2. Take good measure. Stepping on the scale isn’t always the best way to measure your progress. If you’re not seeing a change on yours, use a tape measure to measure your various parts. You might be losing inches even thought the scale remains steady (remember: muscle is more dense than fat, so upping your exercise and building strong muscles could be contributing).

3. Build on your workout. If you’ve been doing the same workout for a while, you may find that it has less effect as your body adapts to it. Continue burning more calories than you eat by adding a separate five to 10 minute walk to your day. Or try working out more vigorously - increase your exercise gradually to avoid injury and consult your doctor if you are starting out on an exercise programme).

4. Remember that size matters. One common reason for plateaus is that dieters begin eating slightly larger portion sizes. Sometimes, even when you are eating healthier foods, large portion sizes can slow weight loss. Pull out the measuring scales or carb counter to make sure you’re not going overboard.

5. Keep a food journal. Track what you’re eating from week to week by writing down the foods you consume. If weight loss begins to slow, you’ll be able to identify what might have made the difference and correct it quickly.

6. Wait it out. If you’re a woman, remember that this plateau may be hormone-related. At different times in your menstrual cycle, you may be retaining water, which will show when you step on the scale. Instead of giving up, continue with the same good eating habits and see if the weight loss continues after a week or so.

7. Cut calories slightly. Weight loss tends to slow naturally as you get closer to your goal weight because it usually means you are eating close to the caloric intake your body needs to maintain your ideal weight. And while you may be tempted to cut your calories to make up for the slowed progress, you have to be careful not to go overboard. A calorie count that’s too low can slow metabolism slightly. You can decrease calories gradually, however.

8. Pump up your metabolism. One of the only proven ways to actually boost your metabolism is to add more muscle mass to your body since muscle burns more calories at rest than fat. If you’re not already doing some resistance training, try lifting weights, taking a yoga class or working out with resistance bands, two to three times per week.

9. Initiate some intervals. Some trainers say the best way to break through a plateau is by adding interval training into your current workout. Interval training is exercise that combines low-intensity and high-intensity activity in spurts. For example, alternating cycling at a moderate pace and a faster pace, or combining periods of walking and jogging. Trainers and exercise physiologists generally recommend a high-intensity to low-intensity ratio of one to three. In other words, if you are going to run for five minutes, walk for 15. Repeat those intervals for at least 30 minutes.

10. Shake things up. Though there’s not much scientific proof that it works, some dieters find that changing some of their meal plan selections from week to week seems to help them break through a plateau. Simple changes like switching some of those chicken portions for fish or having a chicken salad instead of an egg salad at lunch could make a difference for you. Not to mention ensuring your taste buds stay interested.

Top 20 Diet Blunders

Use this checklist of diet blunders to assess how your attitude to eating measures up.

1. Binge eating before going on a diet.

2. Fasting or drastically cutting calories to lose weight. This sends your body the message that you are starving, and your metabolism will slow down to preserve the fat you are trying to shed!

3. Expecting to lose more than one to two pounds a week. Any more than this is simply the result of lost body fluids and valuable muscle tissue.

4. Skipping meals, especially breakfast. Eating regular meals prevents the dangerous “famine-then-feast” syndrome.

5. Skipping smart snacks. "Smart snacking" keeps your metabolism high and your appetite in check.

6. Substituting coffee, tea or diet soda for energy-producing meals, snacks or water.

7. Going to a salad bar and stacking up on cheeses, meats and pasta AND globs of fatty mayonnaise or salad dressings while thinking you are choosing the healthy option.

8. Having an “on a diet” or “off a diet” / all-or-nothing mentality rather than simply eating wisely.

9. Thinking of any food as “bad” or “forbidden.” Food is food - anything in excess is bad for you, anything in moderation is okay.

10. Not exercising for at least 30 minutes, three times a week. Exercise is crucial for boosting your metabolism to more effectively burn calories.

11. Losing weight to look good... for someone else.

12. Believing that when you shed the weight, you’ll be a different, better person. You already ARE a great person.

13. Relying on diet pills, shakes or other products that promise miraculous weight loss. Remember, if it sounds too good to be true...

14. Thinking of weight loss as something you have to do, rather than something you want to do.

15. Focusing on foods to avoid, rather than foods to include.

16. Buying, preparing and eating your meals on the run. A hectic lifestyle prevents you from enjoying and feeling satisfied with the many good foods you eat.

17. Considering losing excess weight as an end in itself, rather than a means to an end: a healthier body and a happier out-look.

18. Not watching your fat intake. Calories consumed as fat are converted into fat on the body more readily than the same number of calories consumed as protein or carbohydrates.

19. Not reading and understanding labels. Just because it says '95% fat-free' doesn’t mean that it is healthy. It COULD mean that it’s 95% sugar!

20. Failing to take charge the moment you discover you weigh in two pounds over your desired weight. When your waistband gets tight do something about it. Don’t buy the next size up!

Top Tips for Improving your Sleep

Ventilate your bedroom and keep it cool. Your body temperature needs to drop for you to fall asleep.

Have an evening hot bath or shower. But make sure it's only up to an hour before bedtime.

Try out a lighter, seasonal duvet. It's a good idea to stop yourself getting too hot during the night.

Keep your bedroom dark. Light inhibits the production of your sleep hormone, melatonin. Try investing in a thick curtain lining.

Take plenty of time getting ready for bed. This will enable your mind and body to have a good chance to unwind before you try to go to sleep.

Monitor your daily caffeine intake. Avoid any coffee and tea after 9 p.m. Bear in mind that unless herbal tea specifically states it's caffeine-free, it may not be. Carbonated soft drinks, flu remedies and chocolate also contain caffeine, so avoid these just before bedtime.

Reduce your weekly alcohol and cigarette intake. Nicotine is a stimulant, so a cigarette just before bed won't help matters.

Don't eat within one or two hours of bedtime. Eating stimulates your digestive system and metabolism, which means your body will wake up.

Do take exercise, but not too near bedtime.

Consider trying out a new mattress and pillow.

Try ear-plugs if your environment is excessively noisy.

Try a relaxation technique. If you take more than 30 minutes to get off to sleep, try some deep breathing.

Don't just lie there. If you still can't sleep after 30 minutes, get up, do something else and then try again. Lying in bed unable to sleep for ages will induce anxiety.

Take a short nap. If you're so tired during the day that you need to take a nap, limit it to 20 minutes - any longer and you could affect your chances of sleeping that night.

Bring your baby to bed. If you're a new parent and your baby is keeping you awake, you could try bringing your baby into the bed with you during the night. However, make sure the baby sleeps on its back and be cautious about the risk of accidental smothering if you're extremely tired. Studies have also shown that if parents smoke or drink heavily, babies who sleep with them are at increased risk of SIDS (cot death), so bear this in mind.

10 Ways Your Diet can Survive a Bank Holiday

1. Don’t get burnt at the barbeque!
It may be your last chance to get out in the garden and get the barbie fired up but be careful! While grilling is one of the more healthy ways to cook, it’s the portion sizes and all the additions that can be dangerous. Chips and dips, creamy potato salad, coleslaw, cheese, a few drinks and as many burgers as you can handle – you know the culprits! .

2. Plan what you are going to eat
People don’t plan to fail, they fail to plan. If you are eating away from home, try to pick a restaurant you know will serve a healthy option. If you are sightseeing and bringing along a picnic, make sure you bring foods like sandwiches with low fat fillings, salads and crunchy vegetable sticks and low fat dips, low fat crisps, rice cakes or bread sticks and fresh fruit salad. These picnic foods are suitable, satisfying and won’t ruin your diet.

3. Pack a snack!
If you do get hungry between meals there is only one way to be sure your willpower won’t let you down – pack a snack. If you have a healthy snack with you, you are far less likely to be tempted by high fat, high calorie foods, which might be the only options available.

4. Buy small!
The portion of chips may be beckoning, or that ice cream cone. You don’t have to deprive yourself completely, just buy small serving if you are genuinely hungry.

5. Watch your alcohol intake!
We’re all likely to have a beer with our barbeque, or a glass of wine with dinner on a weekend away but don’t go crazy! Alcohol adds calories. Remember, a pint of lager will set you back 131 calories, a measure of spirits 55 calories (before adding mixers) and a glass of wine, 100 calories. Alcohol also loosens our inhibitions and can make us lose control over what we eat.

6. Be assertive
Have a say in where you go and how you spend your weekend. Choose the restaurant, choose the food you bring along and choose an activity-filled day out. Spend your time in a way that will benefit YOUR health as well as being enjoyable to those around you.

7. Look for support
If others are suggesting activities that will be difficult for you in terms of food temptations, or a day out (or a day in) that involves no physical activity whatsoever, be sure to explain clearly why it doesn’t suit you to do that. Giving someone that understanding will inspire him or her to play a role in your success.

8. Stay focused & committed to your weight loss
YOU KNOW what your target weight is. YOU KNOW how many pounds you want to lose this week. YOU KNOW why you want to lose the weight. YOU KNOW that it is possible. Stick to the plan.

9. Get active!
Gather a group of friends together or take yourself outside with the kids. It doesn’t matter whether you want to play Frisbee, football, volleyball or rounders – as long as you are active and enjoying yourself. Alternatively, why not try something new like rollerblading, horse riding or even water skiing? Whatever it is that you really want to do, get out there and just do it!

10. Take time out!
Give yourself even just five or ten minutes to focus on you, your body and your health. You want to enjoy yourself as much as the next person, so think about ways you can treat yourself without using food. Buy a book or a magazine, hit the shops for a look at the new autumn lines, take a long leisurely stroll, have a bubble bath, get yourself out to the cinema, book a massage. Take your time and enjoy your break!

What Kind of Eater are You?

Here a meal, There a meal!
This is common when someone is not in touch with what they eat. They’re not paying attention to how they eat, when they eat or what they eat. It’s the person who eats on the run and the person who realises it’s after lunchtime and they’ve forgotten to eat. The danger in this is that at some point you are going to overeat to compensate for how long you’ve gone without eating. You’re more apt to make unhealthy choices. And if you’re eating out, you run the risk of eating foods that are higher in calories and fat.

Survival tips: Don’t leave home without having breakfast... even if it's simply a bowl of cereal, wholemeal toast or yoghurt with fruit. Pack a goody bag of healthy snacks at night to take to work so you need never be stuck for a healthy bite. Good choices include fruit, low fat yoghurt or fromage frais and low fat cheese. And don’t forget to drink plenty of water. Also make time for a sit-down dinner. This will give you an opportunity to relax and enjoy a satisfying and nutritious meal.

Snack Attacker!
These are the people who eat a little bit here and a little bit there. We’re talking about the snacker who’s always nibbling on something but never counting the calories. Well, those numbers quickly add up. When you fill up on snacks, you usually put off having a well-balanced meal. This is a lost opportunity to get all the vitamins and nutrients you need from fruits, vegetables and proteins.

Survival tips: When hunger strikes, reach for low-fat cheese and crackers, hummus and pitta bread, wholemeal toast with reduced fat peanut butter or a bowl of homemade soup. Get in the mood for a meal. Make sure you get at the very least one balanced meal a day. If you find yourself hitting the drinks machine constantly, replace those wasted calories with water, skimmed milk or fruit juice.

Eager Eater!
This guy loves food and gets plenty of it. You won’t find any vitamin or nutrient depletion here! What you will find is too much of a good thing and that can wind up as an expanding waistline. The eager eater gets too many calories and lack of portion control is usually responsible for those unwanted pounds.

Survival Tips: Think in terms of trade-offs. If it’s dinner-and-a-movie night, eat dinner and skip the popcorn and fizzy drink. If you eat a big breakfast, have a salad or other light lunch. Be aware of why you are eating. Are you hungry or are you thirsty? Drink a glass of water and wait 10 minutes before you dig in. Choose your snacks wisely. If you want a couple of biscuits, take two and put the box away.

10 Ways to Burn an Extra 100 Calories

10 ways to burn an extra 100 calories

1. 10 mins of slow jogging
2. 30 mins of ironing
3. 27 mins of cleaning windows
4. 13 mins of disco dancing
5. 16 mins of brisk walking
6. 14 mins of playing football with the children
7. 10 mins of walking up and down stairs
8. 20 mins of vacuuming the home
9. 25 mins of washing and polishing the car
10. 15 mins of walking while carrying heavy shopping

You can become fitter very quickly if you exercise regularly. When you first start exercising you get out of breath very quickly and have to rest, which means your calorie-burning potential is reduced.

So start exercising very moderately so that you can keep going for longer. Soon you will become fitter and you will be able to increase the intensity and duration.

Walk it off Challenge - 4 Steps to Perfect Walking Form

Maintaining good form while you walk will help you burn more calories with each step and avoid injury. Keep these guidelines in mind during every walking workout.

Head, shoulders and chest: Keep your head up and centred between your shoulders. Focus your eyes straight ahead. Keep your shoulders back and down. Your chest should be naturally lifted, as if there were a string attached to the center that gently pulls it upwards.

Arms and hands: Your arms should be bent at 90 degrees. Swing them back and forth -- not side to side -- and keep them close to your body. Keep your hands loosely cupped as if you are holding a butterfly that you don't want to escape but you don't want to crush either.

Abdominals: Pull your belly button gently in toward your spine and tuck your pelvis forward ever so slightly so you feel tall, stable and upright.

Hips, thighs and feet: Power your movements from your hips rather than your thighs, but keep your hips loose and natural. Take short, fast strides that still feel natural rather than awkward. Land firmly on your heels and roll smoothly to push off with your toes. Think of planting your heel and then "pushing the ground away from you" as you roll through your foot.

Breathing and heart rate: Your breathing will be loud, but concentrate on keeping it even and steady. Your heart will be thumping, but focus on keeping the beats steady and regular.

A note to treadmill users: Use the handrails as little as possible unless balance is an issue for you. Avoid "water skiing" -- that is, putting the treadmill on an incline, gripping the rails for dear life and using your arms to soak up the bulk of your effort, (this goes for walkers and runners!).

Week 1

Walk it off Challenge - Week 1

WEEK ONE

Goal: We're taking this first week to get into the habit of walking. Consequently, our emphasis is on getting out there and doing it no matter what. Your goal is to accumulate a total of 30 minutes walking time per day, at least six days this week.

Notice I said accumulate. That means you don't have to do the entire 30 minutes at once. If you get tired or run out of time, simply split up your walking time into two or three (or more) sessions throughout the day. Numerous studies show you'll burn exactly the same amount of calories and get almost the same health benefits as doing the entire workout in one blast.

As you walk, don't worry about your speed, intensity or even how many calories you're burning. (We'll focus on those things in the weeks to come!) Simply get your body used to the art of putting one foot in front of the other and use the quiet time to focus on your daily meditation. Take note of how your body responds to walking: What your breathing sounds like, how much you sweat, how the muscles in your legs feel, how your body moves, how long it takes before you feel tired.

You may not be used to regular exercise, but you'll be surprised at how quickly you get hooked. If you're ever tempted to skip a day, visit the gang on the message board for a little kick in the pants. Most importantly, make putting on your walking shoes part of your daily routine - so you'll be ready to go whenever the spirit moves you. That's a good first step in the right direction.

Next Week: We'll take everything you've learned this week and use it to help sharpen up your walking technique. We'll also add strengthening and toning exercises to your routine.

Week 2

This is taken from a challenge run by iVillage and posted on an MSN Group I ran in 2004.

Walk it off Challenge - Week 2

WEEK TWO

Goal: This week, we're going to work on your technique and add in some strengthening exercises. Continue to walk 30 minutes a day, six times a week and concentrate on maintaining good form. Your goal is to add two, 20-minute strengthening sessions to your regular routine.

Don't worry much about your walking speed or distance. At this point you're still in the process of making this a habit. Perfecting your walking form will help you in the weeks to come by making it easier to pick up the pace and walk for longer periods of time without getting tired or injured.

The twice-weekly strength training sessions are also important for injury prevention. There are other benefits to including them in your routine as well:

• Strength training helps you firm and tone.
• Stronger muscles have more stamina so you'll be able to walk more easily.
• Building muscles speeds up your metabolism so you lose weight faster.

Separate your strength training sessions by at least one day to give your muscles time to rest and recover. Do 1-3 sets of each exercise in the order they're listed below, 8-15 repetitions per set.

Basic Strength Training Routine

Squat

A. Stand with your feet as wide as your hips, your weight slightly back on your heels, and place your hands on your hips. Pull your abdominals in, stand up tall with square shoulders and a lifted chest.

B. Sit back and down, as if you're going to sit on a chair directly behind you. Lower as far as you can without leaning your upper body more than a few inches forward (this depends on your flexibility and your build). If you can, bend your knees far enough so that your thighs are parallel to the floor, but don't go any further than that and don't allow your knees to travel out in front of your toes. Once you feel your upper body fold forward over your thighs, straighten your legs and stand back up. Take care not to lock your knees at the top of the movement.

Toe Raise

A. Stand on the edge of a step. (Or, if you have a step aerobics platform, place two sets of risers underneath the platform.) Stand tall with the balls of your feet firmly planted on the step and your heels hanging over the edge. Rest your hands against a wall or a sturdy object for balance. Stand tall with your abdominals pulled in.

B. Raise your heels a few inches above the edge of the step so that you're on your tiptoes. Hold the position for a moment, and then lower your heels back down. Lower your heels below the platform in order to stretch your calf muscles.

Pullover

A. Holding a single dumb-bell with both hands, lie on the bench with your feet flat on the floor and your arms directly over your shoulders. Turn your palms up so that one end of the dumb-bell is resting in the gap between your palms and the other end is hanging down over your face. Pull your abdominals in, but make sure your back is relaxed and arched naturally.

B. Keeping your elbows slightly bent, lower the weight behind your head until the bottom end of the dumb-bell is directly behind your head. Pull the dumb-bell back up overhead, keeping the same slight bend in your elbows throughout the motion.

Push Up

A. Lie on your stomach, bend your knees, and cross your ankles. Bend your elbows and place your palms on the floor a bit to the side and in front of your shoulders. Straighten your arms and lift your body so you're balanced on your palms and knees. Tuck your chin a few inches towards your chest, so your forehead faces the floor. Tighten your abdominals.

B. Bend your elbows and lower your entire body at once. Rather than trying to touch your chest to the floor, lower only until your upper arms are parallel to the floor. Push back up.

Shoulder Press

A. Hold a dumb-ell in each hand and sit on a bench with back support. Plant your feet firmly on the floor about hip-width apart. Bend your elbows and raise your upper arms to shoulder height so that the dumb-bells are at ear level. Pull your abdominals in so that there's a slight gap between the small of your back and the bench. Place the back of your head against the pad.

B. Push the dumb-bells up and in until the ends of the dumb-bells are nearly touching directly over your head and then lower the dumbbells back to ear level.

Bench Dip

A. Sit on the edge of a bench with your legs together and straight in front of you, toes pointing up. Keeping your elbows relaxed, straighten your arms, place your hands about six inches apart, and firmly grip the edges of the bench. Slide your butt just off the front of the bench so that your upper body is pointing straight down. Keep your abdominals pulled in and your head centered between your shoulders.

B. Bend your elbows and lower your body in a straight line. When your upper arms are parallel to the floor, push yourself back up.

Biceps Curl

A. Hold a dumb-bell in each hand and stand with your feet as wide as your hips. Let your arms hang down at your sides with your palms facing in. Pull your abdominals in, stand tall, and keep your knees relaxed.

B. Curl your right arm close to your shoulder, twisting your palm as you go so that it faces the front of your shoulder at the top of the movement. Slowly lower the dumbbell back down, and then repeat with your left arm. Continue alternating until you've completed the set.

Basic Crunch

A. Lie on the floor with your feet hip-width apart. Cradle your head in your hands without lacing your fingers together and with your elbows rounded slightly inward. Tilt your chin a small way towards your chest and pull your abdominal muscles in.

B. Exhale through your mouth as you curl your head, neck, and shoulders up off the floor. Hold at the top of the movement for a moment, then inhale as you slowly lower back down.

Next week: We'll start picking up speed and distance.

Week 3

Walk it off Challenge - Week 3

WEEK THREE: Walk a Little Longer

Goal: Time to kick it up a notch! This week, we increase the duration of our walks and stick with the strength training program. Your goal is to up your walking time to 45 minutes a day and continue to aim for at least six workouts a week.

The same rules still apply: You don't have to do your entire walk in one workout. It's OK to split it up into two or even three walks in a day. For instance, you can do a quick 15 minutes on the treadmill first thing in the morning - a great way to rev up the start of your day. You can then do a quick spin around the neighbourhood during your lunch break and finish up with another 15 minutes to walk off your dinner.

Don't forget to practise good technique as you walk - always check your form. Good walking form will serve you well by giving you the stamina you need to go the extra distance. Also, be sure to keep track of your walking time.

Next week: Get ready, speed demons! We're picking up the pace.

Week 4

Walk it off Challenge - Week 4

WEEK FOUR: Pick Up the Pace!

Goal: It's time to rev up your engines! This is the week we fulfil your need for speed. With three weeks of walking under your belt, it's time to up the ante a little bit. Your goal this week is to do two of your workouts at a faster walking pace. This is going to increase the distance you walk in a given amount of time, so you'll burn more calories without having to increase your workout duration.

Walking faster builds muscle too; that means you'll start to burn more calories even at rest simply because your metabolism is stoked.

All of your other workouts stay the same (including your strength training sessions). Starting with just two high speed workouts to start gives your body time to adjust to the upped effort. You're less likely to get injured when you gradually introduce speed to your workouts rather than kicking everything up a notch all at once.

Remember, you still have the option of splitting up your walk routine into several mini-workouts.

Next week: Things are looking up - we take to the hills!

Week 5

Walk it off Challenge - Week 5

WEEK FIVE: Head For the Hills!

Goal: The hills are alive - with the sound of walking, that is. When you walk up and down hills you'll see all of the speed work and strength training you've done in the previous weeks start to pay off. You'll need that extra strength and stamina to chug up the inclines. Your goal this week is to replace one regular walking session with one workout with hills.

Walking upward and onward is a great way to burn additional calories and tone the muscles of your butt and thighs. It's also a good way to burn calories without increasing speed. In fact, if you find you like walking hills better than picking up the pace, feel free to substitute at least one of your speed workouts this week for an extra hill walk.

Just another reminder - chopping up your walk into several sessions is still just fine so long as you accumulate a total walking time of 45 minutes each day for six days this week. And of course, don't forget about doing your all-important strength training routine twice this week.

Next week: In our final week of the Community Challenge, we'll pull it all together.

Week 6

Walk it off Challenge - Week 6

WEEK SIX: Put It Together!

Goal: In the past few weeks you've made walking a habit, and learnt how to combine it with strength training. Your goal this week is to put it all together by combining all of these skills into one workout.

Mixing and matching speeds and hills is known as interval training. It's an efficient way to train because you work very hard for a period of time (which burns a lot of calories) and then rest and recover before hitting another high intensity interval (by delaying how quickly you feel exhausted, this allows you to stretch out your workout).

For our final challenge workout week, try to do two regular strolls, one speed workout, one hill workout and one interval workout. You should also continue to strength train - and if you're feeling super ambitious you can up your strength training sessions to three a week.

Here's a sample 45-minute interval training workout:

• Warm up for 5 minutes.
• Speed walk for 10 minutes.
• Slow down and walk at a normal pace for 5 minutes.
• Walk uphill for 10 minutes.
• Find flat ground and walk at a normal pace for 5 minutes.
• Speed walk again for 10 minutes.
• Cool down for 5 minutes.

9 Steps to Effective Weight Loss

1. Be scrupulously honest with yourself! You need to be honest about your willingness to change habits for life. You need to be honest about what you are actually eating. This is where a food diary comes in handy. (see number 5)

2. Realise everything is connected! There is an absolute, incontrovertible connection between your weight and the rest of your life. It is not just about how much you eat. Your relationships, your sleep, your stress, all profoundly affect your hormones, especially cortisol, excess amounts of which can keep you from losing weight. If your stress hormones are high and your sleep is disturbed, you will not replenish serotonin, which can lead to cravings. If cortisol is constantly high, it can cause insulin resistance which is the biggest enemy of fat loss.

Don’t try to lose weight just by attacking your food habits. That’s a start, but it’s not the whole story. Everything is connected: from sunshine to sex to love to job to relationships. The Bowden Motto: Change your life, change your weight.

3. Fat is not the enemy! Numerous recent studies have shown conclusively that the percentage of fat in your diet has virtually no connection to whether or not you get fat. Far more important is the amount of total calories you take in, and especially the total number of calories from carbohydrates. Processed food - and especially sugar - is damaging to your system.

4. Calories are not the whole picture, but they still count! High fibre, low refined carb diets control appetite more effectively than any other kind, but they are not a license to eat anything and everything in all quantities. At some point you need to look at the number of calories you’re consuming.

5. Keep a food diary! Virtually every nutritionist agrees a food diary is the most important tool in your arsenal. Studies have shown that people who have lost weight successfully and kept it off virtually always use this tool. You should too.

6. Eat protein at every meal! Protein raises your metabolic rate and may also, through the action of specific amino acids, cause you to lose fat rather than muscle, thus helping to reshape your body and make you a more effective calorie burner. Take at least three to four ounces at each meal.

7. The more vegetables the better! These foods are fibre rich, and loaded with phytonutrients. High-fibre foods are an essential part of any weight loss strategy.

8. Eat without distractions! Try to train yourself to eat without television or other distractions. Unconscious eating is the enemy of weight loss.

9. Exercise alone is not the best way to take off weight but it’s one of the best ways to keep it off! Few people can lose significant amounts of weight just by exercising. Yet if you don’t exercise, you have a poor chance of keeping weight off. With it, you have a much better chance of your diet being effective.

Top 10 Ways to Cut Back on Sugar

Don't add sugar to foods. This is the easiest and most basic way immediately to reduce the amount of sugar you're eating. Biggest targets: cereal, coffee and tea.

Don't fall for ‘healthy sugar' disguises. Brown sugar, raw sugar - it's all the same thing as far as your body is concerned.

Make an effort to reduce or eliminate processed carbohydrates. Most processed carbohydrates - breads, most pastas and snacks - are loaded with flour and other ingredients that convert to sugar in the body almost as fast as pure glucose. That sugar gets stored as triglycerides, which is a grand way of saying fat.

Watch out for 'fat-free' snacks. One of the biggest myths is that if a food is fat-free it doesn't make you fat. Fat-free doesn't mean calorie-free, and most fat-free snacks are loaded with sugar.

Shop for colour. The more your shopping basket looks like a cornucopia of colour, the better. It usually means you're getting more fresh vegetables and low-glycaemic fruits such as berries and cherries.

Become a food detective. Start reading labels. To reduce sugar, you have to know where to find it.

Beware of artificial sweeteners. Unfortunately, these can increase cravings for sugar and carbohydrates. Some experts believe they also deplete the body's stores of chromium, a nutrient crucial for blood-sugar metabolism.

Add it up. Look at the label where it says ‘total sugars’ and divide the number of grams by four. That's the number of teaspoons of sugar you are ingesting. This exercise alone should scare you off sugar for good.

Limit fruit. Fruit contains sugar, but it also has fibre and good nutrients. Just don't overdo it. For weight-loss purposes, have two servings a day maximum.

Eliminate fruit juice. It sounds healthy, but it’s really only a pure sugar hit with none of the fibre and less of the nutrients found in raw fruit.

8 Easy Craving Cures

• Get to the root of it. Anxiety, loneliness and stress are all emotional triggers that can set off cravings. If you identify your triggers—such as work-related stress—you can deal with the emotions that make you want to binge.
• Make food an ally. 'There are no bad foods if you eat in moderation,' says Costain. If you can think of food as a friend that provides essential nourishment, you can enjoy guilt-free eating. Plus, you’re less likely to have cravings because you’re not denying yourself anything
• Distract yourself. Next time you feel a craving coming on, immerse yourself in an activity. Anything that keeps you busy—a quick workout, running to the supermarket or tending the garden—can help curb the urge to splurge
• Schedule cravings into your day. If you know that most of your cravings strike in the afternoon, eat one portion of what you crave during this time. Because you’re indulging yourself, you’re likely to feel satisfied. And if necessary, change your routine during the time you tend to get cravings. For example, if late afternoon is your 'danger zone', make a date with a friend or go for a workout
• Eat every four to five hours. Here’s the good news: Eating several small meals a day will help to regulate your blood sugar levels so you stay more energetic and alert. Plus, you won’t get too hungry and, as a result, will be less likely to have cravings
• Stay hydrated. 'Sometimes people mistake thirst for hunger,' says Costain. Drink eight glasses of water a day to prevent dehydration and the empty stomach feeling that makes you reach for foods you don’t really need
• Buy a low-fat version of the food you crave. Plan ahead so you have a low-fat stand-in for your craving. For example, keep chocolate-covered raisins in your desk drawer instead of a chocolate bar
• Count on carbs. Eating two to three carbohydrate snacks like bread, cereal, pasta, rice, crackers, scones, wholemeal biscuits, low fat yogurt, rice pudding, bananas or dried fruit may help curb cravings for sweets because they are high in sugar and starch.

10 Easy Ways to Burn More Fat

1. When you first wake up commit to 10 minutes of continuous exercise. Choose only three movements and perform each in succession without stopping for 10 minutes. For example, Monday you can perform modified push-ups, followed by crunches for your abs followed by stationary lunges. On Tuesday you can perform free-standing squats with hands on hips, double crunch for abs, and close grip modified push-ups (hands 3" apart) for your triceps. Just 10 minutes! Just take a quick breather when you need it.

2. Perform timed interval walking in your neighbourhood or at lunch. If it takes 10 minutes to walk to a certain destination near your office or in your neighbourhood, try to make it in eight minutes. You can also do this first thing in the morning before work as well as on your lunch break.

3. If you have stairs in your home or in your work place, commit to taking the stairs a specific number of times. Tell yourself that you’ll take the stairs six or eight times (no matter what).

4. While seated, perform some isometric exercise to help strengthen and tighten your muscles. For example, while in a seated position, simply contract the abdominals for 30 seconds while breathing naturally. You can also tighten and contract your legs for 60 seconds. Perform about three sets per area. You’ll feel your muscles get tighter in just three weeks if you perform this a few times per week.

5. For about £17.00 (OR buy for £6.99 http://www.rosemaryconley.com/shop/fitness-accessories/calorie-pedometer.htm (price correct as of 22/3/10) you can invest in a pedometer. It’s a small device you can carry that records the distance you walk per day, either as a number of steps or in miles. Aim for 10,000 steps every day – to reach your target, get off the bus a stop earlier, take a post-dinner dander or leave the car at home and walk shorter journeys. If you and a friend both take part, make a contest of it and reward the weekly winner.

6. Tired at night and just want to sit in front of the TV? Try this technique: take periodic five-minute exercise breaks and perform some muscle stimulating and calorie burning exercise. For example, take five minutes and perform only ab crunches. Then, when it's time for another five-minute exercise break, perform modified push-ups for five minutes. Then for a final five-minute break, perform stationary lunges. Try to do as many as possible in five minutes and try to beat your amount of reps during each subsequent break. It won’t seem daunting because it’s only five minutes at a time, split over a 30 or 60 minute timeframe. Instead of rest breaks, you’ll take exercise breaks. You don’t really need to watch that new commercial do you?

7. How about performing one exercise movement per day for seven to 10 minutes? For example, Monday: free-standing squats for seven minutes. Tuesday: chair dips for seven minutes. Wednesday: crunches and hip lifts off the floor for seven minutes. Thursday: modified push-up for seven minutes. Friday: stationary lunges for seven minutes. It’s quick, simple and teaches consistency.

8. Want things even simpler? Take the longest route every time you have to walk somewhere - even if it’s to a co-workers office.

9. Double-up the stairs. Everytime you take the stairs, simply take a double step or every other stair. It will be just like lunges and the Stairmaster combined. Great for the legs and butt!

10. Enlist your partner or a friend. I’m sure you can find someone who is in the same situation. The support will give you more motivation and you just may find that you can create even more workout time for yourself.

Secrets of Exercise Motivation

1. Start Safely. ‘Check with your GP before trying a new exercise routine so you don’t do anything that’s unsafe,’ says Marilyn Luscombe, the National Director of the Association of Personal Trainers in London. Also, take time to get proper instruction on different types of exercise and technique. Schedule an appointment with a personal trainer at your local gym or work out with an experienced training partner to reduce your chance of injury.
2. Choose a workout you enjoy. Thirty minutes on the treadmill is torture if you’d rather be strolling outdoors or taking a spinning class. ‘It’s crucial to make exercise something you like doing, otherwise you’ll dread making it a part of your life,’ says Luscombe. If solo sport-orientated exercise like skiing or running is your game, go for that over class-based workouts.
   
3. Set realistic goals. ‘If you feel waffly about getting fit, you’re unlikely to stick to a routine,’ warns Luscombe. Having clear objectives and a challenging, yet achievable goal—such as losing half a stone before holiday—will motivate you to get to the gym or take that afternoon walk on days when you just want to toss out your trainers. One way to encourage yourself to keep a fitness commitment is to sign a contract with yourself stating your goals.

4. Reward yourself. There’s no better way to sustain your motivation to get fit than immediate gratification. So, when you reach the halfway point of your goal, treat yourself to something like a nice dinner out or that new handbag you’ve had your eye on. Share your accomplishment with family and friends, as others’ acknowledgement of success will inspire you to further press on towards your goal.
   
5. Be consistent about when you exercise. Choose to work out at the time of day when you tend to feel most energetic,’ suggests Luscombe. If you’re a ‘morning person’, exercise when you wake up. If you’re on a consistent workout schedule, your body’s hormones adjust so that you train most efficiently—and with the least fatigue—at that particular time of day.
   
6. Fit in fitness whenever possible. Did you know that six 5-minute spurts of exercise can be just as beneficial as one 30-minute workout? That means it’s fine if you can’t do your workout all in one go—just break up exercise throughout the day. ‘Try getting off the bus one stop early, walk to the office or supermarket, take the stairs instead of the lift or stroll through the park at lunchtime,’ suggests Luscombe.
   
7. Take it one day at a time. ‘The more gradually you take on an exercise plan, the more likely you are to achieve your goals,’ says Luscombe. Your body will adjust better if you start slowly, and you’ll get stronger without injuring yourself. Avoid making too many lifestyle changes at once. For instance, changing your diet, giving up smoking and rushing into a full-on fitness plan is too much all at once.

8. Find an exercise partner or support group. Make two appointments per week to meet up with someone and exercise. If you have a friend relying on you to go to the gym or take a morning walk with her, you’ll be less likely to cancel. Write down any workout dates in your diary and commit to them as if they are business meetings.
   
9. Vary your fitness activity. ‘Cross-training is the key to a balanced fit body,’ says Luscombe. ‘If you don’t change up your workouts, your body only trains one set of muscles and you stop seeing results. To prevent this fitness plateau, make sure you incorporate a variety of strength training, flexibility and cardiovascular exercise into your routine,’ she adds. One weekly fitness plan might include swimming, running or walking briskly one night, lifting weights the next, doing yoga, cycling, and weight training or Pilates on consecutive evenings.
   
10. Skip a day. ‘Exercise obsession is as bad as none at all because it’s physically and mentally counterproductive,’ says Luscombe. Allowing your muscles to rest and rejuvenate is a crucial part of being healthy and achieving maximum results. And giving yourself a mental break prevents burn-out and makes you more likely to stick to a long-term exercise plan. Listen to your body and if you’re having an off-day, take it easy and rest.

Water Verses Coke

WATER

1. 75% of Americans are chronically dehydrated.
2. In 37% of Americans, the thirst mechanism is so weak that it is often
mistaken for hunger.
3. Even MILD dehydration will slow down one's metabolism as much as 3%.
4. One glass of water will shut down midnight hunger pangs for almost
100% of the dieters studied in a University of Washington study.
5. Lack of water, the #1 trigger of daytime fatigue.
6. Preliminary research indicates that 8-10 glasses of water a day could
significantly ease back and joint pain for up to 80% of sufferers.
7. A mere 2% drop in body water can trigger fuzzy short-term memory,
trouble with basic math, and difficulty focusing on the computer screen
or on a printed page.
8. Drinking 5 glasses of water daily decreases the risk of colon cancer
by 45%, plus it can slash the risk of breast cancer by 79%, and one is
50% less likely to develop bladder cancer.

COKE

1. In many states (in the USA) the highway patrol carries two gallons of
Coke in the truck to remove blood from the highway after a car accident.
2. You can put a T-bone steak in a bowl of coke and it will be gone in two
days.
3. To clean a toilet: Pour a can of Coca-Cola into the toilet bowl and
let the "real thing" sit for one hour, then flush clean. The citric acid
in Coke removes stains from vitreous china.
4. To remove rust spots from chrome car bumpers: Rub the bumper with a
rumpled-up piece of Reynolds Wrap aluminum foil dipped in Coca-Cola.
5. To clean corrosion from car battery terminals: Pour a can of
Coca-Cola over the terminals to bubble away the corrosion.
6. To loosen a rusted bolt: Applying a cloth soaked in Coca-Cola to the
rusted bolt for several minutes.
7. To bake a moist ham: Empty a can of Coca-Cola into the baking pan,
wrap the ham in aluminum foil, and bake. Thirty minutes before the ham
is finished, remove the foil, allowing the drippings to mix with the
Coke for a sumptuous brown gravy.
8. To remove grease from clothes: Empty a can of coke into a load of
greasy clothes, add detergent, and run through a regular cycle. The
Coca-Cola will help loosen grease stains. It will also clean road haze
from your windshield.

For Your Info

1. The active ingredient in Coke is phosphoric acid. Its pH is 2.8. It
will dissolve a nail in about 4 days. Phosphoric acid also leaches
calcium from bones and is a major contributor to the rising increase in
osteoporosis.
2. To carry Coca-Cola syrup (the concentrate) the commercial truck must
use the Hazardous material place cards reserved for Highly corrosive
materials.
3. The distributors of coke have been using it to clean the engines of
their trucks for about 20 years!

Now the question is, would you like a glass of water or a glass of coke?

Top 10 tips to stay in shape on your summer holidays (iVillage)

1. Modify your goals
Before your holiday, you may have aimed for weight loss of 1-2lbs per week. But on holiday, aim for weight maintenance instead of weight loss – or weight gain! Making healthy choices wherever you go is the secret to staying slim and doesn’t mean you will miss out on any of the fun!

2. Be prepared!
Start as you mean to go on and be prepared for travelling. If you have a long journey ahead, pack plenty of healthy snacks. Snacks are important to keep your hunger at bay, to keep your motivation high and to avoid impulse snacking. Pack a bottle of water, fruit, rice cakes or vegetable sticks – this will help you resist tucking into those duty-free giant Toblerone!

3. Portion size!
Following your healthy eating plan, you’ll have learned that watching portion sizes is the ultimate key to keeping the weight off. With buffet style eating it’s very tempting to pile your plate full with food. The solution to this is simple - don’t! Or at least pile it with the right foods!

4. Spice of life!
Make the most of the deliciously different varieties of fruit on offer at breakfast and skip the croissants, Danishes and fried or butter-loaded dishes. For lunch, take full advantage of the refreshing varieties of salad available. Remember to steer clear of the creamy, fattening dressings and full fat hard cheeses. Many countries don’t offer the low fat or reduced calorie options available here, so fill your plate instead with plenty of salad vegetables as a base, and small portions of healthier, less fattening sides, such as lean meat, poultry or fish and stick to oil-free dressings. You could also have small portions of soft cheeses and nuts but make sure you skip those evil little croutons! You know how to do this at home - so why change your good habits on holiday?? It will only make it harder to change again when you return home, and how can you show off your lovely tan if you don’t fit into any of your nice summery tops!!

5. Be smart…
If you’re staying in a hotel or at an all-inclusive resort you’ll probably be offered endless amounts of food. And it’s only natural to make the most of this – it is paid for, after all. But remember how hard you worked to get that bikini body – you don’t want to undo all your hard work in a week! So look for the healthy choices on the menu and stick to those.

6. Appealing appetisers!
Baskets of bread and bowls of creamy dips might be very tempting but they will just add extra calories to your meal - a 2 inch slice of bread and a tablespoon of creamy dip will set you back over 160 calories and 7g of fat, while an average serving of olives will cost you only 12 calories and 1g of fat. You know it’s your best choice. Vegetable based soups and healthy salads are also good starter choices.

7. Keepin’ it lean
Stick to lean cuts of grilled meat and poultry, and make sure you order plenty of vegetables and salad on the side. Remember, you’re in a new place, so make the most of their traditional cuisine - tomato based pasta dishes in Italy and fish dishes in Portugal. And ask for sauces or dressings on the side - allowing yourself a spoonful or two of a creamy dressing will do you much less harm that a dish full!

8. You don’t have to ditch the dessert!
Desserts don’t have to be fattening either. If you fancy something sweet, most restaurants in exotic destinations have a large variety of fruit available, so stick to this - it will certainly kerb that sweet craving. If it’s a special occasion or you really want something creamy, share a dessert with your partner to cut the portion size and then take a long walk after dinner!

9. Move on up!
Holidays are a great time to try new activities – if windsurfing or diving aren’t for you, how about doing a few laps of the pool or walking the length of the beach before breakfast?

10. Have fun!
Now you have the basics to keep off those holiday pounds and make the most of your holiday. So go on - have a great time and use your holiday as an excuse for looking and feeling 100% fantastic the whole time!

General Healthy Living

To live healthily is not just about eating and drinking the right amount - it is all about taking care of your appearance generally!!

Did you know that your skin is your largest organ? It takes up about 16% of your body weight and its surface area is approximately 2 metres square!!

It varies in thickness depending on where it is - from 0.5mm on your eyelids to 4mm on the palms of your hands and soles of your feet!!

It consists of 2 layers - the Dermis (the inner layer) and the Epidermis (outer layer)!!

It holds everything in and keeps most things out!!

It acts as a natural barrier and protects against physical damage, harmful sunrays and bacterial invasion!!

It absorbs oxygen, eliminates waste and secretes protective lubricants!!

There are a few things that affect the condition of our skin. These are:

• Age
• Weather
• Lack of sleep
• Lack of exercise
• Diet
• Smoking
• Central Heating
• Harsh soaps and detergents
• Alcohol
• Pollution

All of these things dehydrate our skin!! We need to balance our lives by having:

• A Healthy Lifestyle
• A daily skincare regime (even men!!!)
• Specialist skincare
• Sun Protection (even in the winter - especially in the snow)

Some ideas to improve our lifestyle:

• Healthy diet : eat at least 5 portions of fruit and vegetables a day
• Drink 2 litres of water a day
• Exercise
• Sufficient sleep
• Reduce (or quit) smoking and alcohol
• Manage stress/ Learn to relax!!

10 tips to curb craving

1. Don’t skip meals. When you skip a meal, you will be more likely to experience cravings simply because you are hungry.

2. For the same reason, don’t starve yourself! Aim for a weight loss of 1-2 pounds a week and no more. If you eat too little your body will feel so deprived that these cravings are more like to strike.

3. Drink plenty of water. Dehydration can sometimes be mistaken for hunger and can heighten cravings, especially for sweet foods.

4. Understand that cravings are a normal response to living in an environment where food, and especially junk food, is freely available. Eliminate as many food cues as possible – if you are giving eggs as presents, give them away early so they are not in your house. Ask that no-one buys you an egg or choose a smaller egg so you don’t miss out completely.

5. Be aware that cravings pass. When you get a craving, wait 20 minutes. There is a good chance that it will subside. If it doesn’t, eat something small, you may be genuinely hungry.

6. Put distance between you and food. When the urge to eat hits stay away from the kitchen, go for a walk, leave the shopping centre and simply step away from temptation.

7. Take responsibility for your eating. Believing that certain foods are "addictive" may be a way of giving yourself permission to overeat. Chocolate isn't addictive.

8. Exercise rather than eat when you are stressed. When you eat fat/sweet food, such as chocolate, endorphins are released in the brain, which induce euphoric or pleasurable feelings. The same brain chemicals are released in response to aerobic exercise.

9. Indulge once in a while. Don’t deprive yourself completely of your favourite foods. This all-or-nothing attitude could be your down-fall. If you crave chocolate, it is unlikely that you will have a big blow-out if you eat a fun size bar of chocolate or two over the weekend.

10. Be aware of your eating. Begin to identify what these foods you are craving really provide. Is it really the ice cream or are you craving the comfort and security you get when you eat it?

Spring Into Fitness

Got these ideas from iVillage:

[This was originally posted on an MSN group in April 2004]

The goal is to get you moving and having some fun without placing excessive pressure on yourself. The result will be YOU wanting more - that’s when the motivational fire flickers into life.

The following 10 tips are simple and effective methods to jump-start your fitness programme:

1. Three 10-minute workouts spread through the day can be just as effective as one 30-minute session. Try to do three 10-minute bursts of activity such as 10 minutes of housework, a 10-minute walk at lunch and another 10-minute walk with your partner or a friend in the evening.

2. Make a clever food swap in one meal every day. If you usually have a sandwich with cheese for lunch, choose a lower fat cheese. If you have a salad for lunch, but it’s smothered with croutons, choose to limit or eliminate the croutons. I once trained a client who asked me to help him change his daily lunch of a cheeseburger and French fries. I told him to simply eliminate the cheese from the burger for two weeks and then we would review again. He thought I was going to suggest grilled chicken and vegetables. However, remember what I said about habits and motivation being coaxed - not forced.

3. At work, don't e-mail or use the phone if you’re in the same building as the person you wish to speak with, get off your butt and walk over to the person.

4. Make family events active events. Go for a group walk after dinner. Make family outings include physical activities such as volleyball on the beach, hiking through the forest or playing Frisbee at a family picnic.

5. Turn on the music and do aerobic housecleaning. C’mon, make it fun!

6. Perform calf lifts (toe raises) while cooking dinner.

7. If you have kids, teach them how to perform jumping jacks and then help them "practice" each day (very entertaining as well as good exercise).

8. Pack your lunch three days per week. You might love going out to lunch every day. However, if you make a healthy lunch just three days per week, you’ll be coaxing a realistic habit. This will make you look forward to your lunches out and appreciate your newfound discipline at the same time. I guarantee it will empower you.

9. Take your kids to the park and then walk or jog around the playground area.

10. Work on your posture. It’s amazing to see the number of people who slouch. If you stand up straight you’ll look leaner, younger and healthier. This is a really easy one, but you’ll be surprised how years of slouching will make this the most challenging of all the tips.

Hey, I know this won’t make you an Olympic athlete or give you six-pack abs, but that’s not the goal. I just want to see you making an effort to improve. If you take two to three of your favourite tips above - that will be the beginning of something great.

Let’s get started!

Dieter's ABC

Always drink plenty of water

Beware of fat and calorie content of food

Count the number of steps you take

Diary - keep a track of the foods you eat

Exercise daily

Fat is a no-no

Goals - set them and stick to them

Hop skip and jump - keep moving

Intake fewer calories and lose weight

Jump to it and start today

Kitkats are an occasional treat

Look to the future of how you will be

Move around often

Nuts are good for you in small quantities

Open new doors with your new self

Pursue your goals to the end

Question yourself as to whether you need that chocolate bar really!

Rest assured you WILL succeed if you stick to your diet plan

Sensible eating means you eat 5 fruit or veg a day, drink plenty of water and cut down on your fat intake

Take one day at a time - if you make a mistake don't panic, tomorrow is another day and a new start!

Understand your body - the more food you eat and the less exercise you take guarantees weight gain!

Va va voom - you will have plenty of it if you lose weight and exercise!

Wait and see the difference of your body - losing weight takes time but is worth it!

Xtra portions = weight gain

You are the only one who can do this. Others can't do it for you

Zing is what you will have with your new low weight