You still may not enjoy actual exercise, but hopefully your kids will. Start with some of the games you play to make exercise fun, then use your imagination to create your own variations.

Video Games

Most video games are played sitting in front of the television set, yet while many games still are, there is a completely new dimension added that includes physical exercise. Use these active games to compete with each other. Reward the winner by allowing them to choose the next competition.

Nerf Guns

The invention of these harmless guns easily gets kids up and going strong. Families use them to play games similar to paintball, which is another great way to exercise. You can play each man for himself or choose teams and then the war is on. While you are having fun with your kids, you also know you and your children are getting a good dose of exercise.

Treasure Hunt

Most kids love to treasure hunt. Start by hiding one of their favorite toys so there is something to be gained by getting there first. On your clues, specify how they have to get to the next clue. They may have to run, jump, crawl or any other number of physical actions to get there. All the while, your children are having fun and getting the exercise they need.

Kids Games

Get out the hula-hoops and jump rope for a family competition. They both provide exercise that is fun for the kids. When you played with those things as a child, you sure did not realize you were exercising, because if you did, you would have probably never played with them.

Shopping

Take the kids shopping with you. By the time you park the car at the far side of the parking lot, walk them through the store several times and then back across the parking lot to the car everyone has a good dose of exercise. Allowing them a small treat before leaving the store adds an element of excitement for them.

Dance Night

You can turn the music up loud and the feet start moving. You also can let the kids take turns picking the music for additional involvement. Make a game out of designating one person as the leader and everyone else tries to make the same moves. You as the parent might not get in some of the same positions as the kids, but at least you are enjoying your time with them and in the back of your mind you know it’s good for them.

Exercise for Charity

Exercising for charity events can provide needed exercise, and teach doing for others at the same time. The events are usually fun for the kids and they learn the feeling of satisfaction people get when they help others. You can even do your own charity events like donated time to do yard work and other things for the elderly and disabled.

​

Arguments against the Talk Test

Those who do not believe in the talk test say it fails to account for variations between people as well the different types of exercise they are doing to try to achieve their target heart rate (THR). Everyone is a little different and has different levels of cardio ability.

If you were to look at the control panel of the treadmill, for example you will see the option to attain your current heart rate. Once the result is displayed you will then you have an idea how you can adjust your workout, according to the chart to attain the best level of intensity. Doctors and trainers all have theories on how intensely you should choose to work out.

Arguments for the Talk Test

According to researchers at the American College of Sports Medicine, if you can speak in a comfortable manner during exercise, then you are probably working out at the proper intensity level. In order to determine whether you are exercising at the intensity level appropriate for you, a self-administered test is required. You may discover that you are exercising at the level best for you or that you may need to slow it down a bit.

Measuring Your Target Rate against the Talk Test

Those of us who have been to a gym in last 10 years may have elected to use the heart rate monitor device on the treadmill. This simple task allows you to grip the silver handles while exercising and have your current heart rate displayed. While you await the results, you think to yourself, “I can hardly breathe, I must be doing great.”  In fact, if you are struggling to breathe or speak then you are working at a vigorous versus moderate level and should slow down.

True, your target heart rate (THR), when cross referenced with the standard cardio/fat burning chart may look like you are achieving your best workout level for your cardio or fat burning goals, but the key is to remain able to breathe properly. The target heart rate (THR) method is based on estimated range and the formula may not fit everyone. Being able to judge for yourself by using the talk test method can assure you a safe and comfortable workout.

Time Tested

Since 1939, the talk test has been unofficially recognized. Professor John Grayson, at Oxford University, advised English mountaineers to “climb no faster than you can talk.” This was the first and most basic of attempts to measure the talk test. The idea was kicked around for many years and remained on the fringe of exercise philosophy. In an era of rapid expansion with technology, the talk test never really gained any notoriety or respect.

In 1991, the talk test was included in the fourth edition of the “guidelines for exercise and training,” at ACSM (American College of Sports medicine.) In 1997, the talk test was once again recognized and published by the American Council on Exercise. However, the talk test still didn’t receive the recognition or respectability in new and upcoming exercise methods.

The talk test is confirmed and widely accepted as an accurate test, taken at any time during your workout, to ensure you are at your best and healthiest heart rate. If you are able to walk, jog or use weights, and continue to speak comfortably then you are on the road to a successful and healthy workout.

Source:

http://www.acefitness.org/certifiednewsarticle/888/ace-sponsored-research-validating-the-talk-test-as/

Prevent Unwanted Weight Gain

Women between the ages of 25 and 44¹ tend to lead lifestyles that are more sedentary. Sitting behind a desk all day can cause you to collect unwanted pounds unless you find a way to burn the extra calories you are taking in. Doing a little exercise every day will help prevent calories from settling into unwanted fat. It is easier to maintain a healthy weight if you can keep from gaining extra pounds in the first place. An active lifestyle is the best way to avoid packing on the pounds, especially if you spend most of your time at work sitting still.

Maintains Elevated Moods

Exercising causes your body to release powerful endorphins into your bloodstream. These endorphins elevate your metabolism and give you more energy while you are working out. They also elevate your mood and make you feel better. If you exercise on a regular basis, you will be able to maintain your elevated mood even when you don’t have endorphins in your system because your metabolism rate will stay at a higher-level all of the time. You’ll have more energy all of the time for the activities that you enjoy.

Keeps Muscles Strong and Useful

As you age, your muscles can lose their strength and toning. The old adage of “use it or lose it” definitely applies when it comes to human muscles. Exercises that provide strength training are a good way to maintain muscle tone and slow down the deterioration of your muscles. Keeping your muscles strong can also be good for your bones because strong muscle tissue causes less bone strain. It is not necessary to do muscle building exercises to increase your muscle mass in order to benefit from simple strength exercises that help keep your muscles healthy.

Helps Blood Sugar Levels Remain Steady

Regular exercise is a powerful tool for diabetics who need to keep their blood sugar levels steady. A half hour of exercise can burn excess sugars and bring down blood sugar levels substantially. Some diabetics have found that following their dietary guidelines and exercising daily has been able to keep them from becoming insulin dependent. Even if you do need to use insulin to regulate your blood sugar, regular exercise will keep your blood circulating well and help reduce some of the more uncomfortable symptoms of being diabetic. Talk with your doctor before you begin an extensive exercise regimen.

Save Time and Feel Better

There are some simple ways to work exercise into your daily routine without setting aside specific time at the gym. Every day you are faced with choices that could be turned into opportunities to get a little exercise. If you are going up three floors or less in a building, choose the stairs rather than the elevator. Studies show that climbing the stairs at a steady pace will get you to your destination faster than waiting for the elevator. Park in a spot further away from the grocery store for a few extra steps of walking. Some low impact exercises you can do while you are sitting and watching television.

Drop Pounds without Sacrificing Bone Density

Regular exercise is safer and healthier than chemical weight loss programs. When you exercise, you strengthen your muscles and send more oxygen through your system. This means that your bones receive a benefit from the exercise as much as your muscles do. Studies have shown that dieting without exercising regularly can cause you to lose bone density as you lose weight. Reduced bone density can cause your bones to become more brittle and break more easily as you get older. A good exercise routine is healthier for your waistline and your skeletal system.

Planning a Workout Regimen That Fits You Best

You will have better success reaching your fitness goals if you plan an exercise routine that will help you reach concrete goals. Assess your current fitness level and begin with a plan that will challenge you without causing injury. Most adults should exercise at least 75 minutes each week,² with at least two days of strength training. Build up your workouts slowly as you gain more stamina and strength. Write down your exercise plan and create realistic goals that you can achieve within a specific period. Make sure you allow yourself time to recover after each workout. Your muscles need to repair themselves after exercise so that they can be stronger the next time you work out.

Keeping Track of Progress

A daily exercise diary can be a good way to stay motivated while you are exercising. Write down everything you do on a daily basis that could qualify as exercise. If you climb the stairs at work, add that to your diary. You might be surprised how much activity you are doing when you don’t realize it. An exercise diary will keep you accountable for making sure you do some exercise every day, and it can be satisfying to make a new entry at the end of the day.

¹ http://www.besthealthmag.ca/get-healthy/fitness/6-surprising-reasons-to-work-out

² http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/fitness/HQ00171

A lot of people think bariatric surgery is quite simple – you go in, you get an operation, and then you look like a supermodel. While that would be ideal, that is not representative of the actual experience you will have. There is a lot of preparation that needs to take place before and after your surgery so you lose as much weight with as less stress as possible. There are many things you need to consider, but the most important ones are your diet, your future lifestyle, and your plan for your recovery time.

Start Dieting Now

Most doctors recommend that someone getting ready for a bariatric should go on a diet before their procedure is done. The more weight you lose before the surgery, the safer it will be and the less stress your body will be put under. Also, you will be able to experience some satisfaction immediately, and this will alleviate some of the fear of having a major surgical procedure done. If you see weight coming off before your diet, you will be more motivated to go through with it.

Change Your Lifestyle

Along with loosing weight before your surgery, now is a great time to start changing your life. If you are looking to lose a lot of weight before your procedure, you can go on a diet and accomplish that with relative ease. But, you can’t stay on a diet for the rest of your life – you need to change the way you think about food and exercise. Think ahead – start adopting some of the healthy habits you are planning to make after the surgery now. Building momentum like this is very useful, and can make you more successful in the long run.

Make A Recovery Time Plan

It is a huge mistake to go have a bariatric procedure done without making a plan for you and your family while you are recovering. Sure, you will be able to leave the hospital in a few days, but you are not going to be the same person you were when you went in. Not only will you still experience minor pain, you may experience short bouts of depression or even compulsive overeating. These kinds of things are somewhat normal after a gastric bypass are done, but you need to plan ahead. Make sure your loved one will be cared for and you will be able to relax during your recovery time.

Having a gastric bypass, a lap band surgery, or any other kind of bariatric procedure is a life changing process. The more you know about what to expect, the better you will be able to prepare for the experience you are going to be going through. Luckily, you will have a lot of help in this department – your doctor will give you all the information you need to insure that your weight loss surgery is as pain and hassle free as possible!

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If you remember that you are always trading one thing off for another more desirable thing you’ll get the idea. Trading off some foods and undisciplined eating habits for more positive behavior and a better figure makes the trade worth it.

I will recite a bag full of tricks; some of them I be­lieve will work and, others I don’t have much faith in. However, I’ll give you my opinion as well as that of other people who do think they help. You’ll be able to pick and choose from the lot.

Remember walking? How about walking up a flight of stairs instead of taking the elevator even if you can only make it one floor. Walk down if walking up doesn’t appeal to you. It may not be much, but it’s something.

If you drop something, retrieve it effectively. By that I mean either with knee bends or leaning straight over from the waist. Turn an accident into an exercise. (En­tertainer Rita Moreno uses this as a regular part of her fitness program.)

Once in a while walk to one destination where you would normally take your car. It saves gas and gets you moving. Keep a picture of yourself in your wallet. A real fat one. If you can’t bear the thought of someone discover­ing it, cut off the head. No one will ever guess it’s you. Look at it from time to time, especially when some tempting food is in sight.

Forget about pasting a photo of yourself on the re­frigerator or little signs that say things like DON’T BE A DIET DROPOUT. They soon became invisible. If you do want to hang up a picture, choose one where , you look great. (This will obviously work only if you have such a photo available!)

Try to eat all your meals in one specific place. This is more difficult than it sounds but if you combine it with the excellent advice to never eat standing up, it’s even tougher and better!

Not eating while standing up immediately eliminates ice cream cones while strolling, pizza from a fast-food counter, hot-dog stands a giant leap forward.

Apply the rule at home too. The next time you find yourself nibbling on a potato chip, or even a carrot stick, make sure you sit down at the dining room table.

The point of this is to make eating conscious be­havior. If you force yourself to eat only at the table, you must also become aware of the unconscious eating you do. Consciously or unconsciously, it all counts.

Do you know any of the many mothers who turn themselves into human garbage pails? Those are the ones who finish their kids’ meals. Half a peanut butter and jelly sandwich here, four French fries there. Then they can’t understand how they became fat because they “never eat lunch.” They never eat their own lunch, that is.

Concentrate on your eating. Eat slowly. Taste the food. Don’t read while eating. Never eat while watching television.

One trick I’ve used for years is something I used to be somewhat embarrassed about. Until I met other people who do it, too.

Moreover, it’s recommended by behavior modification experts! Use small plates and utensils. I’ll put my food on a little plate and use a small cake fork instead of a large one. That way my smaller portion of food doesn’t look lost. If I put two ounces of anything on a large plate just looking at it will make me feel deprived.

If you can manipulate them, use chopsticks. Not only will it slow you down at first, but you’ll become ac­customed to eating smaller amount of food rather than stuffing your mouth.

Try switching eating hands. If you are right handed, eat with the left, and vice versa.

How about serving yourself exactly one half of the normal portion you usually eat? Then, if you want sec­ond helpings, your second portion will actually be the last half of your usual first portion.

If some of these suggestions sound funny, save laugh­ing until you’ve tried them. You’ll find they work. While you’re laughing, remember to put down your fork be­tween bites, and swallow before taking more food into your mouth.

I’m sounding more and more like your mother, aren’t I? Except you must retrain yourself out of eating habits that you learned as a child. It’s amazing how unaware you are until you start trying to change.

More advice: prepare your plate in the kitchen and put on it the quantity of food you want to eat. Some people suggest that you cook only that amount. This is not always realistic. It’s kind of hard to roast six ounces of beef at a time. But it is possible to put that amount on your plate, carry it into the dining room and sit down at the table to eat it.

Wrap and store all leftovers immediately after you have served yourself. Don’t make it easy to have a sec­ond helping.

Don’t put platters of food on the table. If you decide you want more, you’ll have to get up and repeat the entire exercise. You may still choose to have that second portion, but you will have made a conscious deci­sion to do so.

Here’s another one. Do not eat unless you are hun­gry. In the early part of this article I told you how efficient my body is just before I find I’m hungry. The world-famous Hindu religious leader, Mahatma Gandhi, said: “An empty stomach is one of the secrets of any creativity.”

2.        The first time today that you’re tempted to eat something you know you shouldn’t eat, go into a different room and say out loud: “I don’t need this food. I’m going to trade it off for my long term goal.”

you’ve taken the step. Congratulations! What you have accomplished by deciding to get thin for the last time is to take your life in your own hands. You have made the decision to have control over food and not the other way round.

The decision alone should make you feel exhilarated.

The fact is, at this point, you actually haven’t done a thing. But do you notice that you feel a sense of ac­complishment? That’s because you are the boss now. There are few feelings that can beat this one.

I know this feeling so intimately that I want to pause here to assure you that I do understand what you are going through. I know that whenever my weight begins to creep up I have to go through the very exercise I’ve just described. I call it “collecting myself,” just as a rider collects his horse before starting out.

Here’s something you can try right this minute. Stretch up tall. When you walk, walk tall. You will feel better. Fat people slouch, thin ones don’t. Start thinking thin.

I have taken a great deal of time describing “getting ready” because if you are not ready, nothing is going to work. If you are ready, just about anything will work.

It’s that basic.

Okay, so you’re ready. Now what do you do?

I would suggest that you make an appointment with a physician for a thorough examination. This can never hurt. It also costs money, and for some people financial involvement is an important incentive toward weight reduction.

When you see your doctor, tell him that you plan to lose weight. After he stops applauding, he may make some helpful suggestions. He may even hand you one of those mimeographed diet sheets we have all been given at one time or another. Remember, though, don’t wait for your appointment. That’s just another delaying tactic. Today is the day, right? Right!

The fact is there really isn’t any special preparation for dieting once you make a decision to do it. You can do it this minute. Recall my description of being a Weight Watcher during the Thanksgiving and Christ­mas holiday seasons. Remember, too, that I was so positively motivated that exposure to many tempting foods didn’t make me eat them.

The next suggestion is to read up on nutrition. The last time I had to learn about nutrition was in Montauk Junior High School hygiene class.

There are any number of sources of information. Adele Davis is one of the best-known names in the field. Dr. David Reuben has written Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Nutrition, which may help you. Or you can write to the Food and Nutrition Informa­tion and Education Resources Center for its free catalog that lists more articles and other literature available about food than you ever dreamed about.

Your local public library also has a variety of articles on the topic. If you are going to lose weight effectively, you owe it to yourself to learn what protein, vitamins, minerals, carbohydrates, etc., mean to your body.

You don’t have the time? You’re in a hurry to get on with it? If you’ve taken the time to invest in this article, don’t stop at this point. Remember, your goal is to be­come aware of what it is that makes you fat. One step

towards awareness is learning how the food you put into your body reacts once digested.

Planning helped me enormously. Whether you have a hundred pounds to lose or only a few, a plan is essential.

Have you consulted the charts? When I was heavy I always considered myself “big boned” so that I could fit into the “large frame” category. Even if I was wear­ing panties and a bra when I stepped on the scale, I always allowed myself two pounds for clothing.

If I could only have grown taller, all my problems would have been solved. After all, I was about the right weight for a woman of five feet ten inches tall. Now that I’m slim I realize that those charts can be a joke. They merely act as a crutch to lean on.

When I got thin I never looked at a chart again. You know you’re thin when you are. You can see it in the mirror. Charts are for people who want to convince themselves that they are not as fat as they know they are. Knowing you’re thin is like knowing you’ve had an orgasm; if you only hope you’ve had one, you haven’t. It’s something you can’t mistake. You can’t make a mistake about being thin either.

Okay, so you have told your physician about your plan to reduce. You’re going to become an expert on food values. Now tell your family and friends.

Tell your father, your mother, your mate, your co-workers, your dog. Tell everyone. Why? For one thing, you’ll want to have them on your side. For another, the more people you tell, the more committed you will be. You don’t want to humiliate yourself in front of every­body by failing, do you?

Through it all you’ll avoid being hurt by lack of interest by others if you recognize the fact that your dieting may be a compelling matter for you, but is not always of that much interest to the people around you.

Obviously, it’s more important not to forget your promise to yourself. But let’s be realistic. You want to have as much going for you as possible. Look at losing weight as a sort of war and in war you use every weapon you can get your hands on.

If you think I exaggerate, let’s examine the program Dr. Atkins calls “The Diet Revolution.”

When Dr. Robert Atkins burst onto the scene a few years ago with his “revolutionary” diet, he proposed high-fat, high-protein foods. The main appeal was in that magical word, “unlimited.” Dr. Atkins promised that you could eat as much as you wanted of his “un­limited” foods and you would lose weight.

Your body would deliberately be put into a state of sis. Ketosis occurs when triglycerides (stored fat in about that goody. At other times I find that I have out­witted myself. When the hour rolls around for the promised chocolate chip cookie, I find I’m too full from having eaten dinner or too sleepy, and then, I skip it. What is your favorite treat? French bread, chopped liver, caviar? Have it but you make the decision.

Examine your food cravings.

Do you have any? Is there one very special food you have denied yourself because you feel it is a “no-no”?

Select that food and once, just once plan to have it.

Plan exactly where you will sit, and the time you will choose to eat it. At that moment, go ahead, and fully enjoy it. See if it doesn’t satisfy you. And see, too, if it hasn’t put off a potential eating binge.

Have You Heard This One Before?

I could have called this chapter “A Review of All the Diets of the Twentieth Century,” but I like this title better. The fact is, there is very little new under the sun in dieting. Whether they call it Stillman, Atkins, Pritkin, or Scarsdale, most of what they have to say has been said before.

If you think I exaggerate, let’s examine the program Dr. Atkins calls “The Diet Revolution.”

When Dr. Robert Atkins burst onto the scene a few years ago with his “revolutionary” diet, he proposed high-fat, high-protein foods. The main appeal was in that magical word, “unlimited.” Dr. Atkins promised that you could eat as much as you wanted of his “un­limited” foods and you would lose weight.

Your body would deliberately be put into a state of ketosis. Ketosis occurs when triglycerides (stored fat in the body) are broken down. This condition produces free fatty acids and glycerol.

Some of the free fatty acids go right to the lean body mass for fuel; the rest is partially oxidized (burned up) by the liver into “ketone bodies.”

The debate continues as to whether ketosis is a harm­ful state for the body to be in. According to Dr. Atkins, it’s wonderful. As a matter of fact he claims ketosis is a sign “that unwanted fat is being burned up as fuel.”

But … if you are a diabetic, beware, for ketosis could develop into acidosis. And if you’re pregnant, ketosis could seriously threaten the fetus.

My philosophy is, anything that can harm an unborn child may be able to harm me too. However, lots of people welcomed not having to count calories. You could indulge your desire for high-fat foods which tend to make you feel full longer.

Watch out for any diet that promises that you can eat as much as you want.

That’s a misleading statement since as much as you want may be much more, or less, than I want. For instance, my good friend Bill Gaines, publisher of Mad magazine, thought he’d try Atkins’ program. Bill loves butter, steak and heavy cream. It seemed tailor-made for him.

Telling Bill that he could eat “as much as you want” didn’t take into consideration his very large capacity. He became a patient of Dr. Atkins. He gamed weight.

Thus, Dr. Atkins’ Revolution doesn’t work for every­one. Like many one-sided diets, this one really ends up working because you simply eat fewer calories. No matter how much you may like steak, the premise is that eventually you will grow tired, yes, even of steak, and cut down on your portions.

One of the more serious criticisms of this diet is that it is high in saturated fat and cholesterol. If your blood cholesterol level is high, better stay away. The danger of increasing your cholesterol is not the only worry to concern yourself about while eating a high fat diet. Such a regime may also result in kidney and/or heart disease, vomiting or excessive uric acid in the blood which can lead to gout.

Interestingly enough, Dr. Atkins was not always a proponent of what might be called mass-medicine, since publishing a article cannot be considered treating people on an individual basis.

In the issue of Harper’s Bazaar an article appeared which talked about Dr. Robert C. Atkins, who was then a consultant in weight control to one of America’s great corporations. His program ad­vocated cutting down on carbohydrates rather than counting calories. This was much like his later advice. One difference stressed, however, was that since carbo­hydrate deprivation was “as potent in weight loss as the strongest medication . . . uncontrolled [my emphasis] it is dangerous and administered haphazardly it is worthless.”

Atkins spoke of this regimen as needing to be “micro-regulated, fine-tuned by the doctor in charge.” In other words, in order for it to be effective it had to be done with a physician. At the time that article was pub­lished, Dr. Atkins was apparently treating obesity on a “completely individual, custom-tailored” basis.

One has to wonder when Dr. Atkins began to believe that the individual treatment was not crucial and simply following the instructions in his article would suffice. He apparently changed his opinions about fat, too.

Part of the appeal of the Atkins Diet Revolution is that it allows you all the fats you want to eat. In the early days, Dr. Atkins came out against what was then called the Air Force diet, which encouraged the overuse of fat. That, Atkins felt, was “potentially dangerous be­cause of its tendency to raise the serum cholesterol, thereby increasing the risk of heart disease.”

In those days Atkins seemed to be diametrically op­posed to the very sort of program he later dubbed a “revolution.”

But, since our discussion is devoted to what is new in the field of diets, we ask whether there is anything new about the Atkins Diet Revolution. The answer is no. The best guess is that it was originated in the 19th century by a British surgeon William Harvey who, in turn, borrowed from a French doctor, Claude Bernard. The first recorded dieter using this method was William Banting who was so pleased with the weight he lost he published Letter on Corpulenc.

In modern times it surfaced as Calories Don’t Count by Dr. Herman Taller. Taller prescribed soft polyunsaturated fats as a stimulus to the liver to convert fat into energy. Taller’s big mistake was in promoting the sale of safflower oil along with his article for which he was sent to jail.

It seemed he specified a specific brand of safflower oil capsules that was made by a company in which he had a financial interest.

None of the above impresses me as much as one fact: this diet may not work. You might not lose weight. And let’s not forget the possible dangers of consuming too much fat.

A variation of this diet is the High-Protein diet, like . The Doctor’s Quick Weight Loss Diet co-authored by Dr. Irwin Stillman and Samm Sinclair Baker. That one could fit on one side of an index card, although you probably bought a article describing it. I did too.

Essentially, you can eat as much as you want of foods that are high in protein but this time, they must be low in fat as well. So you eat lean meats, poultry, fish, seafood, eggs and low fat diet cheeses. Along with the food, you must drink six to eight glasses of water each day. The water is “to wash away the ketones.”

It has never been established that high-protein regi­mens burn calories any faster than any other diet. More­over, according to a Harvard medical study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, too much protein can produce increases in blood choles­terol.

Another danger is in the directions: “Eat all you wish of these foods to satisfy hunger.” Ahh, there’s that old promise. Remember my good friend, Bill Gaines? It takes a lot more food to satisfy his hunger than mine. And there are plenty of times when I can consume as much as Bill and still not be “satisfied.”

If you are a male six-footer, don’t shoot for 135 as a realistic goal. You can discuss goals with your physi­cian. Oh, if you must, go ahead and consult a height and weight chart. Get an image of what you want to look like.

Close your eyes and picture yourself thin.

The next step is to decide how long it will take.

Stop now and think about all the crash diets you have been on. Obviously, in the long pull they don’t work or you wouldn’t be reading this.

Don’t be in a hurry at this point. This planning step is a crucial part of your weight-reduction program. Being sensible about how much you want to lose and how long you expect to take is critical.

You must be realistic. Remember, you are now ready to give up the belief in magic pills and formulas. You didn’t get fat overnight, so it’s silly to believe you can take it off that way. (Read this paragraph a second time. Before you have finished reading this article, you will understand that it is a key to the ultimate secret of successful weight loss.)

There’s another one of those deceptively simple sen­tences. You can read it and think you understand it. Take a moment now to digest the significance of what you’ve just read.

All right you’ve decided that today is the day. You’ve told everybody about your decision (or you haven’t, if you are the keep-it-to-yourself type). You’ve set a realistic goal and determined how long it’s going to take. Now for the next step.

As part of your reducing program, read at least one item about nutrition. Whether it’s a chapter in a article or an article in a magazine, promise yourself to learn something that you didn’t know before about food and how it is used by your body.

what are you going to eat? What are you not going to eat? When, where, how are you going to eat? Don’t panic. Let me tell you some of the things that helped me and some that helped other people. Let me also tell you some things that don’t help. And let me repeat: nothing will work for everybody all of the time. And IT’S NEVER EASY.

In the last chapter I devoted a lot of space to the “sharing” approach. I also allowed for those of you for whom that is the worst piece of advice. Perhaps you need to keep your diet to yourself. Maybe you couldn’t bear to watch your friends anticipate another failure. (Or, perhaps you lack self esteem and enjoy the humili­ation that fat and failure bring!)

What is most important is to understand your needs and to devise an approach that will work for you. It might be fun to surprise people with your weight loss. Obviously, those who see you frequently will notice after a while that you are reducing. They may ask if you are on a diet.

You can have some fun by pretending that you didn’t even notice that your clothes are starting to hang on you. They’ll think you have suddenly become a guru about eating, having quite unconsciously discov­ered the secret of true thin bliss.

If that turns you on, go with it. But be true to your­self and keep on the right path.

As we all know, some people will do anything to lose weight. Lots of people pay large sums of money to go places where they don’t eat anything. Fast farms. They go into seclusion.

In upstate New York there are many of these “fast” farms where people sit around and ingest nothing but water. The proprietor of the most widely known one admitted to me that she could never have made it so big were it not for the repeat business.

Men and women have been known to drop as many as fifteen pounds in three or four days at a fast farm. Then they leave and often, in a day or two, put it all back on. A psychiatrist friend says that what happens is that the body becomes anxiety-ridden by the sudden weight loss and can’t wait to recover the weight. Thus her insistence that the only lasting way is a gradual loss.

Some people insist that they need an initial jolt to change their direction and an immediate loss to en­courage them. In that case, fasting on a limited and carefully supervised basis can be helpful when you be­gin a new diet program. However, what many of these people don’t want to accept is that at some point you are going to have to leave the fast farm and face the world of food again. Your scale may reflect an en­couraging weight loss, but if you are not prepared to follow up with a practical approach to eating, you will be back in the same spot again before very long.

The same philosophy applies to any program that isolates you from the world.

Anyone who happens to fall into that category has to understand that the type of exercise that you intend to do will differ greatly from those who are simply working on losing weight. If you want to replace fat with muscle, lifting weights or engaging in some sort of sport or activity, will be more appropriate for muscle building than swimming or running. Though doing any sort of exercise is sure to produce some significant benefits, it really all comes down to what benefits you’re hoping to see at the end of the day.

What all of this information does is bring me right back to my initial comment. Pick your target weight. Then you can decide what exercise regime is perfect for what you’re looking to accomplish. For the most part there are generally two different types of exercises.

1. Aerobic Exercise –This type of exercise is known as aerobic because it encompasses any and all exercises that shorten your breath. When you begin to breathe more deeply you’re replacing lowered levels of oxygen in your blood as well as the rest of your body. Aerobics were designed to work your lings and keep your heart pumping fast, which makes it better for fat burning than anaerobic exercising. Aerobics includes things like running, jogging, swimming, cycling, and even walking.

2. Anaerobic Exercise –This form of exercising is the complete opposite of aerobics. Anaerobics is meant to make you ‘puff’ and ‘pant’ rather than get you out of breath completely. Weightlifting is a big part of this category of exercising. Since Anaerobics doesn’t burn off fat as fast as aerobics does, it has an advantage the other exercise does not. Anaerobics is much more effective for speeding up your metabolism which, as we’ve discussed has the potential to burn much more calories even while at rest.

Aerobics is an essential element in your fat burning plan because your body usually turns carbohydrates into the energy that you require. The weight loss part of the equation actually occurs around this time. When you exercise your body begins looking for all of that stored fat so that it can give itself the boost of energy that it needs to get the rest of the job done, hence the loss of weight. On the other hand Anaerobics are fueled entirely off of the carbohydrates that the body produces and therefore the loss of fat is much less noticeable.

Keep in mind that the two forms of exercises usually have a habit of blurring into one another. Say that you started off on a slow walk. That’s an aerobic exercise. However, if you begin to up your speed until you’re jogging and finally running, the rapid expand and contraction of your muscles is an indication of an anaerobic exercise.

Other factors to bear in mind is that first off, the heavier you happen to be the more calories you’ll end up burning. This may seem a bit counter-intuitive but it makes sense since you exert more effort the larger you are. A 120 pound person burns 9 calories per minute when they jog, while someone who weighs 180 pounds will burn 14 calories per minutes jogging.

Also, even with your chosen exercise category some forms are more effective for burning fat than others would be. Because of the effect that gravity has on the objects on earth, things like jogging, running, and walking (which all push against gravity) are more effective when burning fat than an exercise that takes that resistance away (I.E swimming or cycling).

Simplicity, regularity and commonsense are the watch­words of any successful beauty routine. If you are conscien­tious about using a sunscreen, if you keep your skin and hair well conditioned, if you floss your teeth each time you brush them and see your dentist regularly, if you protect your hands from damaging influences, such as washing up water, and file your nails properly, the payoffs will be enormous. The input in terms of time and effort and expense, meanwhile, will be virtually negligible.

A healthy lifestyle, balanced diet and positive outlook are important too. Your skincare and hair care programs may be faultless, but if your lifestyle is frenetic, your diet poor, your emotions turbulent or your health one or two degrees under, you cannot expect to get the best from your skin or your hair. So think inside out. Recognize that attention from the outside may be important but it is not the whole answer. Look upon it as an integral part of a much more general beauty plan.

Skin:

The type of skin you have is determined by two unalterable your genes and your sex governed by your age and affected by the environment. It can also be enormously improved by the way you look after it. Skincare today means thinking 10,20 and even 50years ahead, protecting yourself against the harmful effects of sunlight, pollution and stress and having the wisdom to take the best from science and the natural world.

One of the most versatile and remarkable organs of the body. Your skin provides a most accurate key to its inner state of health not only on a physical level but on emotional and psychological levels too. Nervous reactions, such as blushing, can have immediate and visible effects on the skin or a more complicated and intricate action on a wide number of skin conditions. Psoriasis, eczema, rosacea and some types of acne, for example, all tend to flare up under anxiety and stress. It is now widely recognized that removing the root of that anxiety can have a more positive effect on the condition than any of the medications currently on the market, although no one knows exactly why.

What is known is that skin is a complex, dynamic structure, continually renewing itself and constantly changing in response to many external and internal stimuli. It regulates body temperature by adjusting the rate of water elimin­ation you can sweat as much as 2 liters/45 pints during the course of a good hour’s workout, hardly at all when you are less active or the weather is cool. It insulates the body from the cold by means of a primitive response that causes the fine hairs to stand on end goose pimples. It frees the system from accumulated toxins and metabolic waste and can be one of the first and most immediate aids to diagnosis in the event of illness, such as diabetes, anemia and diseases of the liver, kidneys and bile duct.

Finally, it acts in a protective capacity, keeping your insides in, protecting the system from harmful substances and particles in the atmos­phere and screening it from the damaging effects of ultra­violet and other types of radiation. This is why only a few substances some poisons, such as arsenic and lead, and some medically prescribed ointments   are actually absorbed through the skin. It is a powerful barrier to many of the potentially damaging substances with which you daily come into contact.

STRUCTURE AND REGENERATION

The skin comprises several layers. These divide into the outer, waterproof epidermis and the inner, sensitive dermis. The epidermis contains the sweat and sebaceous pores and the pigmentation cells, or melanocytes. (Both black and white skins contain the same number.) The dermis is supported by a layer of fat and contains the hair follicles, sweat and sebaceous glands, nerve cells, blood vessels and the tough network of protein fibers, collagen and elastin, which deter­mines the suppleness and elasticity of the skin and gives it its characteristic ability to contract.

Key matrix cells, lying between the epidermis and the dermis at what is called the basal level, initiate a process of cell division and multiplication. The vital DNA or genetic ‘blueprint’ contained within the nuclei of the cells ensures that each successive generation of skin cells is a perfect replica of the previous one. The new generation then migrates upwards, gradually flattening out and losing mois­ture so that, by the time the cells reach the outer surface of the skin to comprise the stratum corneum, or ‘horny layer’, they are dead, and act purely in a protective capacity to shield the younger, more vulnerable cells below. The whole journey normally takes about 28 days, but age, sunlight, systemic or skin disease can all retard or accelerate it. With psoriasis, for example, the cycle can take as little as three days. This abnormally fast turnover produces the characteristic pink scaly patches over the affected area. When you sunbathe, the epidermis thickens, sometimes by as much as four times, protecting the skin beneath by absorbing and effectively diffusing the damaging radiation.

The skin’s remarkable repair mechanism rapidly heals any type of superficial damage, such as grazes, cuts and mild burns. Within 28 days or less, the damaged tissue will have flaked away to reveal a new layer of healthy skin beneath. Any injury to cells at the basal layer, however, through deep wounds, severe burns or excessive exposure to sunlight, can have a permanent effect on the skin tissue (scarring) if it damages the DNA in the cell nucleus. The damaged cell will then go on to produce an abnormal ‘daughter’ cell and the deeper and more extensive the damage, the greater the abnormality. This is why repeated or prolonged exposure to the sun will produce a gradual, rather than an immediate, deterioration in the quality of your skin.