| So you're overweight, "fat"--to be honest--and you | | | | have to keep that commitment to lose enough |
| want to start exercising. Before you take off like an | | | | poundage to be a healthy, happy and physically fit |
| overlarge airplane and start preparing for the | | | | person. |
| Olympics trials, stop right there. You may have it all | | | | First of all, you have to figure out exactly what |
| figured out by now, after checking with your friends, | | | | you're expecting to accomplish. Are you looking for |
| the media and finally that fickle fiend known as the | | | | optimal health, or do you really want to fit into slinky |
| bathroom mirror, that a regular exercise program is | | | | clothes better? Either way, you're going to have to |
| the only way to fly when it comes to permanent | | | | set goals and try to attain them as you go. It helps |
| weight loss. That entails working out or otherwise | | | | to clearly keep in mind what you're aiming for, and it |
| flexing your physical and psychological muscles on a | | | | helps to visualize yourself at your ideal weight several |
| regular basis, perhaps three times a week, or maybe | | | | times a day. This image impresses itself upon your |
| even once per day. | | | | subconscious and inwardly motivates you to continue |
| But therein lies the rub. How do you get started? | | | | your program with a bulldog's sheer tenacity and |
| How often do you exercise? Most importantly, if | | | | motivation. You want that; whatever happens, you |
| you've been very sedate or at least somewhat off | | | | don't want to stress out and quit. Try looking at old |
| your feet for awhile, what's the safest way to begin | | | | photographs of yourself at your ideal weight and |
| an effective, weight-loss centered exercise program? | | | | picturing realistically what you'll look like when you're |
| Beginning a Righteous Program--Realistically | | | | back there again. Don't expect the Fountain of |
| First of all, follow the old saw about consulting with | | | | Youth, but you'd be shocked how close you can get |
| your doctor. Don't start thinking you can just begin | | | | to your mental picture, and how good you're going to |
| running around the block. That's why the medical | | | | feel as you move your body, eat less liberally and |
| profession exists, to advise and keep you safe. You | | | | become fit and not fat. |
| doctor will recommend specific types of exercise | | | | You must also remember to keep it simple when |
| tailored to fit your own individual lifestyle, personal | | | | you're losing weight. In most cases, burning more |
| health needs and concerns. But you don't need to | | | | calories than you ingest is the biggest concern. You |
| make it entirely clinical when you begin an exercise | | | | have to expend approximately 3,500 calories to lose |
| program. | | | | one pound of adipose fat tissue. Water weight |
| Most importantly, you need to pick something you're | | | | doesn't count, and that's what a lot of people lose at |
| going to stick with. What do you like in the way of | | | | first. Also, the important thing about exercise is that |
| sports? If you're people-oriented, you should look | | | | you can eat almost normally and still lose the weight |
| into joining a team sports program of some kind in | | | | at a healthy and reasonable pace. If you don't |
| your area, one created for adult participation. You | | | | exercise and try to lose weight, you'll be tempted to |
| can look for a local softball league, take a beginning | | | | embark on a starvation diet. This has been shown to |
| aerobics class at a fitness center, or play regular | | | | make you lose lean muscle mass instead of fat in |
| games of basketball at a gym with your buddies. And | | | | most cases, and although you'll drop some pounds, |
| then there's golf, the perennial favorite of people | | | | they may be the wrongest ones. Chances are that if |
| who want to perform fun and interesting mild | | | | you're unfit while you're losing weight, you'll get |
| exercise. All you have to do is motivate yourself and | | | | physically tired, sleep less, become overly emotional, |
| perhaps some friends to get started. Or if you're a | | | | and stress out and become extremely irritable. It |
| loner, you can take up an individualized sport such as | | | | simply isn't healthy to do it that way, so you need at |
| bicycle touring, which can also be done in small | | | | least a moderate exercise program. |
| groups, or laps swimming at your community pool. | | | | Try keeping a journal of your progress every day, |
| But be realistic, and work with your doctor. You | | | | and consult with it when you want to know how far |
| want to aim for something fun that you'll keep | | | | along you've come. You can also use it to gauge how |
| committing to doing regularly. If it's something you | | | | you're doing, and whether or not you're losing weight |
| hate, perhaps such as running on a track, climbing | | | | at a reasonable pace. Congratulate yourself every |
| stairs or using what seems to you to be boring | | | | time you ate the right thing, kept to your walking |
| exercise equipment, forget it! Don't spend all your | | | | schedule, or didn't give in to temptation that day by |
| money on something you can't keep doing because | | | | making a brief note about it. Read the journal to |
| you feel guilty, or think you have to punish yourself | | | | inspire you about what you're doing whenever you |
| into exercising. Be sure you like what you're going to | | | | feel the urge to let go. |
| do before you get started. Simply walking around the | | | | Don't forget to share any successes or failures with |
| block is a very inexpensive and potentially fun way | | | | your friends and family. Tell them all about how proud |
| to go from a sedentary state to a beginning new | | | | you are of the new lifestyle choices you're making, |
| level of much better health and fitness. You must | | | | and share in their enthusiasm. They want you to be |
| start with something easy and simple if you haven't | | | | healthy and go on living, and so do you. But some of |
| been exercising for decades, and you should gradually | | | | them may worry that you're starving yourself or are |
| increase your level of activity as you feel | | | | in a state of denial. Reassure them, and proceed |
| comfortable with it. Move by inches, not by miles. | | | | carefully with your healthy diet and exercise plans, |
| Eventually, you can try exercising every single day, | | | | while always knowing that it's exactly what you need |
| anywhere from twenty minutes to a full hour. But | | | | to do to look better, feel stronger and live longer. |
| especially at first--and that may be for several | | | | Easy Dieting Tips to Live By--Starting Now |
| months--don't push yourself too hard. Don't go all out, | | | | - Never eat after 7 pm. Studies prove that your |
| and get frustrated because you can't keep it up. You | | | | body's metabolism begins to shut down in the early |
| don't have to be a college athlete, and you can | | | | evening. It needed fuel to function earlier, but at |
| seriously hurt your heart by pushing too hard or | | | | night you're getting yourself ready to fall asleep. Eat |
| overdoing it. Remember, you're doing this for fun, for | | | | the bulk of your daily food intake around noon--that's |
| health reasons and to feel good about yourself. Don't | | | | when you're burning the most calories. But if you |
| try to become an "athlete" unless you think that will | | | | work nights, do it the other way around, of course. |
| be something you'll want to commit to on a much | | | | It's not the time of day that's important; it's the fact |
| more rigorous schedule. Later! | | | | that your body is well-adjusted to a cycle where it |
| Easy Exercise Comes--Naturally | | | | doesn't burn many calories before and during |
| Americans tend to think of exercise as more their | | | | bedtime. |
| duty than as a part of their culture, or "way of life." | | | | - Limit your intake of saturated fats, sugars and any |
| But it's a true lifestyle preference. Throughout the | | | | other substances in food proven to add empty |
| world, many forms of regular exercise are taking hold | | | | calories to your daily diet. Don't drink any pop or |
| of whole general populations. Take walking, for | | | | sodas at all as they're very bad for you generally, |
| example. In Europe, people are flocking to their local | | | | being full of chemicals. Diet sodas tempt you into |
| well-developed public hiking trails, and there's quite a | | | | drinking the sugary ones, and all soda pop robs water |
| few of those spread across the USA as well. Walking | | | | from your system and makes you thirstier. That can |
| of a moderate type is called Volkssport in Europe, | | | | lead to eating more food. |
| and it's really been around for many centuries. | | | | - Eat lots of vegetables and fruits. You might want |
| Easy-going exercise such as walking continues to | | | | to go easy on some of the higher-calorie fruits such |
| stave off heart disease, osteoporosis, high | | | | as starchy bananas, and don't eat lots of high-fat |
| cholesterol and many types of cancer, as well as | | | | avocados. But in general veggies are a dieter's best |
| taking care of most of your belly flab. It doesn't | | | | friend. You might want to always eat your veggies |
| sound like much, but it will really tighten your whole | | | | with some meat protein to curb any histamines that |
| body up. Your legs will especially benefit, and your | | | | might ravage your system and make it harder for |
| buns will automatically grow firmer as you stroll. Not | | | | you to breathe. Also, eating plenty of veggies kills |
| to mention that the worst investment you need to | | | | the hunger signals from your brain, due to their sheer |
| make is a pair of comfy, sturdy sensible shoes, | | | | bulk and fiber. And the nutrients in fruits and veggies |
| preferably made of leather or canvas with rubber | | | | will increase your physical strength. Eat your spinach! |
| soles. You may think that yoga is some | | | | - Also eat lots of whole grains, which provide |
| uncomfortable form of Eastern self-punishment and | | | | antioxidants that fight cancer and help you feel |
| mysticism, but it's not. Yoga is great for toning your | | | | satisfied in a manner similar to that of eating veggies. |
| body, as it's extremely gentle when done correctly. It | | | | But whole grains are even more filling, and help you |
| combines traditional breathing and relaxation | | | | digest your food. You want to eat plenty of fibrous |
| techniques with simple stretching. It's good to use | | | | foods, plus drinking lots of water, to flush toxins left |
| yoga during a weight-loss program when you're | | | | over in your body from the dieting completely out of |
| sedentary, as it's very easy on your body, you don't | | | | your system. |
| have to repeat the same exercises every day, and it | | | | - Take a healthy multivitamin. Don't go overboard and |
| requires a minimal time commitment. Yoga can be | | | | try to take everything, because some of the |
| used in conjunction with a more rigorous exercise | | | | substances we need interact non-positively and can |
| program to help maintain your overall state of fitness. | | | | cause chemical imbalances. Consult with your doctor |
| "Yoga doesn't take over your life, it enhances it," | | | | and see what's recommended nowadays. One good |
| says Alice Cristensen, founder and executive director | | | | wholistic multivitamin and mineral supplement--not a |
| of the American Yoga Association. | | | | megadose of potentially harmful chemicals--can |
| Continuing Your Program--Goals and Motivation | | | | improve your skin, hair, overall appearance in general, |
| Okay, so you've gotten started, but what does all | | | | and also your chances of managing on a little bit less |
| this have to do with watching your weight? To keep | | | | food. |
| on schedule with this as your original goal, you also | | | | |