1. Your Life Force.Your body functions whether you are awake or not. To function it needs energy. It gets this energy by burning calories. The action of burning calories to keep your body humming along is called your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) and approximately 30% of calories consumed by your body are used for this function.

2. Physical Activity. Body movement, hands, arms, legs etc., over and above the automatic life sustaining BMR actions your body makes. These actions burn about 60% of the calories your body takes in.

3. Dietary Thermogenesis. This is the action of burning calories during and immediately after the act of eating which enables the body to eat, digest, use and absorb the food. Approximately 10% of the calories burned by your body are used in this function.

How then does all of this help us to lose weight quickly, given that you need to burn 3,500 calories to burn a pound in weight?

The experts recommend losing no more than 1 to 2 pounds a week. This translates to burning an additional 3,500 to 7,000 calories a week. Breaking it down this eqates to between and 500 and 1,000 calories to lose daily.

It gets even easier to lose the weight if you choose to split this amount into calories you want to burn off with additional activity and calories you want to lose by reducing your intake through better eating.

Within these parameters losing weight does not get much simpler than that. How quickly you can lose weight then is dependant on how committed you are.

Here are 3 strategies for losing weight you can start using today.

1. Exercise – 20 to 30 minutes, 3 to 4 times a week, of aerobic exercise like brisk walking, swimming, jogging or aerobic training, all of which will increase your heart rate. High intensity workouts of a sustained nature like these keep your body burning fat long after finishing the exercise.

2. More Meals – 5 smaller  meals eaten during the day allow your metabolism to burn fat faster that larger less frequent meals do. Smaller, regular meals also allow you to keep hunger pangs and potential binge eating in check.

3. Spicy Food – research has shown spicy food can boost your metabolism by up to 50% for anything up to 3 hours after finishing your meal. Chillies are particularly good at this.

With little effort these strategies can be put into effect and your life can start changing for the better very quickly. You can lose weight quickly but only if you consistently work at it.

These strategies will help you achieve your weight loss goals.

You do not have to be one of the many who are dissatisfied with what they weigh and how they look. Did you know that four out of five American women are unhappy with how they look?

On any given day one in four American men and and 50% of American women will be dieting. Of those who are dieting 95% will regain the weight they lose, plus an extra couple of pounds, within two years of completing their weight loss program. Only 5% manage to lose weight and keep it off. Find out HERE how you can be one of the 5% who not only lost weight, and achieved the slimmer, more attractive body look they desperately wanted, but also managed to keep their trim looks.

1) RESTRICT YOUR CALORIES:- You may not want to hear this but the bottom line is that you need to consume less calories if you want to lose weight. There are a number of ways you can go about this. The first method is to write down everything that you eat in a normal week and work out the average number of calories you are consuming each day. Then adjust your eating habits so that you are eating less calories each day than your current average. Another method is to write down your target weight in pounds and then multiply this by 12 if you are female and 14 if you are male. This will give you the approximate number of calories you will need to consume to reach and maintain your target weight. A third solution is to use a Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) calculator (that can be found for free on the Internet) which will tell you the number of calories you should be consuming.

2) EAT THE RIGHT FOODS:- Apart from restricting your calories, eating the right foods is an important factor when trying to lose weight. You need to be consuming lots of healthy, nutritous, low calorie foods such as fruit, vegetables and whole grain carbohydrates. Eating smaller portions more regularly throughout the day can also help you lose weight.

3) DRINK MORE WATER:- Drinking water has a number of benefits which can help you lose weight indirectly. First, being properly hydrated keeps your body functioning at its optimal level meaning you can burn fat more efficiently. Second, it reduces water retention and the additional weight that this may bring. Finally, it makes you feel fuller so that you are less likely to eat too much.

4) EXERCISE:- A good diet is half of the challenge when losing weight but you also need to exercise. Start with trying to do 15 minutes a day of walking, cycling, sports or whatever else you fancy. As long as you keep moving each day you will be burning additional calories and losing weight. Remember, the more exercise you do the more weight you will lose.

5) CONSUME POTASSIUM:- Avocados, bananas and apricots are all rich sources of potassium. Potassium can help remove sodium from your body and has been associated with weight loss.

6) CONSUME PROTEIN:- Protein can be found in raw meats, dairy products and even supplements. Research has associated consumption of protein with a temporary fat burning effect and a suppressed appetite, both of which can help you lose weight.

7) SET OUT A PLAN:- Even if you have all the right information, poor planning can mean that you do not take action and ultimately you do not lose weight. Think about how many calories you are going to be consuming each day. Which meals allow you to achieve this? How will you ensure that you drink enough water each day? Where are you going to source your daily protein and potassium? When and where are you going to exercise each day? You need to consider all these factors and then create a plan. Write down how you are going to incorporate all the above into your daily routine and then stick with it.
STAY POSITIVE:- Sometimes the right information and a plan are still not enough. If you are following a plan half heartedly you are not likely to lose weight. Negative thinking can be your ultimate downfall. Keep thinking positively about your weight loss plans and you will continue to lose weight. Everytime you start to feel down think of the weight you have already lost and how good you will look once you have reached your target weight.

I hope this article helps you in your weight loss efforts. If you stick with regular exercise, a healthy diet and create a solid weight loss plan you should lose weight. Stay positive, act on the information in this article and you will succeed.

Yes, it is true. However, before you ring up the pizza delivery place for an order of meaty pizza with a double layer of cheese, you might actually want to consider precisely what foods and drinks you should help yourself to in order to shed off some points off the bathroom scale. Needless to say, stocking up on pizzas, oily meat and double heaping of cheese is not the best way to lose weight.

But there are some other edibles you can eat as much as you can, whenever, wherever.

1. Vegetables would top that list very easily. Two or three servings per day are the recommended volume. That would be about 1 cup of raw vegetables or ½ cup of lightly cooked vegetable dish per meal. However, you can increase this if you feel less than satisfied with what is currently on your plate.

Raw vegetables have most of its nutrients intact, which means that you can gain the most benefits from eating these washed, peeled and simply cut. Dieticians and nutritionists are also recommending these as healthy snacks in case you come down with a serious case of munchies. Some of the best raw vegetables you can munch on are: carrots, celery, cucumber, fennel, lettuce, and all manner of herbs.

However, if you prefer cooked vegetables instead, make sure that these are lightly cooked (steamed, or grilled) and that these are not over marinated or swimming in oil or broths made of heavy creams. It is actually very easy to remember which vegetables you can increase in your meals. These would be the vibrantly colored ones.

2. There are certain fruits that you can increase in your daily meals. Take note of the fact that not all fruits are recommended for consuming on large volumes because these may contain high levels of fats, or have adverse effects on your health altogether. Avocadoes, apricots, mangoes are high in fat so these must be limited. However, you can go all out on some of the more fibrous fruits. Peppers and tomatoes are fruits that are very often used in dishes. These can be eaten raw or lightly cooked. Apples, cantaloupes, pears, water melons are also especially great because these contain high volumes of liquid and fiber. Bananas should be limited to one piece per serving, or a maximum of 3 per day.

Try to eat the fruits as they are. Juicing them may make them easier to swallow, but it also releases the sorbitol compounds (from the natural sugars of the fruits). And sorbitol is not a good compound to take in large volumes because these trigger hunger pangs and food cravings as well. Eat the fruits whole and fresh. These are far better than eating them dried or pickled or swimming in caramel.

3. Water is always part of the good elements when it comes to the best way to lose weight. 8 glasses of water per day is the recommended volume. However, you can increase this as much as you want, as long as you know that you are drinking safe water. Try to steer clear of those that contain flavors, because these contain calories as well. Other liquids like sports drinks, tea, coffee, and cola may contain water, but these contain other ingredients that may not be safe to consume in large amounts. Even the innocuous tea contains caffeine which can accelerate the heart’s movements. Stick to plain, unflavored water, and you can literally have as much as you want.

I honestly believe that we have an opportunity to be born again through exercise, fitness & healthy eating. Not born again in a religious sort of way but in a brand new perspective kind of way.

Lets face it, when you’re eating fast food and getting winded going up a flight of stairs, how can you be part of a new Renaissance? You can’t. You’re too tired and self-conscious.

A Renaissance requires clarity, enthusiasm, vision and purpose. To change the world you must first change yourself. To be part of a New Renaissance you’ll need physical, emotional and mental balance.

The original Renaissance starting in Italy and moving through Europe between the 14th and 17th century saw an explosion of art, literature, science, and architecture. It was a time in our world history when people were searching, creating, exploring, experimenting and producing incredible things.

If we want to be part of the New Renaissance we need to see the big picture. The big picture involves making health and fitness a priority NOW! If you feel miserable, tired and self-conscious how can you possibly be the amazing person that awaits you? Being healthy is the first step…the foundation for who you can be in this world.

A good friend of mine was overweight, contributing to his heart attack. His wife was out of shape and also overweight. They were neck deep in health problems. They did start a workout program and got healthy.

My friend is now a certified fitness trainer and his wife is a certified Holistic Health Counselor. That’s what I call a re-birth!

A dramatic & dynamic 180 degree switch form who they were. They are part of a New Renaissance. They now take the onus off themselves and but the focus on helping other people feel better.

When we feel better we can do more. When we do more we meet more people. We become part of something that is bigger than all of us. We are given the power to explore, search, create and produce.

The Time Is Now to Start A New Renaissance.

I’m just days away from my next birthday and I’m noticing that there are a lot of people I know complaining about getting old. Yuck!

These Baby Boomers and even Gen X types are lamenting over their limited & finite state of being. Almost all of them believe that this process is a natural state of things. They say, “This is what happens when you get old.”

I can’t imagine filling that way…ever. Regardless of age, I’ve always felt that I would continue to get stronger, fitter, more flexible and healthier. I have always wanted to do everything I could to avoid aging in the traditional sense. Aging without exercise and healthy eating sounds like suicide to me.

I’ve been asking friends and family what they think aging is doing to them. The list was long but I thought I’d share with you the things I’ve heard most often.

I don’t think any of us can be fond of this top 10 list. Quite often I heard about these problems coming from people in their 30s! Life can be pretty tough for all of us sometimes. But as we get older, it gets even harder, especially if we don’t discover the importance of exercise & healthy eating. Does a healthy lifestyle cure us of the things on this list? Maybe not, but it sure will give us a fighting chance.

Every time you read a success story you hear about how someone’s life changed. These changes relate to the items on the list above. Most of you started because you didn’t like the way you looked. After completing it you cared more about how it made you feel, physically and mentally. Aging without a healthy lifestyle will guarantee some level of physical and/or mental malfunction.

Look at the list above and ask yourself if you’re suffering from anything on it. Look at some of the seniors around you and see if they’re suffering from anything on the list. They are you just down the road. You control your future and your destiny by making simple choices now. Give yourself a fighting chance and avoid the suffering that goes with unhealthy aging.

Let me hear that you’re Getting Young.