Megan

Belly, Butt & Thighs: Belly Workout Video
A 3-minute ab workout can help you get your belly in shape

By Einav Keet
Join Prevention fitness expert Chris Freytag in this 3-minute ab workout routine
and learn moves that will help you get a flat belly and strengthen your core. In
this segment of Belly, Butt & Thighs: Belly, find out how to transform and reshape
your belly just the way you�ve always wanted with a simple ab workout routine you
can do every day. Chris leads you through an ab workout that begins with deep
breathing and a warm-up to loosen your spine and stretch your upper body. Then
pull in your abdominal muscles for moves that will give you a flat belly as well
as a stronger back. With your back straight, pull your knees to your waist for
standing crunches to strengthen your core. Next, lift your knees to your sides for
an ab workout that will work your oblique muscles and slim your waist. Follow
along with this quick ab routine as part of the complete Belly, Butt & Thighs
series for a workout to help you get flatter abs, slimmer thighs, and a shapelier
butt. You�ll be amazed with the results.
Researchers from the La Crosse Exercise and Health Program recruited 12 young men
and women (ages 18 to 25) to test the efficiency of eight exercises designed to
work butt muscles. These exercises included traditional squats, single leg squats,
vertical leg presses, quadruped hip extensions, horizontal leg presses, step-ups,
lunges, and four-way hip extensions. Electromyographic (EMG) analysis measured
peak gluteus maximus, gluteus medius, and hamstring activation by each exercise.
Some of the exercises were at least as effective as traditional squats for each
muscle--the best exercise varied from muscle to muscle--but leg presses (either
type) were significantly less effective than squats for all three muscles. The
researchers suggest that mixing up the exercises can help relieve boredom while
still giving your bottom a good workout. More Fitness News Move to Heal Faster
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Your exercise sequence can make workouts more efficient
Because of time constraints and convenience, cardiovascular and strength training
programs are often combined, even though it's not been clear how one exercise
affects the performance on the other. An article in the May 2005 issue of Journal
of Strength and Conditioning Research looks at the effects of aerobic and
resistance training and the combination of the two on excess postexercise oxygen
consumption, a measure of energy expenditure.
The journal article described a study in which 10 men underwent four trials: One
for resistance, another for running, a third for resistance and then running, and
one for running and then resistance. Researchers found that resistance training
produced greater postexercise oxygen consumption than aerobic exercise.
In the combined sessions, postexercise oxygen consumption was greater when the men
ran before doing resistance training. The study concluded that if people want to
burn more calories, they should do resistance training. In a combined session,
they should start with aerobic exercise followed by resistance training. More
Fitness News Mix It Up Safety First Everyday Aerobics
Learn to burn calories and shrink your waistline--the easy way.
By Selene Yeager , Selene Yeager is a health journalist and author/coauthor of
more than two dozen book titles.
For the biggest body-shaping benefits, you can't beat strength training. But to
boost your weekly calorie burn even more--and lose fat faster--add a little
aerobic exercise.
Before you shake your head and say, "Not for me," consider that the ideas of what
constitutes "aerobic" exercise have come a long way. Gone are the days of having
to squeeze into a pair of Lycra tights and sweat up a storm in an exercise class
(unless you want to!). You can get all the aerobic benefits you need from everyday
activities like walking or even gardening.
Once you start adding some cardiovascular exercise into your routine, you'll find
that a little goes a long way. If you do nothing more than take two brisk 10- to
15-minute walks a day, you can drop one or two dress sizes over the course of a
year--even without dieting. Some researchers also believe that aerobic exercise
specifically targets the layer of fat in your abdominal area, which is good news
for stubborn belly bulges.
What's more, the benefits of aerobic exercise extend well beyond a shrinking
waistline. Exercise burns calories, and study after study shows that the more
calories you burn, the less likely you are to get cardiovascular disease, stroke,
diabetes, depression, Alzheimer's disease, and even certain You may be wondering
what your �ideal� body weight is. If you've surfed the Web to find out, you may
have come across suggestions that you need to lose a seemingly impossible number
of pounds to reach an ideal body weight. If you are very overweight, this figure
can reach 50 to 100 pounds. Even if you look at target body mass index ranges, it
may take a lot of weight loss to shift from the �obese� to �normal� category.
Ideal body weights are often determined based on height. Doctors used to advise
patients to lose enough to reach their ideal weight. So a person who was 5-foot-
eight-inches and 200 pounds might be advised to lose 50 pounds�25 percent of their
body weight. Because such large losses were the goal, patients were often put on
extremely strict, very low-calorie diets. Although massive amounts of weight could
be lost for a short time, it often came back as soon as a person stopped the
liquid diet or other extreme regimen that they were following.
Aiming for dramatic weight loss is problematic. First, it�s a little self-
defeating. If it�s tough to drop�and keep off�10 pounds, how does your psyche wrap
itself around a goal of losing 50 or 100 pounds? Second, it may not be realistic
to lose large amounts of weight right now. It takes a full-fledged commitment to
changing your lifestyle long-term to lose the weight, then maintain that loss. If
you don�t have the time or motivation for an all-out effort, you may make a feeble
attempt and then quit�and feel less motivated than ever.
Today, thankfully, more conservative and healthier approaches are popular. Baby
steps are the way to go. A small, short-term weight-loss goal is realistic and
achievable: You will get the results you aim for. And once you�ve lost a little,
you can set a new, but still realistic and achievable goal. Over time, it is
possible to lose large amounts of weight.
Rethink your expectations
When planning a weight loss program, the first step is to set a goal. But before
you can do that, you may need to readjust your expectations. Some people who wish
to lose large amounts of weight find small losses a disappointment.
A 1997 study in the Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology by obesity
researchers at the University of Pennsylvania found that 60 obese women who
underwent a weight-loss program hoped to lose around 32 percent of their body
weight. (A 220-pound woman might aim for a 70 pound loss, for example.) The
women�s goal weights were nearly three times what they were actually able to lose
over nearly one year on the program. Even though the women lost, on average, about
35 pounds�no small feat�they reported feeling like losing this amount of weight
loss was not a success. They were even disappointed and unhappy with a 50-pound
weight loss.
But any weight that is lost and maintained should be considered a big
success�losing weight is not easy to do. Most people gain year after year, so even
just maintaining current body weight�and preventing gradual weight gain�is an
accomplishment.
So throw out your visions of a Barbie doll figure or a Sylvester Stallone physique
for now. That�s not to say that you can�t get there, but first you need to learn
how to make healthful lifestyle diet and exercise changes fit into your daily life
forever.
Various research bodies�including the American Dietetic Association, the American

Heart Association, and the National Institutes of Health, with its national
obesity guidelines�recommend aiming for conservative weight loss of 5 percent to
10 percent of your current body weight. Not only is this achievable, overweight
and obese people who can lose up to 10 percent of their body weight can see
significant improvements in their health risks. For example, the American Heart
Association 2006 Diet and Lifestyle Recommendations point out that even modest
weight loss of just 5 percent to 10 percent can have a positive impact in diabetes
risk and management.
Check out the charts below for examples of what it means to lose 5 percent to 10
percent of your current body weight:
Goal: Lose 5 percent of your body weight
You weigh �
� your target weight is �
� so to reach your goal you need to lose:
170 lbs.
161 lbs.
9 lbs.
195 lbs.
185 lbs.
10 lbs.
232 lbs.
220 lbs.
12 lbs.
285 lbs.
271 lbs.
14 lbs.

You weigh �
170 lbs.
153 lbs.
17 lbs.
195 lbs.
175 lbs.
20 lbs.
232 lbs.
209 lbs.
23 lbs.
285 lbs.
256 lbs.
29 lbs.
How fast can you drop pounds?
Most guidelines recommend that you take up to six months to reach a 10 percent
weight loss goal. That�s because, even if you can lose it fast, it�s easy to gain
back once you go off your program. It�s better to lose a small amount and maintain
it, than to lose and gain large amounts yo-yo style. When a person frequently
loses and gains, each new dieting attempt takes longer to lose the same amount of
weight, and it is more quickly regained. This may be the body�s way of preserving
energy during what it senses as an energy-deficient state.
The USDA Dietary Guidelines recommend aiming for slow weight loss by eating fewer
calories while maintaining an adequate nutrient intake and increasing physical
activity. So aim to lose from one-half to two pounds a week�or, more commonly, one
to two pounds a week�by reducing calories by 500 to 1,000 per day.
Various research bodies�including the American Dietetic Association, the American

Heart Association, and the National Institutes of Health, with its national
obesity guidelines�recommend aiming for conservative weight loss of 5 percent to
10 percent of your current body weight. Not only is this achievable, overweight
and obese people who can lose up to 10 percent of their body weight can see
significant improvements in their health risks. For example, the American Heart
Association 2006 Diet and Lifestyle Recommendations point out that even modest
weight loss of just 5 percent to 10 percent can have a positive impact in diabetes
risk and management.
Check out the charts below for examples of what it means to lose 5 percent to 10
percent of your current body weight:
You weigh �
170 lbs.
161 lbs.
9 lbs.
195 lbs.
185 lbs.
10 lbs.
232 lbs.
220 lbs.
12 lbs.
285 lbs.
271 lbs.
14 lbs.
You weigh �
170 lbs.
153 lbs.
17 lbs.
195 lbs.
175 lbs.
20 lbs.
232 lbs.
209 lbs.
23 lbs.
285 lbs.
256 lbs.
29 lbs.
How fast can you drop pounds?
Most guidelines recommend that you take up to six months to reach a 10 percent
weight loss goal. That�s because, even if you can lose it fast, it�s easy to gain
back once you go off your program. It�s better to lose a small amount and maintain
it, than to lose and gain large amounts yo-yo style. When a person frequently
loses and gains, each new dieting attempt takes longer to lose the same amount of
weight, and it is more quickly regained. This may be the body�s way of preserving
energy during what it senses as an energy-deficient state.
The USDA Dietary Guidelines recommend aiming for slow weight loss by eating fewer
calories while maintaining an adequate nutrient intake and increasing physical
activity. So aim to lose from one-half to two pounds a week�or, more commonly, one
to two pounds a week�by reducing calories by 500 to 1,000 per day.
Everybody throws the word �calories� around, but not many people truly understand
what a calorie is, or exactly how the number and different types of calories, and
the different ways that they are used in the body, relate to weight loss. Here�s
the scoop:
A calorie is a unit of energy. When your body needs energy, your body burns
calories from the food you eat or from the calories stored in your body in fat,
glucose (or glycogen) and/or protein.
Calories in food
Foods provide calories. Whenever you eat or drink, the calories you take in are
used or stored for later use. Here are some examples of the amount of calories
provided by different foods.
� A slice of bread has about 65 calories.
� An apple has about 50 calories.
� A beer has about 200 calories.
� A candy bar may contain about 250 calories.
� A piece of chocolate cake may have 400 calories.
� A super-loaded cheeseburger may have up to 800 calories.
Keep in mind that this number is rarely exact because the portion size and exact
ingredients makes a difference. So not every apple will have exactly 50 calories,
and not every serving of lasagna will have, say, 300 calories.
Types of Calories
There are different types of calories that provide energy. These are known as the
macronutrients: protein, carbohydrates and fat. (Alcohol also provides some energy
but is not considered a main fuel source.) At the same given amount, each of these
substances provides a slightly different number of calories:
� One gram of protein equals four calories
� One gram of carbs equals four calories
� One gram of fat equals nine calories
So fat has twice the amount of energy as the same portion of protein or carbs.
That is why it is easy to take in a large amount of calories if you eat a high fat
diet�a small amount packs a big punch.
Which food has what type of calorie?
Most foods contain combinations of protein, fats and carbs, and all forms of
calories should be included in your diet. There are very few foods that consist of
only one type of calorie.
For example, while people commonly think of bread as a 'carb' food, in fact, bread
contains carbs and protein calories, and if it's olive-bread, for example, may
contain fat calories, too. The majority of calories may come from carbs, but you
get a mix. Nuts and beans contain a mix of carbs, protein and fats.
Meats are not just protein, but contain a mix of protein and fat calories.
Your daily calorie intake
How many calories you eat all day is considered to be your daily caloric intake.
If you eat 2,000 calories per day, then a portion of this total amount will
consists of fats, protein and carbohydrates. The USDA dietary guidelines recommend
that your overall diet consist of 20 percent to 35 percent fat, (saturated fats
should be less than 10 percent), 45 percent to 65 percent carbohydrates, and 10
percent to 35 percent protein. So, for example, if you were to eat 25 percent fat,
then a 2,000 calorie-per-day meal plan would contain about 500 calories worth of
fat overall�or about 56 grams of fat over the day (500 calories divided by nine
grams of fat).
Since most foods contain a mix of these macronutrients, it�s not easy to figure
out these percentages unless you keep a very detailed log with very comprehensive
calculations. For example, if you ate a handful of nuts you would have to break
down the amount of protein, fat and carbohydrate calories in that portion and add
it to your daily totals.
The most common way to determine your macronutrient breakdown is to enter one or
more days of your complete food intake into nutrition analysis software. These
programs will analyze the type and amount of each food item and then provide a
total of the distribution of nutrients you have consumed. You can assess your food
intake on the USDA Web site MyPyramid.com.
You can also use food labels to assess your diet. However, you can�t go by a
single label to determine your total day�s intake; you must tally the total
calories and nutrient amounts for everything you eat in a day.
It is OK to include some foods that are considered to be high in fat such as

avocados, nuts and olives. Not only are these high in fat, they are high in �good�
unsaturated fats, and also high in other nutrients. As long as they consist of
only a portion of what you eat in a day, they will not cause you to have a high-
fat diet. On the other hand, if you eat lots of fast food or junk food that is
fried or made with saturated or hydrogenated fats and oils, it is very likely that
you would have a diet that is, overall, very high in fat.
You can find out the nutrient breakdown for specific foods from the USDA National
Nutrient Database. Simple enter the food type and amount.
Carbohydrate calories get broken down into glucose molecules once your food is
eaten and digested. Some of these linger in your blood to be carried and used for
energy by various cells. Some glucose is stored as glycogen in your liver and
muscles and is broken down for later use.
Fat is used in the form of fatty acids, and it is stored in fat cells in the body
to be broken down and used later.
Protein, or various amino acids, can be an energy source, but it�s a last-resort
form of energy�the body prefers fats and carbohydrates. So protein energy is not
really �stored,� but used to build things the body needs�like hormones, enzyme,
hair and skin, for example. That is why when the body�s main forms of energy are
being depleted (such as during a drastic diet or starvation), the body breaks down
protein to provide energy.
Generally, your body burns a high percentage of fat; there are endless supplies
stored in fat cells all over the body. The percentage of fat that your body uses
for its energy needs varies, but it burns more fat when you are at rest, or
exercising/moving at easy intensities, or when you eat more fat. The more
cardiovascularly fit you become, the higher percentage of fat your body will burn.
Carbs, or glucose, is also a primary fuel source. Since carbs are in limited
supply, they are used for quick-acting bursts of energy such as sprinting or
lifting something heavy. But fat needs glucose molecules in order to be burned, so
you always use a few carbs in order to utilize your fat energy.
Avoid the confusion that many people have about the percentage of fat a body
burns. Some people believe that they burn more fat when they exercise at lower
intensities and assume that this can help them lose the most weight. What�s most
important for weight loss is not the percentage of fat burned, but how many total
calories are burned.
For more information, read my articles Triggering Your Body to Burn Fat and How
High Should Heart Rates Go?
Burning calories
Every cell in your body needs some energy to do its thing. So even when you are
sleeping or sitting watching TV, you are burning calories. How many calories you
burn depends on how much energy your body needs to perform whatever action it is
performing�from daydreaming to running. At rest, a body uses, on average one to
one-and-a-half calories per minute. Once you move more, you require more energy
and burn more calories. A person exercising can burn anywhere from three to 15
calories per minute (depending upon weight among other factors).
A heavier body has more muscle, larger organs and more mass so it uses more
energy. That is why a 104-pound person walking at 3.5 miles per hour may only burn
about four calories per minute, while a 203-pound person walking at the same speed
can burn about eight calories per minute.
Keep in mind that it is difficult, if not impossible, to know exactly how many
calories your body burns at any given moment. Estimates you see on calculators, in
magazines, or on exercise machines are simply estimates. Many factors can affect
your calorie burn including your weight, your intensity and individual genetic
factors, among others.
When you calculate how many calories your burn from activity, it is important to
note that the total calorie figure you may come up with includes the number of
calories you would have burned anyway, even if you were not exercising. So if you
walked at 3.5 miles per hour, burning five calories a minute, in 30 minutes you
would burn about 150 calories. However, if you rested during that time you would
have burned about 30 calories. So the actual calories above and beyond your normal
metabolism would be about 120, not 150. That means you�re burning an extra four
calories per minute, not five. One of the five calories would have been expended
even if you were resting.
Weight loss all boils down to what is known as the energy equation: To lose weight
you need to create a caloric deficit by eating less, or burning more, than your
daily energy requirements. So, you need to take in fewer calories from food (and
it doesn't matter if you eat fewer carb, fat or protein calories, as long as you
meet your daily nutrient needs.) Or you need to use up more calories by burning
more from physical activity. Over time, the caloric deficit you create will result
in fat loss and/or pounds lost on the scale."
Can you really do it this time?

If you have a weight problem, it can feel hopeless. The heavier you get and the
longer that you�ve been overweight, the more impossible it seems to drop weight
and keep it off. It�s hard to believe that this time, it will work. But it can.
Even if you have biological tendencies that make it easy to gain and hard to lose
weight, you can be leaner and fitter than you are now.
If you are overweight, there's a good chance you could be making smarter lifestyle
choices. To lose weight, you'll have to train yourself to substitute poor choices
with ones that will help you drop pounds.
Now is the time to take stock of your behaviors. This first step�a reality check
at the eating and exercise choices your make most of the time�may be the most
challenging part of making a change. But it�s crucial for achieving lasting
success.
So, to get yourself ready to follow the Lose 10 Pounds in Five Weeks plan, here�s
what you need to do first:
Step 1. Take three days of this week to write down everything you eat. This will
help you identify your specific eating patterns and spot areas where you can
improve. This will be your Baseline Diet Diary.
Step 2. Learn to improve your diet. Read through these Eat Smart tips to get
started.
Step 3. One of the simplest ways to squeeze fitness into your life is to walk
more. Start the Walk-the-Fat-Off plan.
I promise, if you follow the Lose 10 Pounds in Five Weeks plan, not only can you
start to get in the best shape of your life, you�ll feel happier and optimistic.
Eating better will fuel you and give your body the nutrients it needs. Your daily
walks will lift your mood and your self-confidence.
Welcome to the beginning of the rest of your healthy life.
Make the choice to live lean
This diet and exercise program should not be followed without first consulting a
health care professional. If you have any special health conditions requiring
attention, you should consult with your health care professional regularly
regarding possible modification of this program.
Martica is a Manhattan-based exercise physiologist and nutritionist and an award-

winning fitness instructor. She has written for a variety of publications
including Self, Health, Prevention, The New York Times and others. Martica is the
author of seven books, including her latest, Cross-training for Dummies. (Read her
full bio.)
Write out a daily menu, spreading your caloric intake evenly between your meals
and snacks. On this plan, you will need to knock off 500 calories daily from your
normal eating habits, as detailed in your Baseline Diet Diary (if you haven�t kept
a baseline diet diary, do this first). This week�s focus is to improve your diet
by eating more nutritious or lower-calorie foods. Try to be strict with yourself
this week since undoubtedly you�re motivated at this point.
Strategies: Reduce calories in small ways�choosing lower-fat items, substituting

lower-calorie spread and dressings, cutting out the liquid calories and so on. For
more ideas, read this week�s Eat Smart tips.
Keep track to stay on track: Log your meals and snacks in a Daily Diet Diary
(download .pdf forms). Count the calories of each food you consume and keep a
running total to ensure that you are staying within your target range.
2. Walk the fat off.
Follow a daily walking routine. No matter what, fit in some exercise every day.
But if a workout feels too strenuous, back off slightly. (Download your routine:
Regular Walker or Just Starting.)
3. Notice what feels easy and what�s tough.
Changing your diet and activity level may seem relatively easy this week, when
you�re off to a fresh start. But to stick to a plan it�s important to recognize
trouble spots early on�and find ways around them.
Say you�re hooked on sodas�as the weeks go by, your no-soda life could be
difficult to maintain. Rather than just giving up sodas, you need a find a
satisfying substitute that you love to drink, but contains fewer calories.
Skip-the-soda strategies:
Experiment with different diet flavors to find one you like.

Taste-test various brands of bottled water to find one that appeals to you
(different bottled waters do taste differently).
Bring your own unsweetened iced tea to work, so that you won�t be tempted by
vending machines� offerings.
Whatever your weakness, try to think of similar strategies that will ensure you
won�t deviate from your path to weight loss.
So this week, plan your meals, start walking, and pay attention to possible
pitfalls. Good luck!
This week, start logging everything you eat and drink each day. Why? Because
keeping a diet diary will increase your chances of success. Not only will you be
able to better control your caloric intake, the very act of accounting for what
you put into your mouth will sway you to choose more nutritious foods.
If you haven�t already, first monitor your regular diet in a Baseline Diet Diary
(download .pdf form) to get an idea of your normal eating patterns and average
daily caloric intake.
Once you�ve determined your average daily intake, aim to cut about 500 calories
from what you normally eat each day. For most people, your normal intake minus a
500-calorie deduction will give you the caloric allotment you should try to eat
each day. That will allow you to lose weight steadily, but not too drastically.
This week�s Eat Smart tips provides recommended calorie ranges for each meal.
These are rough guidelines and should be individualized to meet your specific
energy needs. If you�re already highly active, you may need to add a few hundred
calories to your day to account for excess energy expenditure. Use these ranges as
estimates when divvying up your caloric allotment for the day.
Get Started
First, download and print out this PDF form. Carry the forms with you all day so
that you don�t forget to write any foods down!
How to Use Your Daily Diet Diary:
1. Log everything! Record what you eat and drink when you consume it. Note the
time, whether it�s a meal or snack, and exactly how much you ate. In the final
column, add extra comments related to each meal.
2. Be specific. For elaborate meals or dishes, list ingredients and estimate their
quantity so you can more accurately estimate calories.
3. Count calories. Read product labels when available. Find a good calorie-
counting Web site and check each food and serving size from your Daily Diet Diary.
Jot down the approximate calories for each item in your Daily Diet Diary. Keep a
running total throughout the day.

full bio.)
How are you feeling after one week on the lose-ten-pounds-in-five-weeks plan?
Let�s face it: You might be feeling sore from all the walking. Or maybe you have
run out of healthy food in the pantry and haven�t had a chance to stock up yet.
Now is when you have to start changing course to stay on course. Figure out which
new habits, foods or workout times are feeling too rigid to realistically keep up.
And start modifying those diet and exercise behaviors so that you can stick with
the program.
The plan for week 2:
Step 1: Focus on high-fiber plant foods.
You might not always be able to whip up your special low-fat menus. Or you may
find yourself out with friends or colleagues�and margaritas or chicken wings. This
week�s focus is to improve your diet by adding more fruits and veggies to all your
meals and snacks, whether at home or in a restaurant. Read this week�s Eat Smart
tipsfor ideas on how to make meals more nutritious and lower in calories.
Step 2: Walk more (or figure out workout alternatives).
When you start easing off the strict calorie control, you can make up the
difference by burning more calories through exercise. So it�s important to stay
with the walk-the-fat-off plan and increase the length and intensity of your
workouts.
Don�t make excuses: If the weather is miserable and you�re tempted to skip your
walks , don�t just say �It�s raining/snowing/cold, I�ll exercise tomorrow.� Either
bundle up or find indoor alternatives. Or if body aches are slowing you down,
after consulting with a health professional, see if there are movement options
that don�t aggravate weak areas. If walking is bothering your knees, try treading
water. If your back is acting up, see if a cardio machine such as a recumbent
bicycle allows you to move without pain.
Remember, the Walk-the-Fat-Off Plan provides intensity recommendations by the
minute so you can follow the routine doing other aerobic activities besides
walking. No matter what you end up doing, it�s always better to do something than
put off exercise altogether (download this week�s exercise routines).
Step 3: Spot your successes.
Your weight loss may be minimal at this point, so don�t focus on fat or scale
weight. But that doesn�t mean you�re not already achieving success. Be attentive
to anything that�s cause for celebration and let it inspire you do stick to your
plan:
If you find that your stamina is improving and that you have no problem increasing
the length of your walks, then consider yourself a success! If you have discovered
a new food that�s tasty and nutritious�a food that you could eat forever�consider
yourself a success! If you feel just a wee bit firmer in your thighs or butt,
consider yourself a success! If you find it easier than you thought to stop
yourself from overeating at meals, consider yourself a success! If you like the
energetic feeling you get from eating highly nutritious foods, or the post-
exercise glow, consider yourself a success! If you find that living a healthier
lifestyle so far is easier than you expected, consider yourself a success!
Your body is in a state of change right now. Many of these changes may be
imperceptible to you, but rest assured, positive changes are happening within your
body!
Martica's Eat Smart Tips

Walk-the-Fat-Off Plan
Your Daily Diet Diary

full bio.)
This week you�re going to help your weight loss along by increasing your overall
energy expenditure. The plan for week 3:
Step 1: Eat six meals or snacks every day.
There is no solid research to prove that certain foods boost your metabolismenough
to lose weight. But if you are on a strict diet and/or you eat infrequently,
you�re not maximizing what is known as the thermic effect of food. The process of
eating, breaking down and absorbing nutrients in food accounts for about 8 percent
to 10 percent of your daily energy expenditure, or about 200 to 400 calories for
the average active person.
Eating too little or waiting long periods between meals can minimize the effect.
Some experts speculate that eating small, frequent meals has the potential to heat
up your metabolism. Recent research at Georgia State University found that
athletes who ate more frequent, modest-sized meals tended to be leaner than
athletes who ate more food at one sitting or went for long periods without eating.
Also, eating protein with carbohydrates seems to induce a greater thermic effect.
Some high-protein diets use this to bolster their claims of effectiveness. While
there's no consistent evidence that increasing protein intake alone will rev up
your engines enough to induce weight loss, getting sufficient protein along with
eating more �good� carbs keeps you feeling satiated�which means you�ll eat less to
feel full. And the greater amounts of fiber in the less-processed carbs crowd out
extra calories, which also helps your body burn more of its stored energy, helping
you to lose weight.
Continue to log everything you eat this week and tally the number of times you
eat. Make sure to meet a quota of six times per day. Also continue to make the
most nutritious choices possible, with an eye toward consuming sufficient amounts
of protein and �good� carbs.
Step 2: Be more active all day.
You can eat more if you move more. But to avoid gaining weight, you�ll have to eat
less if you don�t move much. So the key to avoiding the starving-yourself
deprivation that you get on many diets is to be more active. If you�re more
active, you can eat and feel satisfied, but still control your weight.
Step 3: Burn more calories by walking.
The calories you burn in your walking workouts can contribute anywhere from 15
percent to 50 percent of your total daily calorie burn, depending on how long and
how hard you are working. Exercising at higher intensities increases your burn
rate, which is one reason why the Walk-the-Fat-Off routines include intervals when
you walk faster or more vigorously.
Exercising harder provides another payoff: After a longer, high-intensity workout,

your body stays revved up, burning extra calories even after you�ve gotten off the
treadmill. This extra calorie burn after you�ve stopped exercising is known as
excess post-exercise oxygen consumption, or afterburn. A post-cardio afterburn
could mean a loss of anywhere from 15 to 50 extra calories on top of what you
burned while exercising.
This week�s routines includes more high-intensity intervals. Push yourself to work
as hard as you comfortably can. Remember, how hard you push is relative: Simply
walking fast may be intense enough if you�re new to exercise. If you�re a seasoned
walker, slipping in a few seconds of jogging or stair climbing may give you the
boost you need. Whatever level you are at, aim to challenge yourself a little more
this week.
So bump up your calorie burn by eating more often and increasing the amount of
your daily activity and the intensity of your exercise.
Eat Smart Tips

Share Your Successes Walking Off the Fat

full bio.)
When you experience a slip-up in your diet and exercise plan, don�t use it as an
excuse to quit. See it for what it is: a bump in your road to better health and a
healthier body weight.
A little indulgence or laziness every now and then isn�t what makes you fat and
out of shape. It�s the pattern of always indulging and always choosing the sofa
over sweating that keeps you overweight.
A successful person learns from mistakes. Is it too hard to resist the chocolate
chip cookies in your pantry? Get rid of them and make yourself walk, jog or bike
to the store if you crave a cookie. This week, I�ll help you find positive ways to
prevent and respond to slip�ups and stay on a healthy course.
Here�s your plan for week 4:
Step 1: Snack smart.
Look back at the past four weeks, consulting your Diet Diary. Did you snack
regularly? Did the snacks satisfy you? Did you make nutritious choices? Were some
snacks more convenient to prepare or obtain than others?
Keeping your snacking patterns in mind, this week focus on eating snacks that you
enjoy and that are nutritious and filling. If you frequently find yourself away
from home when it�s time for a snack, make sure you have good choices on hand.
Some suggestions:
At work:
Nuts
Canned fruit (with syrup drained)
Fresh fruit
Yogurt
String cheese
Instant-oatmeal packets
Meal-replacement bars and shakes
Peanut butterLow-fat crackers
Snacks for the car:
Nuts
Trail mix
Easy-to-eat fruit
Snacks in your purse:
Nuts
Dried fruit
Healthful energy bar
You�ll notice that nuts are the perfect snack for pretty much any occasion.
They�re filling, nutritious, convenient�and not as fattening as you might think!
See this week�s Eat Smart tipsto learn more about nuts.
Step 2: Find ways to de-stress.
Eating is a common way to deal with stress or emotional ups and downs. That�s
because eating favorite foods, especially those that are high in fat and sugar,
produces pleasure reactions in the brain�the same responses as other coping
methods like drinking alcohol or taking drugs. Of course, these behaviors can be
self-destructive and even addictive.
If you are an emotional eater, when times get tough find healthier ways to deal
with stress, instead of reaching for that bag of chips or pint of ice cream. Some
activities that can make you feel good, have fun and relax include:
Getting a massage
Taking a nap
Meditating
Doing something creative like painting, playing an instrument, or knitting
Playing soothing or uplifting music
Taking a dance lesson
Calling an old friend
Write out a list of your fallback healthy panaceas to stress, even store this list
in your PDA or on your computer to keep it close on hand. Then do what it takes to
have all these opportunities readily available should you need them. This might be
as simple as setting aside a few CDs that make you happy. Or you might pre-pay for
a few massages at the gym or buy an electric neck massager. Or create a phone list
of friends and family who make you feel positive and cared for�or who make you
laugh!�when you call.
Step 3: Go the extra mile.
Although it�s tough, if not impossible, to burn off all the extra calories from a
binge, you can use workouts to counterbalance those days when you eat more than
you should. If you know you�ll be going to a party or dinner where you�re likely
overeat, make that day�s walks or other cardio workouts a little longer or a
little harder. (Do more roarin� intervals and extend the session.) Research shows
that a high-intensity cardio session helps the body metabolize fat better from a
high-fat meal eaten hours later.
If you couldn�t anticipate a binge, try to make up for it during the next few days
by adding more minutes and higher intensity intervals to your workouts. Extra
steps will help balance out excesses elsewhere.
Remember, what�s most important is that you are consistent with your new,
healthier lifestyle. So, look for ways to prevent overeating and to stick to your
workouts. When you do slip up, make up for it if you can, but don�t let it be a
reason to revert back to old habits. Refocus and keep making smart eating choices
and exercising regularly.
Download this week�s walking routines.

Eat Smart Tips
Discuss Your Progress With Others

full bio.)
To lose weight�or keep it off�long term, continue to write down what you eat, make
good food choices and stay active every day. But you also need to start planning
how you�ll continue this healthier lifestyle into your future.
Step One. Assess your before and after.
Go back and review your original Baseline Diet Diary�where you tracked your
previous eating and activity patterns. Ask yourself the following questions:
Has your new lifestyle dramatically changed? If so, will it be impossible to keep
it up?Does this new lifestyle look similar to your previous lifestyle, with tweaks
that improve eating habits and raise activity level? If so, have these lifestyle
changes produced satisfactory results?When you look back on what you used to eat,
does it entice you back? Or do you feel a little repulsed by all the fried foods
and the enormous portions?Is exercise becoming a regular part of your day?Is it
easier for you to make time for fitness sessions?
It�s still early in your new lifestyle, so you may still feel like it�s an uphill
battle.
And be aware that emotional struggles may surface, since overeating often is a
coping mechanism. If you�ve had a fight with your spouse, a hard day at work or
are simply down because you don�t feel like you�re getting the results that you
expect, it will be easier to allow yourself to give up. But you�ve got to stick to
it.
Noticing and assessing the changes you�ve made�and determining how easy (or not)
it will be to maintain them�will help you shape your lifestyle going forward.
You�ll be able to know which approaches to better eatingand regular exercise are
effective for you.
Step Two. Keep on tracking.
Don�t expect to eat perfectly and exercise intensely every day for the rest of
your life. You�ll have some days where you slack off on workouts, or eat or drink
too much. Just don�t allow a slip-up to mess you up for good. Be consistent.
Continue to monitor your progress two, six and 18 months from now and write it in
your Diet Diary. Devise a system for your hand-held organizer or calendar and
continue to schedule workouts and eat at regular intervals.
Step 3. Move everyday and try new forms of exercise.
Keep moving. For the majority of people, the only way to keep the weight off is to
exercise almost every day of the week. Make sure to devise strategies so you enjoy
it�and can stick with it! For example, you may walk a lot for the next year or
two, but then try a fitness class and decide that you love the group exercise
format. You may discover that if you read fiction thrillers on the cardio
machines, you start to look forward to these workouts. You may discover that
you�re stronger now than ever before. Perhaps you�ll take up tennis or join a
softball league.
The point is, it�s natural for your motivation to wax and wane over time. So go
with the flow. If walking or a gym routine suddenly feels tedious, find something
else to do. You may surprise yourself and discover a new obsession�like biking or
a climbing gym.
The past weeks have been the kickoff to the rest of your life. You know what it
takes to feel better and look better. The challenge is not only doing it, but
staying motivated. So find ways to stay inspired and on track�even if an obstacle
stalls you along the way. It happens to all of us. You can do it!!
Eat Smart Tips

The Truth About Long-Term Weight Loss

full bio.)
To lose weight�or keep it off�long term, continue to write down what you eat,
make good food choices and stay active every day. But you also need to start
planning how you�ll continue this healthier lifestyle into your future.
battle.
it.
effective for you.
softball league.
a climbing gym.
Eat Smart Tips

full bio.)
To lose weight�or keep it off�long term, continue to write down what you eat,
make good food choices and stay active every day. But you also need to start
planning how you�ll continue this healthier lifestyle into your future.
battle.
it.
effective for you.
softball league.
a climbing gym.
Eat Smart Tips


full bio.)
To successfully stick to a smart-eating strategy, you need to think long term.
Look for new behaviors you�re able to integrate into your daily life. Plan for
pitfalls. Learn how to keep yourself inspired so that you will stick to your new
healthier habits.
Here are some smart eating strategies that will help you attain long-term weight-
loss success:
1. Recover When You Stumble
Those who strive for perfection frequently live by an all-or-nothing mentality.

When they�re �good�, they�re really, really, good. And when, they�re �bad�, they
eat everything in sight. Be realistic and flexible. No one is perfect all the
time. If you go to a party and eat too many chips, or you eat an entire pizza
instead of a couple of slices�or if you spend days not exercising and not caring
about what you eat, don�t beat yourself up. Here�s how to bounce back:
If you eat too much at one meal: Don�t skip your next snack or meal, just
downsize. Keep your eating patterns regular and eat a bit less for the next few
meals. If you really binged, you may feel less hungry (the body�s natural way of
compensating).
Avoid falling into a schedule where you go for long periods of time without
eating: When you allow yourself to get too hungry, you fall prey to junk food and
to overeating at a later meal.
If you eat more than your caloric allotment for the day: Try to make up for it by
adding a few extra minutes to your walks and other workouts. One 250-calorie
chocolate bar equals about 45 minutes of walking or 25 minutes of running. Can you
add 20 minutes to your next two walks? Or how about adding four 3-minute jogging
intervals to those walks?
If you completely go off the program for a week or longer: It�s OK. You have not
failed. What matters to your long-term health and your lifelong body weight is not
the binging�or dieting�that you do in a week, it�s what you do over a period of
months and years. If you consistently eat the wrong things and consistently remain
inactive, you will gain weight�and lots of it. But if you mostly follow a healthy,
active lifestyle�by returning to it after slacking off�you�ll prevent yourself
from gaining weight and can even continue to lose more. Everyone has times when
they overeat on vacation, or pig out after an emotional setback, or stay sedentary
after getting hooked on a video game or binging on movies. But those who manage to
stay leaner are those who don�t dwell on past mistakes or use them as a reason to
completely give up. You have not failed yourself if you return to healthful eating
and regular activity after a setback. So, no matter what your transgression, get
over it and get back in the program!
2. Stay inspired
How do you not give up when you feel deflated? Keep learning about food, nutrition
and fitness. Here are some fun and inspiring ways to go about it:
Go on online message boardslike MSN and read how others overcome similar
challenges.
Join support groups like Weight Watchers.
Try new activities. Sign up for a lesson in something you never thought you�d ever
try. Pick up an activity you used to do. Use a fitness DVD, try a new fitness
class.
Read books on food and nutrition. Here are some inspiring examples:
What To Eatby Marion Nestle, Ph.D.
Advanced Sports Nutritionby Dan Benardot, Ph.D.
Food Fightby Kelly Brownell, Ph.D.
Fat Landby Greg Critser
This Organic Lifeby Joan Dye Gussow, Ph.D.
The Omnivore�s Dilemmaby Michael Pollan
The Volumetrics Weight-Control Planby Barbara Rolls, Ph.d. and Robert A. Barnett
The Step Dietby James O. Hill, Ph.D. and John Peters, Ph.d with Bonnie Jortberg ,
M.S., R.D.
The Fat-Free Truthby Liz Neporent, M.A. and Suzanne Schlosberg
Eating Mindfullyby Susan Albers, Psy.D.
Metabolic Regulationby Keith N. Frayn (for the scientifically-minded)
Keep in mind that some of the most popular diet books may not always be completely
nutritionally sound. Some may not give completely accurate fitness information.
Even if an author appears to be qualified (they are a doctor or a celebrity
fitness trainer) make sure they have real qualifications specific to the topic
they are writing on. Beware of �experts� with as bogus �certifications� and mail-
order degrees. Get your advice from experts with higher degrees (a master�s, Ph.D.
or medical degree in nutrition or exercise science) from reputable universities
who are also specialists in fitness and/or nutrition. Watch out for fitness
trainers who give nutrition advice when they�re not qualified.
Week 5: Martica�s Eat Smart Tips

(continued)
< Previous | 1 | 2
3. Pick Permanent Changes
To create a healthier lifestyle that will stay with you permanently, remove the
temptations. This way, you don�t have to waste so much energy resisting them (and
then expend even more energy feeling guilty when you don�t). Choose some eating
principles to live by; make a few rules that you stick to that will give healthful
structure to your overall eating plan. This will give you some leeway in those
areas that are harder for you to resist.
By now, you�ve got a good idea of which eating strategies are no-brainers�and
which ones make you feel totally deprived and obsessed with what you�re missing
out on. If you want your weight loss to last, you simply can�t pig out at every
opportunity. But, you can absorb a few indulgences along the way�by increasing
your activity or making lower-calorie choices elsewhere.
Over the past five weeks, you�ve experimented with cutting down on�or completely
cutting out�key calorie-contributors to your day, which include:
Binges that come from eating too infrequently.

Alcohol.
Sweetened drinks.
Not enough water.
Fattening spreads and dressings.
Fattening and fried meats, poultry and other foods.
High-calorie restaurant foods.
Oversized portions.
A lack of fiber from plant foods.
Full-fat dairy products.
Now decide which strategies you can permanently adopt. Would it be easy to snack
between meals, always use low-fat spreads and completely cut out sweetened drinks?
Or would it be easier to eat what you like, but limit the portions and add
vegetables and fruit into the mix to meet your nutrient quota? Maybe it�s
switching to skim milk and less sugar in your coffee, or allowing yourself small
amounts of regular cheese. If you can�t skip dessert when eating out, can you skip
the wine or beer?
To help counteract extra calories you may eat, choose a few activities that you
can easily fit into your life every day. (Avoid those that require heroic efforts
to follow consistently.) You may not be able to commit to 90-minute walks every
day, but can you vow to never take an escalator or elevator if you�re looking at
five floors or less? You may not be able to make an exercise class at the gym
every week, but you can schedule yourself to start every Monday and Wednesday with
a fitness video before jumping into the shower. How about taking your dog for
longer walks? Can you give up your nightly sitcom or reality show unless you�re
watching it while walking on the treadmill or riding a stationary bike? Can you
swear to yourself that you�ll never circle parking lots looking for the closest
space again�that you�ll park as far away from the handicapped spots as
possible�forever?
Commit to food and fitness rules that will become daily habits, just like brushing
your teeth, opening the mail and taking a shower or bath. You don�t need to go
crazy. Be realistic and commit to what�s truly doable.
4. Learn to Love Food Differently
Many people find it hard to diet because they not only feel deprived, they miss
some of their favorite foods and flavors. Let�s face it, fast food and processed
food are designed to suck your taste buds in. They�re usually a highly flavored
and tasty combination of salt and fat, or sugar and fat. It�s normal to prefer a
soda, fries, chips or a succulent dessert over, say, a celery stick.
The solution? Don�t force celery sticks down your throat! Instead, try new foods
until you find some that you like, even love. As you adopt more healthful items
into your diet, you may find previous favorites unappealing�chicken wings suddenly
seem greasy and gross; french fries make you feel bloated; soda tastes sickeningly
sweet. On the other hand, you might not lose your love for certain junk foods,
which is OK�if you can turn them into a �sometimes� food to be eaten infrequently,
and if you can limit portions. This way, occasionally including them in you diet
won�t derail you and prevent you from seeing results.
In order to learn to love new healthful foods, try low-fat cooking recipes and
experiment with every fruit, vegetable, bean and grain under the sun, including:
Dark green veggies; orange veggies; starchy vegetables like carrots, parsnips and
turnips; beans like lentils, black beans, soybeans, chick peas, black-eyed peas,
pigeon peas, fava beans, cannelloni beans, lima beans; and grains like quinoa,
wheat kernels, oat kernels, barley, amaranth, black rice, wild rice and brown
rice.
You may find that you absolutely love kale and artichoke hearts doused with olive
oil, garlic, lemon juice and salt. Or you may crave smoothies made of melon,
blueberries, ice and mint. You may start off every meal with carrot sticks dipped
in hummus, or a salad made with avocado, arugula and yellow tomatoes. Keep
experimenting until healthy food obsessions become part of your daily repertoire.
To follow the plan this week (and for the rest of your life): Continue to record
everything you eat on your Diet Diary. Keep a running total of the calories that
you eat per day and stay within your target range. When planning meals, first
determine your daily calorie intake. Then distribute your total daily caloric
allotment as follows:
Breakfast: 400 to 600 calories

Morning snack: 100 to 200 calories
Lunch: 400 to 600 calories
Afternoon snack: 100 to 200 calories
Dinner: 350 to 550 calories
Evening snack: 50 to 150 calories
Eat Smart Tips

< Previous | 1 | 2

full bio.)
Fast Fat Burn

View more MSN videosGo to ExerciseTVAbout Health & FitnessMSN Health & Fitness
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MSN privacyLegalAdvertiseRSSHelpFeedbackCorrections� 2008 MicrosoftBack in the
�70s and �80s, diets were advertised with big promises: Lose 10 pounds a week!
Lose 30 pounds in one month! And many of them delivered in a big way. Of course,
if you ate nothing but grapefruit for days at a time, or existed solely on a
liquid shake that provided you with only 400 calories a day, you�d lose weight in
a heartbeat. But these very low calorie diets were ultimately ineffective. Even
though millions of people shed massive amounts of weight quickly, they gained it
back when they returned to normal eating habits. Plus, they put their health at
risk.
Very low is too low
While it�s not unusual to gain weight after going off any diet, very low-calorie
diets that provide less than 800 calories per day are particularly problematic. No
matter what kinds of foods are eaten with this approach (high protein, a
�nutritionally-balanced� formula, lots of fruits and vegetables, etc.), if the
calorie count is too low, then the body is put in a semi-starvation state.
Side effects of going too low can include constipation, dry skin, hair loss,
nausea, gout, gallstones and diarrhea.
Drastic perturbations of the body�s normal balance are highly disruptive. It does
what it can to survive. In the case of semi-starvation, once the body�s blood
sugar supplies are used up, the body breaks down protein stores�think muscle mass
and enzymes�to help create more blood sugar that the brain and blood cells need to
survive.
The body suffers when protein tissues are lost. So to slow down the rate of
protein breakdown, the rate of fat breakdown speeds up. As a result, ketones are
produced (noticeable because of a putrid, fruity breath), and these are used by
the cells that normally rely on glucose for energy. With ketones present, the loss
of protein and lean body mass is minimized for a while. Severe levels of this
state, known as ketosis, can lead to ketoacidosis, which is dangerous and
potentially fatal.
Not only that, cutting calories too low puts you at risk of missing out on
nutrients your body needs to function. One reason that many very low-calorie diets
are supplemented with vitamins and minerals, or why they recommend that you take
supplements when following the diet, is that eating too little food can leave you
lacking. The problem with relying on supplements is that there are many food-
substances that aren�t in supplements, and it�s always more healthful to get
nutrients from real food over pills.
Some liquid diets contain ingredients meant to replenish missing nutrients. Even
so, extreme energy restriction can wreak havoc on the body, including a rapid loss
of muscle mass. Damage to heart tissue, low blood pressure and fluid imbalances
could also result from the lack of sufficient calories. (Anorexics who are
chronically deficient in calories suffer similar fates.) Not surprisingly, there
have been deaths associated with very low-calorie liquid diets.
Trying to exercise while on a very low-calorie diet is not a good idea; the body�s
starvation state is exacerbated because the exercise calls for even more energy.
Today, few people are put on a very low-calorie diet�it�s only recommended when an
extremely overweight person is in imminent medical danger unless they lose weight.
Even then it�s done under medical supervision.
Over the long term, losing weight slowly is the healthiest approach�plus, it�s an
effective strategy for reducing abdominal fat and total body weight.
CONTINUED: How low should you go?

Calories on a Diet: How Low Can You Go?
(continued)
< Previous | 1 | 2
How low should you go?
It�s generally recommended that you reduce the amount of calories you normally eat
by about 500 to 1,000 calories per day. This theoretically leads to one to two
pounds of weight loss per week. To do this, you need to know the average number of
calories you take in.
Let�s say you normally eat 3,000 calories a day. If you followed a diet where you
ate 2,500 calories per day, you would lose weight�and still feel satisfied, not
hungry all the time. Contrast that with a drastic drop, a very low calorie diet
where you�d cut what you eat by, say, 75 percent to eat about 750 calories per
day. You�d be famished.
Instead of shaving off 500 calories from what you normally eat, you could also
choose to follow a diet based on a fixed amount of calories, say, 1,200 or 1,500.
You�re almost certain to lose weight this way, but how much will vary from person
to person. The person who normally eats 2,800 calories a day and drops down to
1,200 will lose a lot of weight, but will probably struggle. The person who eats
only 1,800 and drops to 1,500 will lose less weight but may have an easier time
sticking to the diet.
Although dieting produces more drastic calorie cuts than exercise, you should take
up a combination of both for best results. By adding in more physical activity,
you don�t have to cut as many calories�which may make dieting easier. Plus, you
maintain more muscle mass that might be lost with dieting. And you get the health
benefits of exercise, regardless of whether weight is lost.
Aim for 1,200 calories�or more
The National Institutes of Health�s obesity guidelines recommend aiming for a diet
that is about 1,200 calories per day minimum. This will vary for men (1,200 to
1,500 calories per day) and women (1,000 to 1,200 calories per day). And how
active you are makes a difference, too. If you are adding in an hour or more of
high intensity exercise, you may want to add a few hundred more calories to fuel
the exercise so you don�t drop too low.
The USDA Dietary Guidelines recommend that when individuals are losing weight,
they should follow a diet that is within the Acceptable Macronutrient Distribution
Ranges. Fat should be 20 percent to 35 percent of total calories�saturated fats
should be less than 10 percent. Carbohydrates should make up 45 percent to 65
percent of total calories, and protein should comprise 10 percent to 35 percent of
total calories.
So in other words, a diet of 1,500 calories per day should consist of about 300 to
525 calories per day worth of fat (and mostly unsaturated types), 675 to 975
calories worth of carbohydrates (and mostly �good,� less processed carb foods),
and 150 to 525 calories worth of protein.
Everybody throws the word �calories� around, but not many people truly understand
what a calorie is, or exactly how the number and different types of calories, and
the different ways that they are used in the body, relate to weight loss. Here�s
the scoop:
A calorie is a unit of energy. When your body needs energy, your body burns
calories from the food you eat or from the calories stored in your body in fat,
glucose (or glycogen) and/or protein.
Calories in food
Foods provide calories. Whenever you eat or drink, the calories you take in are
used or stored for later use. Here are some examples of the amount of calories
provided by different foods.
� A slice of bread has about 65 calories.
� An apple has about 50 calories.
� A beer has about 200 calories.
� A candy bar may contain about 250 calories.
� A piece of chocolate cake may have 400 calories.
� A super-loaded cheeseburger may have up to 800 calories.
Keep in mind that this number is rarely exact because the portion size and exact
ingredients makes a difference. So not every apple will have exactly 50 calories,
and not every serving of lasagna will have, say, 300 calories.
Types of Calories
There are different types of calories that provide energy. These are known as the
macronutrients: protein, carbohydrates and fat. (Alcohol also provides some energy
but is not considered a main fuel source.) At the same given amount, each of these
substances provides a slightly different number of calories:
� One gram of protein equals four calories
� One gram of carbs equals four calories
� One gram of fat equals nine calories
So fat has twice the amount of energy as the same portion of protein or carbs.
That is why it is easy to take in a large amount of calories if you eat a high fat
diet�a small amount packs a big punch.
Which food has what type of calorie?
Most foods contain combinations of protein, fats and carbs, and all forms of
calories should be included in your diet. There are very few foods that consist of
only one type of calorie.
For example, while people commonly think of bread as a 'carb' food, in fact, bread
contains carbs and protein calories, and if it's olive-bread, for example, may
contain fat calories, too. The majority of calories may come from carbs, but you
get a mix. Nuts and beans contain a mix of carbs, protein and fats.
Meats are not just protein, but contain a mix of protein and fat calories.
Your daily calorie intake
How many calories you eat all day is considered to be your daily caloric intake.
If you eat 2,000 calories per day, then a portion of this total amount will
consists of fats, protein and carbohydrates. The USDA dietary guidelines recommend
that your overall diet consist of 20 percent to 35 percent fat, (saturated fats
should be less than 10 percent), 45 percent to 65 percent carbohydrates, and 10
percent to 35 percent protein. So, for example, if you were to eat 25 percent fat,
then a 2,000 calorie-per-day meal plan would contain about 500 calories worth of
fat overall�or about 56 grams of fat over the day (500 calories divided by nine
grams of fat).
Since most foods contain a mix of these macronutrients, it�s not easy to figure
out these percentages unless you keep a very detailed log with very comprehensive
calculations. For example, if you ate a handful of nuts you would have to break
down the amount of protein, fat and carbohydrate calories in that portion and add
it to your daily totals.
The most common way to determine your macronutrient breakdown is to enter one or
more days of your complete food intake into nutrition analysis software. These
programs will analyze the type and amount of each food item and then provide a
total of the distribution of nutrients you have consumed. You can assess your food
intake on the USDA Web site MyPyramid.com.
You can also use food labels to assess your diet. However, you can�t go by a
single label to determine your total day�s intake; you must tally the total
calories and nutrient amounts for everything you eat in a day.
It is OK to include some foods that are considered to be high in fat such as

avocados, nuts and olives. Not only are these high in fat, they are high in �good�
unsaturated fats, and also high in other nutrients. As long as they consist of
only a portion of what you eat in a day, they will not cause you to have a high-
fat diet. On the other hand, if you eat lots of fast food or junk food that is
fried or made with saturated or hydrogenated fats and oils, it is very likely that
you would have a diet that is, overall, very high in fat.
You can find out the nutrient breakdown for specific foods from the USDA National
Nutrient Database. Simple enter the food type and amount.
CONTINUED: How calories are stored in your body

Carbohydrate calories get broken down into glucose molecules once your food is
eaten and digested. Some of these linger in your blood to be carried and used for
energy by various cells. Some glucose is stored as glycogen in your liver and
muscles and is broken down for later use.
Fat is used in the form of fatty acids, and it is stored in fat cells in the body
to be broken down and used later.
Protein, or various amino acids, can be an energy source, but it�s a last-resort
form of energy�the body prefers fats and carbohydrates. So protein energy is not
really �stored,� but used to build things the body needs�like hormones, enzyme,
hair and skin, for example. That is why when the body�s main forms of energy are
being depleted (such as during a drastic diet or starvation), the body breaks down
protein to provide energy.
Generally, your body burns a high percentage of fat; there are endless supplies
stored in fat cells all over the body. The percentage of fat that your body uses
for its energy needs varies, but it burns more fat when you are at rest, or
exercising/moving at easy intensities, or when you eat more fat. The more
cardiovascularly fit you become, the higher percentage of fat your body will burn.
Carbs, or glucose, is also a primary fuel source. Since carbs are in limited
supply, they are used for quick-acting bursts of energy such as sprinting or
lifting something heavy. But fat needs glucose molecules in order to be burned, so
you always use a few carbs in order to utilize your fat energy.
Avoid the confusion that many people have about the percentage of fat a body
burns. Some people believe that they burn more fat when they exercise at lower
intensities and assume that this can help them lose the most weight. What�s most
important for weight loss is not the percentage of fat burned, but how many total
calories are burned.
For more information, read my articles Triggering Your Body to Burn Fat and How
High Should Heart Rates Go?
Burning calories
Every cell in your body needs some energy to do its thing. So even when you are
sleeping or sitting watching TV, you are burning calories. How many calories you
burn depends on how much energy your body needs to perform whatever action it is
performing�from daydreaming to running. At rest, a body uses, on average one to
one-and-a-half calories per minute. Once you move more, you require more energy
and burn more calories. A person exercising can burn anywhere from three to 15
calories per minute (depending upon weight among other factors).
A heavier body has more muscle, larger organs and more mass so it uses more
energy. That is why a 104-pound person walking at 3.5 miles per hour may only burn
about four calories per minute, while a 203-pound person walking at the same speed
can burn about eight calories per minute.
Keep in mind that it is difficult, if not impossible, to know exactly how many
calories your body burns at any given moment. Estimates you see on calculators, in
magazines, or on exercise machines are simply estimates. Many factors can affect
your calorie burn including your weight, your intensity and individual genetic
factors, among others.
When you calculate how many calories your burn from activity, it is important to
note that the total calorie figure you may come up with includes the number of
calories you would have burned anyway, even if you were not exercising. So if you
walked at 3.5 miles per hour, burning five calories a minute, in 30 minutes you
would burn about 150 calories. However, if you rested during that time you would
have burned about 30 calories. So the actual calories above and beyond your normal
metabolism would be about 120, not 150. That means you�re burning an extra four
calories per minute, not five. One of the five calories would have been expended
even if you were resting.
Weight loss all boils down to what is known as the energy equation: To lose weight
you need to create a caloric deficit by eating less, or burning more, than your
daily energy requirements. So, you need to take in fewer calories from food (and
it doesn't matter if you eat fewer carb, fat or protein calories, as long as you
meet your daily nutrient needs.) Or you need to use up more calories by burning
more from physical activity. Over time, the caloric deficit you create will result
in fat loss and/or pounds lost on the scale."
Hatha yoga includes meditation and exercises to help you improve flexibility and
breathing, decrease stress, and maintain health. People have practiced yoga for
thousands of years in India. Yoga is based on the idea that the mind and body are
one. Practitioners believe that yoga improves health by improving how you see the
world, which calms the spirit and decreases stress.
Two basic components of Hatha yoga are proper breathing and exercises, called
postures, that stretch the body. You do postures while standing, lying down,
sitting in a chair, or in a headstand position. While practicing a posture, you do
breathing exercises to help relax your muscles, maintain the posture, and focus
your mind.
Hatha is one of many types of yoga. While each type focuses on different aspects
of yoga, all share the same goal, which is not only improved physical and mental
health, but achievement of "oneness" with a higher being, the self, or some form
of higher awareness.
What is yoga used for?

Most people who try yoga for meditation find that it increases their flexibility
and reduces stress. If you suffer from a long-term (chronic) medical condition,
you can often combine yoga and conventional medical treatment.
Several studies have shown that yoga helps lower blood pressure, improves a
person's sense of well-being, and can help people who have asthma learn to breathe
more easily. A recent study determined that a 6-month yoga program improved
fatigue in people with multiple sclerosis (MS).1
Is yoga safe?
Experts consider yoga to be safe.
Always tell your doctor if you are using an alternative therapy or if you are
thinking about combining an alternative therapy with your conventional medical
treatment. It may not be safe to forgo your conventional medical treatment and
rely only on an alternative therapy.
Like any physical activity, yoga can cause muscle strains or sprains. Gentle
stretching before a yoga session can help prevent injuries.
content by:
I was doing really well until..." As a doctor who counsels women trying to lose
weight, I've heard this too many times. An upset patient settles into the
overstuffed armchair across from my desk, and utters her tale of defeat.
You've probably said those words yourself, dozens of times. You're doing great,
eating right, working out regularly, and something happens. You hurt your back or
shoulder and find it difficult to train. Maybe life just gets crazy and suddenly
you're missing workouts and turning to food for comfort. The hell with mini-meals
and lean protein. What you need is a pile of cookies.
I sympathize�I've had my share of those days. But life happens. I have no doubt
that you're a master at helping the people you care about get through tough times.
But when things get funky in your life, do you give yourself the same treatment?
The following 10 steps are all about turning that feminine impulse to nurture
inward and becoming your own best caregiver, regardless of the obstacles life
places in your path. These principles will help you stay on track, no matter what
life throws at you.
Pledge to Change
You've had it. You're tired of feeling like crud every day, and you're determined
to get in shape, mentally and physically.
Hold on. You may be champing at the bit to overhaul your diet, start
exercising�become the new you. But if your positive changes are to be permanent,
you need to recognize the adversity you'll face. I want you to put your intentions
in writing and acknowledge the difficult times to come. On the best stationery you
can find�no scrap paper�write out and complete the following contract.
I, ______________________ , commit to starting my weight loss program on

___________ (date). I believe that I can accept and complete my challenge to the
best of my ability.
I realize this is work and accept the self-care price I must pay to achieve my
mental and physical transformation.
I commit to keeping a daily journal that tracks my progress and forgives my

slipups.
I will practice these 10 principles to help myself stay the course.
I will expect and adapt to adversity and see tough times as learning
opportunities.
I will strive to take action and not to ruminate, bitch, moan, or whine.
I will be self-assertive and fight for the right to take care of myself.
I will acknowledge and reward myself for my achievements along the way.
You will do battle with your inner demons that try to pull you back into your
familiar, self-destructive ways. But in the end, you'll win. Every time you
embrace this challenge, you're one step closer to the best woman you can be.
CONTINUED: Find your motivation.

When I was in medical school, I was taught that the greatest motivation to change
an unhealthy lifestyle is the desire to prevent or treat a disease. But I have a
vivid memory of a woman I sent packing after a coronary bypass, who told me she
couldn't wait to load up on her favorite fast food and light a cigarette to
celebrate.
Often, getting healthy isn't enough motivation. That's why I'm asking you to
create a Motivational Target�like an archery target with inner and outer rings.
The outer rings include the reasons you feel obligated to make a change, such as
your health, and the inner rings are the deeply personal, maybe even hidden
reasons that make you want to change. Here's how to do it.
Sit down with a piece of blank white paper. Draw an archery target�at least four
rings and a bull's-eye. Ask yourself one question: Why do I want to change my
body? Write down the first three answers that come to mind.
Chances are, they represent your Global Motivations: I want to change because I
want to be healthier. I want to change because I'll die if I don't. Distill your
answers into simple phrases and write them in the outermost ring.
Now go deeper. Ask again: Why do I want to change? Look for answers that stop you
in your tracks. They might be serious or humorous. Write out the first three you
think of and turn each into a key phrase.
These are your Target Motivations, and you need to anchor them with a Mantra that
will conjure up its power when you need it most. It should be simple, contain a
powerful visual image if possible, and smack you in the head like an invisible
two-by-four so it will knock you out of your "I gotta eat" trance. It should also
contain the phrases "run from" and "run to." Here's an example of how you might
come up with a Mantra.
Say your Target Motivation is to be happy, fit, and free, living life to the
fullest. But right now, there's a package of Oreos screaming at you. So what's the
consequence of giving in? How about this: You're standing in the hot summer sun,
dressed in dark, shapeless clothing that feels like a shroud. You're sweating as
you watch others jog in shorts, bike in colorful clothes, and enjoy life. So
"sweaty shroud" is what you run from. What do you want to run to? After some
thought, you might conjure up a vision of yourself on a bike, clad in a pair of
clingy biking shorts, riding up a long hill on a country road. You look and feel
fit and free. You're joyful, happy, loving life. Okay. You've got it.
Motivation Mantra: Run from sweaty shroud; run to bike ride on country road,
feeling joyful and free.
Repeat this process for each of the inner rings. You'll end up with at least three
Target Motivations, any one of which can function as your bull's-eye.
Learn to Let Joy In
When I meet a patient, one of the first questions I ask is, "What in your life
gives you joy?" Women often say, "My partner" or "My kids." My response is, "Aside
from your family, what gives you joy?" Too often, the reply is a blank stare.
Caring for a family is one aspect of what makes you whole. You must find what else
brings you joy, whether that's returning to school, writing, growing a garden, or
cooking gourmet meals.
One way to start along the path to joy is to stop each time you're confronted with
a demand on your time and ask yourself this question: "Will this thing, event, or
person bring me joy?" If the answer is, "Absolutely," congratulations�you've
discovered what you need. If you answer, "I don't know," then give it a try.
You'll know soon enough. But if the answer is, "No," why would you let it into
your life? If you can't avoid it, limit the time you devote to it.
You may have to put in some work to find joy. At the age of 40, I laced up my
sneakers and gave running a try. Now I'm in training for my third marathon.
Next to the armchair that my patients use during their appointments sits a ceramic
jar labeled "Dr. Peeke's Early Retirement Fund." When a patient starts in with the
negative self-comments, she has to put $1 into the jar. At the rate some of my
patients are going, I'll be playing golf 24-7 in no time.
Listen to yourself: "I'm stupid, I'm fat, I'm ugly, I'm a failure, my legs are too
short..." I call this a Rumination Rut. The dictionary definition of ruminate is
"to go over in the mind repeatedly." The next definition is "to chew repeatedly
for an extended period." Let's see, stewing and chewing in response to stress�boy,
did Webster get that right. This leaves you vulnerable to BMW�bitching, moaning,
and whining�about your body, your willpower, your behind, your this, your that.
The biggest source of BMW-ing is refusing to accept that transformation takes
mental and physical sweat, intensity, mindfulness, and focus�all the things, by
the way, that you apply to your job, your kids, and your relationships.
Getting out of the rut is straightforward: Employ any distraction technique at

your disposal. Get off the couch and go for a walk. Take the kids bowling or
roller-skating. Clean out your closets. Do anything but let your brain hold your
butt hostage.
Forget Perfection, Embrace Progress
Some women have a huge problem with this principle because all their lives,
they've tried to be perfect�perfect wife, perfect mother, perfect employee,
perfect friend. Is this your story, too? Look, no woman�no human�diets and trains
perfectly day after day, so striving for perfection is a prescription for guilt.
It eats away at the positive energy you need for making progress.
"Progress, not perfection" means that if you work hard and keep your focus 80% of
the time, you're doing great. The other 20% of the time, you get to be
human�fallible. Did you miss your workout today? No worries. You'll regroup and
bounce back tomorrow.
Here's where keeping a journal will come in handy. Reflect on your day and write
down at least three things that you did well and that helped you move forward.
This gives you positive reinforcement and helps you build momentum because you're
giving yourself credit where credit is due.
Control Stress, Find Peace
For most women, stress is a constant companion. It's there as they speed to work,
pay the bills, or pick up a gallon of milk at 10:30 at night so everyone can have
cereal the next morning. In one survey on stress conducted by the National Women's
Health Resource Center, nearly 93% of the 681 people surveyed described the level
of stress in their daily lives as moderate or higher. Fewer than half said they
always felt capable of coping with it.
There are two main categories of stress in a woman's life. Everyday stress is the
kind we expect and should be able to manage: the daily commute, the parking
ticket, the computer malfunction; stresses from major milestones, like getting
married or having a child, are tougher but also manageable.
Toxic stress, on the other hand, grinds you down day after day, year after year.
It erodes your immune system and makes PMS and perimenopause a living hell. It
also ramps up your appetite for comfort foods and can pack on pounds of fat deep
inside your tummy, expanding your girth and making you more vulnerable to heart
disease, diabetes, and cancer. Work is a huge source of toxic stress for
women�perhaps the biggest. In one study of more than 21,000 nurses (the ultimate
caretakers), Harvard University researchers concluded that on-the-job stress
weakens a woman's health as much as smoking or a sedentary lifestyle. My Stress Rx
signs will help. You can make these signs and photocopy several. In really big,
colorful letters, write:
STOP!
The Answer Is NOT in Here.
Tape these to your fridge, kitchen cabinets, pantry�even on the vending machine at
work, if you dare. When you confront this sign, close your eyes for a second. Take
a deep breath and say, "The answer is not in this fridge/vending machine/pantry."
Your second sign should read:
The Answer Is Here.
Tape this to your workout bag or your dumbbells at home, your bath salts, your
favorite relaxing CD, your treadmill, your favorite herbal tea, or your phone.
After stopping at the first sign, walk quickly toward this one. This is what will
truly soothe you. Sip a mug of your favorite tea. Be with your feelings. Honor
that new voice inside you. It's the voice of empowerment, and each time you
withstand stress in a positive way, the voice will become louder and stronger.
Buddha said, "We are what we think. With our thoughts, we make the world." If
you're in a continual state of depression, anger, frustration, or fatigue, your
world will feel pretty small and unfulfilling. That's why I want you to commit to
practicing relaxation techniques.
Research supports meditation's positive effects on mood. What's more, it appears

to literally change the minds of those who practice it. In a study published in
2002 in the Journal of Psychosomatic Medicine, brain scans of new meditators who
were guided in meditation 3 hours a week for 8 weeks showed significant increases
in activity in a part of the brain associated with positive emotion. What's more,
the heightened activity persisted for at least 4 months after the experiment, when
the study participants were scanned again.
Meditation, yoga, tai chi, progressive relaxation�it doesn't matter which you
choose, as long as you like it and do it regularly. I recommend that you take a
class, but if you can't, buy a book or video. Taking a class serves three
purposes: You get correct instruction, meet other like-minded people, and
automatically build some "me" time into your day.
If you want to experiment on your own, try walking meditation. It's just what it
sounds like: combining a walk with quiet reflection. Don't think about a
destination. Simply turn your full attention to the movements that make up the act
of walking. Break it down to its basics. For example, as you lift each foot,
silently say to yourself "lift." As you move your leg forward, say "move." Then
say "step" as you place your foot on the ground. The more you focus on these
movements, the calmer you'll feel.
Learn to Stay Calm in a Crisis
You must practice your self-care as best you can in the worst of times. The
ability to regroup allows you to continue a healthy eating and activity plan no
matter what the crisis. Your goal is to keep regrouping until you achieve a new
plan that works for you.
Plan A is your life on schedule. You eat breakfast every day at 7 am, you walk on
your lunch hour, you have your "me" time every night after 9, when you put the
kids to bed. Plan A goes seamlessly about once a year. Relish the moment.
Plan B is your life on stress. You've been up all night with your youngest, who
has a nasty bout of stomach flu, so you're sleeping when you usually eat your egg-
white omelet. You're under the gun at work, so the big report takes precedence
over your walk. Your mom and sister are having another one of their interstate
wars, so you've been on the phone with one or the other every night, instead of
cozying up with a book. So how do you tend to your self-care? You go to Plan Me.
This is your fallback, the way to take care of your needs in the midst of chaos.
To prepare this plan, write down what your healthy eating and activity plan would
look like on a low-stress day. That's Plan A. Now make a list of everything that
could wreck that plan and rewrite it, devising ways to work around these problems.
Here's a simple example: It's too cold to take your Plan A walk. Go to Plan
Me�walking in the mall or on the health club's treadmill.
If you really get off track, Plan Me can be 3 days of withdrawal and regrouping to
regain momentum. In those 3 days, you'll refocus on Plan A, practice it, and let
it gel before diving in again.
Fight for Your Self-care
I see women try to get their partners and family to help create time for their
self-care. Meeting resistance, the women simply give up. Not anymore. You're
learning to stand your ground and make it work. You realize you're not being
selfish, you're just asking for balance.
Every successful company has a mission statement�a paragraph or two that states
why it exists, whom it serves, and what it hopes to achieve. Knowing your mission
teaches you to set boundaries, draw a line in the sand, and say, "This is my time,
and I'm here to defend it." You're on your treadmill and the phone rings. That's
why there's voice mail. The call can wait. Your self-care can't.
Write down no more than 10 sentences that describe what you want to accomplish in
your life and what is important to you, both personally and professionally. You
could focus on being the best spouse, mother, and daughter you can be. But don't
forget to commit to honoring your intellectual, physical, and spiritual needs�and
above all, your rights as an individual.
To cure a chronic case of "yes-itis," here's what to do the next time you're asked
to do something that you can't or don't want to do:
1. Ask yourself, Will saying yes further my mission statement? For example, if
you've already volunteered for countless PTA events in the past year, do you
really need to take on another?
2. If the answer is no, say in a calm and caring tone, "I'm so sorry, but that
doesn't work for me right now. Maybe next time." Wow. Saying this shows that you
know what works for you. Now, once you've said it, stick to it. Stand up to anyone
who tries to argue you down. Keep your refusal courteous but definite, short but
sweet, and don't get into a debate.
Form a 911 Squad
Research shows that people trying to make healthy lifestyle changes are more
likely to succeed when they have a strong support network. With a minimum of
effort, you can assemble your very own Estrogen Squad.
Call one or more members of your Estrogen Squad when you're about to do something
self-destructive�like blow off your workout or embark on a binge. Choose one or
two people you most depend on, with whom you feel comfortable sharing your deepest
feelings�your mother or sister, a special aunt, maybe even a teenage daughter.
Then choose the one or two friends who have given you the most support and
encouragement, or who might like to join your efforts. Consider including a
personal trainer, a therapist, or your family doctor, if he or she is caring and
supportive of your goals.
Those in your squad should be kind, of course, and willing to reply to your calls,
e-mails, and more. They should also be able to look you straight in the face and
tell you that dress doesn't work for you, or that you're making everyone nuts with
your endless BMW-ing. A sassy sense of humor never hurts, either.
A woman's efforts are most successful when supported by her assertive, witty,
loving, and nurturing sisters. Armed with her Estrogen Squad, a woman will see her
quest for mental and physical transformation become a reality.
One of my favorite maxims is "In the midst of difficulty lies opportunity." I

don't see mistakes�I see opportunities to learn. Open your heart to the lessons.
If you view challenging life events as opportunities to recommit to your self-care
rather than as overwhelming obstacles, you will overcome them. If you should lose
your footing along the way, review these principles. You know the answers are here
and inside of you.
Buddha said, "We are what we think. With our thoughts, we make the world." If
you're in a continual state of depression, anger, frustration, or fatigue, your
world will feel pretty small and unfulfilling. That's why I want you to commit to
practicing relaxation techniques.
Research supports meditation's positive effects on mood. What's more, it appears

to literally change the minds of those who practice it. In a study published in
2002 in the Journal of Psychosomatic Medicine, brain scans of new meditators who
were guided in meditation 3 hours a week for 8 weeks showed significant increases
in activity in a part of the brain associated with positive emotion. What's more,
the heightened activity persisted for at least 4 months after the experiment, when
the study participants were scanned again.
Meditation, yoga, tai chi, progressive relaxation�it doesn't matter which you
choose, as long as you like it and do it regularly. I recommend that you take a
class, but if you can't, buy a book or video. Taking a class serves three
purposes: You get correct instruction, meet other like-minded people, and
automatically build some "me" time into your day.
If you want to experiment on your own, try walking meditation. It's just what it
sounds like: combining a walk with quiet reflection. Don't think about a
destination. Simply turn your full attention to the movements that make up the act
of walking. Break it down to its basics. For example, as you lift each foot,
silently say to yourself "lift." As you move your leg forward, say "move." Then
say "step" as you place your foot on the ground. The more you focus on these
movements, the calmer you'll feel.
Learn to Stay Calm in a Crisis
You must practice your self-care as best you can in the worst of times. The
ability to regroup allows you to continue a healthy eating and activity plan no
matter what the crisis. Your goal is to keep regrouping until you achieve a new
plan that works for you.
Plan A is your life on schedule. You eat breakfast every day at 7 am, you walk on
your lunch hour, you have your "me" time every night after 9, when you put the
kids to bed. Plan A goes seamlessly about once a year. Relish the moment.
Plan B is your life on stress. You've been up all night with your youngest, who
has a nasty bout of stomach flu, so you're sleeping when you usually eat your egg-
white omelet. You're under the gun at work, so the big report takes precedence
over your walk. Your mom and sister are having another one of their interstate
wars, so you've been on the phone with one or the other every night, instead of
cozying up with a book. So how do you tend to your self-care? You go to Plan Me.
This is your fallback, the way to take care of your needs in the midst of chaos.
To prepare this plan, write down what your healthy eating and activity plan would
look like on a low-stress day. That's Plan A. Now make a list of everything that
could wreck that plan and rewrite it, devising ways to work around these problems.
Here's a simple example: It's too cold to take your Plan A walk. Go to Plan
Me�walking in the mall or on the health club's treadmill.
If you really get off track, Plan Me can be 3 days of withdrawal and regrouping to
regain momentum. In those 3 days, you'll refocus on Plan A, practice it, and let
it gel before diving in again.
Fight for Your Self-care
I see women try to get their partners and family to help create time for their
self-care. Meeting resistance, the women simply give up. Not anymore. You're
learning to stand your ground and make it work. You realize you're not being
selfish, you're just asking for balance.
Every successful company has a mission statement�a paragraph or two that states
why it exists, whom it serves, and what it hopes to achieve. Knowing your mission
teaches you to set boundaries, draw a line in the sand, and say, "This is my time,
and I'm here to defend it." You're on your treadmill and the phone rings. That's
why there's voice mail. The call can wait. Your self-care can't.
Write down no more than 10 sentences that describe what you want to accomplish in
your life and what is important to you, both personally and professionally. You
could focus on being the best spouse, mother, and daughter you can be. But don't
forget to commit to honoring your intellectual, physical, and spiritual needs�and
above all, your rights as an individual.
To cure a chronic case of "yes-itis," here's what to do the next time you're asked
to do something that you can't or don't want to do:
1. Ask yourself, Will saying yes further my mission statement? For example, if
you've already volunteered for countless PTA events in the past year, do you
really need to take on another?
2. If the answer is no, say in a calm and caring tone, "I'm so sorry, but that
doesn't work for me right now. Maybe next time." Wow. Saying this shows that you
know what works for you. Now, once you've said it, stick to it. Stand up to anyone
who tries to argue you down. Keep your refusal courteous but definite, short but
sweet, and don't get into a debate.
Form a 911 Squad
Research shows that people trying to make healthy lifestyle changes are more
likely to succeed when they have a strong support network. With a minimum of
effort, you can assemble your very own Estrogen Squad.
Call one or more members of your Estrogen Squad when you're about to do something
self-destructive�like blow off your workout or embark on a binge. Choose one or
two people you most depend on, with whom you feel comfortable sharing your deepest
feelings�your mother or sister, a special aunt, maybe even a teenage daughter.
Then choose the one or two friends who have given you the most support and
encouragement, or who might like to join your efforts. Consider including a
personal trainer, a therapist, or your family doctor, if he or she is caring and
supportive of your goals.
Those in your squad should be kind, of course, and willing to reply to your calls,
e-mails, and more. They should also be able to look you straight in the face and
tell you that dress doesn't work for you, or that you're making everyone nuts with
your endless BMW-ing. A sassy sense of humor never hurts, either.
A woman's efforts are most successful when supported by her assertive, witty,
loving, and nurturing sisters. Armed with her Estrogen Squad, a woman will see her
quest for mental and physical transformation become a reality.
One of my favorite maxims is "In the midst of difficulty lies opportunity." I

don't see mistakes�I see opportunities to learn. Open your heart to the lessons.
If you view challenging life events as opportunities to recommit to your self-care
rather than as overwhelming obstacles, you will overcome them. If you should lose
your footing along the way, review these principles. You know the answers are here
and inside of you.
If lifestyle approaches don�t help relieve insomnia, you may want to talk to your
clinician about sleep medications.
Over-the-counter sleep aids, such as Sominex, Nytol products, and Unisom, may help
with short-term insomnia. Most contain an antihistamine, such as diphenhydramine
(also found in the allergy medication Benadryl). Nonprescription pain relievers
that promote a comfortable night�s sleep (such as Tylenol PM) contain an
antihistamine plus an analgesic. Antihistamines can cause lingering sluggishness
and fatigue.
Newer prescription sleeping pills have fewer side effects and are less addictive
than earlier formulations. However, they still may cause problems, including
confusion or sluggishness the next day and dependency. Some prescription sleep
medications (hypnotics) alter normal sleep patterns, so the resulting slumber may
not be as restful as sleep that comes naturally. That�s why these drugs should be
used only for short periods. Also, tolerance can develop, so they may cease to be
effective after a week or two.
The most popular prescription sleeping pills are the non-benzodiazepine hypnotics
zolpidem (Ambien) and zaleplon (Sonata). Older benzodiazepine sleeping pills,
including estazolam (ProSom), flurazepam (Dalmane), temazepam (Restoril),
triazolam (Halcion), lorazepam (Atavan), and quazepam (Doral) are still prescribed
for some patients. All of these medications regulate sleep by binding to receptors
in the brain. Benzodiazepines interfere with the dream stages of sleep, so
"rebound" nightmares may occur when the drug is withdrawn. Non-benzodiazepines are
usually preferred. They bind more selectively to the sleep-regulating receptors
and disappear more quickly from the body, causing fewer side effects than the
older medication. Because they�re relatively short-acting, some people find they
can take a non-benzodiazepine in the middle of the night without experiencing
sluggishness in the morning.
Valerian root and melatonin are promoted as natural sleep aids, but there is not
enough information on how safe and useful they are, especially over the long term.
We do know that melatonin has been shown to improve sleep after jet leg. Both
supplements have interactions with other medications. Melatonin may reduce the
effectiveness of certain blood pressure drugs, and may increase the risk of
bleeding from anticoagulant medications. Valerian can increase the effects of
alcohol and may interact with benzodiazepines and sedatives, including
antihistamines.
content by:
Last Updated: 09/04

Copyright � 2008 by the Presidents and Fellows of Harvard College. Used with
permission of StayWell. All rights reserved. Harvard Medical School does not
approve or endorse any products on the page. Harvard is the sole creator of its
editorial content, and advertisers are not allowed to influence the language or
images Harvard uses.
"What's the right weight for my child?" is one of the most common questions
parents have. It seems like a simple one, but it's not always easy to answer.
People have different body types, so no single number is the right weight for
everyone.
Among kids the same height and age, some are more muscular or more developed than
others. That's because not all kids have the same body type or develop at the same
time.
It is possible to find out if kids are in a healthy weight range for their height,
though, with a little effort.
Growth and Puberty

Not everyone grows and develops on the same schedule. During puberty, the body
begins making hormones that spark physical changes like breast development in
girls and testicular enlargement in boys and spurts in height and weight gain in
both boys and girls. Once these changes start, they continue for several years.
The average person can expect to grow as much as 10 inches (25 centimeters) during
puberty before reaching full adult height.
Most kids gain weight more rapidly during this time as the amounts of muscle, fat,
and bone in their bodies changes. All that new weight gain can be perfectly fine �
as long as body fat, muscle, and bone are in the right proportion.
Because some kids start developing as early as age 8 and some not until age 14, it
can be normal for two kids who are the same gender, height, and age to have very
different weights.
It can feel quite strange for kids to adjust to suddenly feeling heavier or
taller. So it's perfectly normal for a child to feel self-conscious about weight
during adolescence � a lot of kids do.
Figuring Out Fat Using BMI

Experts have developed a way to help figure out if someone is in the healthy
weight range for his or her height. It's called the body mass index, or BMI. BMI
is a formula that doctors use to estimate how much body fat a person has based on
his or her weight and height.
The BMI formula uses height and weight measurements to calculate a BMI number.
Though the formula is the same for adults and children, figuring out what the BMI
number means is a little more complicated for kids.
For kids, BMI is plotted on a growth chart that uses percentile lines to tell
whether a child is underweight, average weight, overweight, or obese. Different
BMI charts are used for boys and girls under the age of 20 because the amount of
body fat differs between boys and girls and body fat changes as kids grow.
Each BMI chart has eight percentile lines for 5th, 10th, 25th, 50th, 75th, 85th,
90th, and 95th percentiles. A child whose BMI is equal to or greater than the 5th
percentile and less than the 85th percentile is considered a healthy weight for
his or her age. A child at or above the 85th percentile but less than the 95th
percentile for age is considered overweight. A child at or above the 95th
percentile is considered obese. A child below the 5th percentile is considered
underweight.
Before you measure your child's BMI, you'll need an accurate height and weight
measurement. Bathroom scales and tape measures aren't always precise. So the best
way to get accurate measurements is by having kids weighed and measured at a
doctor's office or at school.
What Does BMI Tell Us?

You can calculate BMI on your own, but consider asking your doctor to help you
figure out what it means. Doctors do more than just use BMI to assess a child's
current weight. They also take into account where a child is during puberty and
use BMI results from past years to track whether that child may be at risk for
becoming overweight. Spotting this risk early on can be helpful because kids can
then make changes in diet and exercise before they go on to develop a weight
problem.
Kids are developing weight-related health problems previously seen only in adults.
Type 2 diabetes, high cholesterol, and high blood pressure are now commonly seen
in overweight and obese kids and teens. They're also more likely to be overweight
as adults. And adults who are overweight may develop other serious health
conditions, such as heart disease.
Although BMI can be a good indicator of body fat, it doesn't always tell the full
story. Someone with a large frame or a lot of muscle instead of excess fat (like a
bodybuilder or athlete) can have a high BMI. Likewise, a small person with a small
frame may have a normal BMI but could still have too much body fat. These are
other good reasons to talk about your BMI with your doctor.
When Kids Are Overweight or Underweight

If you think your child has gained too much weight or is too thin, a doctor should
help you decide whether your child really has a weight problem. Your doctor has
measured your child's height and weight over time and knows whether growth is
proceeding normally.
If concerned about your child's height, weight, or BMI, the doctor may ask
questions about your child's health, level of physical activity, and eating
habits, as well as your family background (to find out if your child has inherited
traits that might make him or her taller, shorter, or a late bloomer). The doctor
can put all this information together to determine whether there's a weight or
growth problem.
If your doctor thinks your child's weight isn't in a healthy range, you will
probably get specific dietary and exercise recommendations. Following a doctor's
or dietitian's plan that's designed for your child will work much better than
following fad diets. For kids and teens, fad diets or starvation plans can
actually slow down growth and sexual development, and the weight loss usually
doesn't last.
What if your child is worried about being too skinny? Most kids who weigh less
than others their age are just fine. They may go through puberty on a different
schedule than some of their peers, and their bodies may grow and change at a
different rate. Most underweight teens catch up in weight as they finish puberty
during their later teen years, and there's rarely a need to try to gain weight.
In a few cases, kids and teens can be underweight because of a health problem that
needs treatment. If your child feels tired or ill a lot, or has symptoms like a
cough, stomachache, diarrhea, or other problems that have lasted for more than a
week or two, talk with your doctor. Some kids and teens are underweight because of
eating disorders, like anorexia or bulimia, that require attention.
The Role of Genes

Heredity plays a role in a person's body shape and weight. People from different
races, ethnic groups, and nationalities tend to have different body fat
distribution (meaning they accumulate fat in different parts of their bodies) or
body composition (amounts of bone and muscle versus fat). But genes are not
destiny � kids can reach and keep a healthy weight by eating right and being
active.
Genes aren't the only things that family members may share. It's also true that
unhealthy eating habits can be passed down. The eating and exercise habits of
people in the same household probably have an even greater effect than genes on
someone's risk of becoming overweight.
If your family eats a lot of high-fat foods or snacks or doesn't get much
exercise, your kids may tend to do the same. The good news is these habits can be
changed for the better. Even simple forms of exercise, such as walking, have huge
health benefits.
So remember, it's not a specific number on the scale that's important. It's making
sure that kids stay healthy � inside and out.
Reviewed by: Mary L. Gavin, MD

Date reviewed: May 2008
Related Articles
Eating Disorders
Overweight and Obesity
content by:
Note: All information is for educational purposes only. For specific medical
advice, diagnoses, and treatment, consult your doctor. � 1995-2008 The Nemours
Foundation. All rights reserved.
I remember the first time I worked out with Oprah 15 years ago�she hated it. But
exercise is the reason she's been able to keep off 90-plus pounds�and that's why
she keeps at it. You can learn to stay motivated, too. Here's how.
Try anything�once: There are so many ways to exercise; you just have to find a
couple you like. Test out a new workout DVD one week, take a kickboxing or dance
class the next�and keep experimenting until you find an activity you enjoy (or can
at least tolerate).
Extend your errands: Give yourself an extra 5 minutes for every chore�and use that
time to walk the dog a little longer or to take another spin around the grocery
store. This can quickly add up to 30 minutes of walking a day�or more. Plus, you
get the benefit of slowing down to focus on what you're doing now, instead of
rushing to your next task.
Distract yourself: Pair your routine with something you love. Load your iPod with
your favorite fast-paced tunes for a brisk walk, read on a stationary bike, or
relish the quiet time while you're swimming laps. Can't miss your favorite
television show? You don't have to�lift hand weights while you watch.
Focus on your goal: In all my years, I've never met anyone who wasn't happy she
exercised once she was done. So get out there. Feel your blood pump, your head
clear, and that amazing and satisfying sense of accimplishement.

Megan

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Belly, Butt & Thighs: Belly Workout Video

A 3-minute ab workout can help you get your belly in shape

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Various research bodies�including the American Dietetic Association, the American

Goal: Lose 5 percent of your body weight

Goal: Lose 10 percent of your body weight

How fast can you drop pounds?

Various research bodies�including the American Dietetic Association, the American

Goal: Lose 5 percent of your body weight

Goal: Lose 10 percent of your body weight

How fast can you drop pounds?

� A slice of bread has about 65 calories.

� An apple has about 50 calories.

� A beer has about 200 calories.

� A candy bar may contain about 250 calories.

� A piece of chocolate cake may have 400 calories.

� A super-loaded cheeseburger may have up to 800 calories.

� One gram of protein equals four calories

� One gram of carbs equals four calories

� One gram of fat equals nine calories

Which food has what type of calorie?

It is OK to include some foods that are considered to be high in fat such as

Can you really do it this time?

Welcome to the beginning of the rest of your healthy life.

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3. Notice what feels easy and what�s tough.

Experiment with different diet flavors to find one you like.

Martica is a Manhattan-based exercise physiologist and nutritionist and an award-

The plan for week 2:

Step 1: Focus on high-fiber plant foods.

Step 2: Walk more (or figure out workout alternatives).

Step 3: Spot your successes.

Martica's Eat Smart Tips

Martica is a Manhattan-based exercise physiologist and nutritionist and an award-

Step 1: Eat six meals or snacks every day.

Step 2: Be more active all day.

Step 3: Burn more calories by walking.

Exercising harder provides another payoff: After a longer, high-intensity workout,

Eat Smart Tips

Martica is a Manhattan-based exercise physiologist and nutritionist and an award-

Here�s your plan for week 4:

Step 1: Snack smart.

Step 2: Find ways to de-stress.

Step 3: Go the extra mile.

Download this week�s walking routines.

Martica is a Manhattan-based exercise physiologist and nutritionist and an award-

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Step Two. Keep on tracking.

Eat Smart Tips

Martica is a Manhattan-based exercise physiologist and nutritionist and an award-

Step One. Assess your before and after.

Step Two. Keep on tracking.

Step 3. Move everyday and try new forms of exercise.

Eat Smart Tips

Step One. Assess your before and after.

Step Two. Keep on tracking.

Step 3. Move everyday and try new forms of exercise.

Eat Smart Tips

Martica is a Manhattan-based exercise physiologist and nutritionist and an award-

1. Recover When You Stumble

Those who strive for perfection frequently live by an all-or-nothing mentality.