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The Dreaded “R” Word – And 9 Tips For Losing Weight In The New Year.

Written by acupuncture  |  02. January 2008

The Dreaded "R" Word - And 9 Tips For Losing Weight In The New Year. It's January 2nd and you are committed to keeping to your list of "Resolutions" to lose, weight and change your life. You are excited and pumped up for this endeavor. After all, who doesn't want to change their life? But sadly by Jan 15th, most people will have already fallen off the wagon. Most will be disappointed and not even try again until Jan 2nd 2009. How come? Why this failure? Mainly because willpower can only take you so far if you don't implement some new skills from the beginning. Most are given false information about how to truly lose weight permanently and healthfully. We are flat out LIED TO by the media about what works and what doesn't. And most are so confused and don't know what to believe. It can be very frustrating! Below are 9 tips that can start you off on the right path to achieving your goals to lose weight and change your life. Tip 1: Do not Skip Meals Eating small frequent meals help to balance your calorie intake throughout the day and also keeps your blood sugar level balanced. Instead of eating 3 big meals, try to eat 5 - 6 smaller meals throughout the day. Tip 2 Stop Drinking Soda Juices, Soda, cream & sugar in your coffee or tea all add up. Opt for drinking at least 8 glasses of water a day. In addition to providing hydration to your body, it will also help you feel full. Tip 3:Eat at least 5 servings of fruits and vegetables every day Fruits and vegetables are packed with beneficial fibers, vitamins and antioxidants. They fill up your stomach fast so you feel full earlier. They are also low in calories and helps to keep your calorie count low. Tip 4 Watch the portion sizes One serving of pasta means 1/2 cup of cooked pasta. However, most restaurants serve a pasta dish with 4 servings of pasta!!! You do not need to finish and clean off the plate every time. You can simply ask to take home the leftover. Tip 5 Avoid trans fats and high fructose corn syrup. I offer this suggestion for a few reasons. First, they're not good for you anyway. Second, you'll eliminate a lot of the "bad foods" outright - no questions asked. You'll have to become more selective in what you eat by avoiding these two nasty ingredients - which are in more foods than you probably care to know. Tip 6 Throw away your scale If you are exercising properly you will gain more lean muscle and lose fat. Lean muscle is more dense than fat so its possible for the numbers on the scale to stay the same, but your body is shifting into more lean muscle and less fat. Instead, gauge your progress by how your clothes fit. Tip 7 Set Realistic Goals Setting unachievable, unrealistic goals (e.g. "Lose 20 pounds in February.") is far more harmful than helpful. Not only will you suffer trying to meet them, the discouragement you'll feel when you inevitably don't meet them will leave you down in the dumps. (Then it will be too easy to get so down-trodden that you may not even want to try anymore.) Just keep it real and that won't happen. Tip 8 Move your body Most authorities recommend 30 - 60 minutes of physical activity a day to stay healthy. Also try adding weight-bearing exercises at least 2 times a week. This will help burn some of the unwanted calories. Tip 9 Get a Coach Don't try to go it alone. All of the greatest achievers had a coach in their corner to keep them on track. Having an expert on your side is crucial to achieving your goals and changing your life. Good Luck and Have a Happy And Healthy 2008 James Vitale is a Licensed Acupuncturist, Herbalist, Martial Arts Instructor and Fitness Expert. He is cofounder of the Huntington Wellness Center and developer of the Get Lean Boot Camp. www.GetLeanLI.com

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