Walking for weight loss is easy and best of all it’s free. You do not have to join a gym or a club to be able to walk. all you have to do is step right out your front door. Anyone can do it, even your kids. I can be quite enjoyable to get out of the house and go for a walk in the morning after breakfast or in the evening after dinner. It doesn’t matter when you go, as long as you go.

Walking for weight loss should be combined with a healthier eating plan as well. This combination should net you up to a three pound weight loss per week. Start by buying fresh, healthy foods and measuring out single portion sizes.

Portion sizes is the biggest problem some people have. They just do not know when to stop eating. You might even be surprised that a single portion size is the size it is. When you realize that you have been eating three or four portions of something all at one time then it will make sense to you why you are over weight.

If you make up a meal plan then limit yourself to about 1200 to 1500 calories per day. This range is the perfect amount to lose weight at about 1-2 pounds per week. You may see a big drop right in the beginning but what you are seeing is your body adjusting and getting rid of water weight first.

Eat lots of fresh fruits and vegetables along with lean meats like chicken, turkey, fish, and shrimp. Lean protein helps build lean muscle. Whole grains provide the fiber and essential fatty acids your body needs so stock up on nuts and seeds like almonds or sunflower seeds. Watch your salt intake and stay away from sugary snacks and breads made with white flour.

Before you start your daily walks, go buy a new pair of shoes. A good pair of shoes with the mesh upper will help your feet breathe and stay cooler during your walk. Dress in layers for the weather changes that can happen and just tie your jacket or sweatshirt around your waist should you have to take it off.

If yiou are interested to know how far you have walked then get yourself a pedometer. A pedometer measures every step you take. If you count as you go you would need to count 2000 steps to measure one mile. I think it would be better to have the pedometer do it, frankly. That way you could listen to music or talk with your walking partner instead of counting.

Otherwise you could just clock a certain distance with your car then you would know how far you walk with out having to guess or count your steps. Try to get in 30 minutes of walking for weight loss per day. Increase the intensity and do some power walking once you work up to longer walks or do some basic interval training.

Tags: Atkins, Calories, Calories Per Day, Chicken Turkey, Eating Habits, Essential Fatty Acids, Fresh Fruits And Vegetables, Fruits And Vegetables, Getting Rid Of Water Weight, Healthier Eating, Lean Meats, Lean Muscle, Lean Protein, Losing Weight, New Pair Of Shoes, Nuts And Seeds, Portion Size, Portion Sizes, Pound Weight Loss, Salt Intake, Sugary Snacks, Sunflower Seeds, Weather Changes, Whole Grains —

Weight loss and self-esteem are like the scales of justice, as one side goes down the other side goes up. Usually, the more weight you lose, the higher your self esteem goes up.

No one should think that they have to be ‘perfect’ whatever that means anyway. Perfect is an impossible standard to have, or to achieve, no one is perfect. Even all the ‘perfect’ super models and actresses you see on t.v. aren’t so perfect if you would see them without their makeup and flattering lighting.

Just find the weight that is perfect for you and your body type. Once you have set realistic goals for yourself, stick with a program that will give you every chance of attaining those goals.

I have a friend who is getting married in the spring. She wants to lose about 60 lbs. by then. She has given it a lot of thought and has set a ‘start date’. She plans on starting an exercise routine and a healthier eating plan starting on that date and continuing for the rest of her life.

By gearing up to make these changes in her life, she is allowing herself to get her head around the whole thing. That will greatly increase her chances of success. Since she has a clear and realistic game plan and a reasonable time frame, she will almost assuredly meet her weight loss goals.

She has also enlisted the help of friends to accomplish this goal. Fortunately for her, some of her closest friends are work out nuts so they can help her and bolster her when she hits a rough patch, which she probably will.

Even after just having lost a few pounds, you can already see a significant boost in her self esteem. It’s more than just the fact that she has lost a few pounds, it’s also about the fact that she has set a goal for herself and slowly but surely she is accomplishing that goal.

Being able to set a goal and see that goal met is extraordinarily fulfilling. It can really make you feel great about yourself above and beyond just the physical changes you can see in the mirror or feel in your clothes.

This is why weight loss and self-esteem can be such a powerful combination. It really is a two for one: you become better looking and you are able to set and meet a goal for yourself. Both of those things on their own can be incredibly powerful, when you combine them the benefit can go up exponentially.

If you want to see the benefits of weight loss and self-esteem increase for yourself, just set a weight loss goal, make a plan, find a friend or two to help you along the way, and go for it. Do not make it harder than it needs to be by setting yourself up for failure with unrealistic expectations. Take it slow and steady and you will get where you want to be.

Tags: Actresses, Clothes, Eating Habits, Exercise Routine, Game Plan, Healthier Eating, Lighting, Losing Weight, Loss Weight, Lot, Makeup, Mirror, Nuts, Physical Changes, Realistic Game, Realistic Goals, Rough Patch, Scales Of Justice, Self Esteem, Super Models, Time Frame, Weight Loss Goals —