A Healthy Diet Plan
Renee Kennedy

How do you plan to lose weight?

Losing weight, gaining weight or maintaining a healthy
weight can be a difficult task. However, if you learn to eat healthy and
exercise regularly, and you train your body to accept that – instead
of a daily task, it can become a “way of life.”

Here is a simple 5 step plan that can help you learn how to live
a healthier life:

1. Get into a Healthy Eating Mindset:

   If you are going to lose weight or gain weight you must believe that you
   can do it. If you are discouraged, you will not be
   able to do it. You must think, I CAN LOSE WEIGHT. I WILL
   LOSE WEIGHT. I WILL GET HEALTHY STARTING RIGHT NOW!

   This may seem a little over the top – but it’s not.
   You need to get yourself into a healthy mindset. You need
   to give yourself positive reinforcement and pump yourself up.

   You may need some help to get into a healthy mindset.
   It is not a weakness to admit that you need
   help. In order to be a healthy person, you have to admit
   that sometimes you just can’t do it by yourself. You may
   need the help of a trained professional (a doctor, a dietician,
   a personal trainer) or simply a support network of friendly
   people. If you have tried to do it on your own and have failed,
   then it is time to get the help that you need – start with your
   family physician.

   Your support network can be composed of people that
   are available for you to talk to, they should be positive people
   and they should believe in YOU.

   If you don’t want to count on your friends and family – you may
   need to go out and pay for a diet plan – Weight Watchers,
   Jenny Craig, NutriSystem are a few of the programs that also
   provide a support network of actual people you can talk
   to and find encouragement from.

2. Find Motivation, Set Goals, and Reward Yourself:

   Motivation to lose weight or get healthier is going to be
   completely up to you! Whether you are just trying
   to lose a few pounds to go to your high school class reunion
   or you are trying to lose fifty pounds so that you can
   be a healthy person and play with your children… You need
   to find a motivation.

   Once you have a motivation, set attainable goals.
   Set goals that you know you can achieve.
   In other words, don’t try to lose five pounds in one week.
   One or two pounds per week is a small, attainable goal.

   Also, plan to reward yourself when you’ve reached your goal.
   For instance, if your motivation is to shed ten pounds to
   go to your class reunion, then reward yourself with a new outfit
   to wear to the reunion. Or, if your motivation is to lose
   50 pounds so that you will feel healthier, plan one fun day going
   to an amusement park when you’ve reached your goal weight.

   Take little steps. Motivate yourself using rewards every step
   of the way. Set goals and rewards. For instance,
   “When I lose 5 lbs, I will reward myself with a new pair
   of shoes.”

   Set your own rewards based on what you really, really want.
   Follow through – don’t just say you will reward yourself and
   then conveniently forget because there are more important things
   to buy or do – GO THROUGH WITH YOUR REWARD PLAN.

3. Plan to Eat Healthy Foods and Healthy Serving Sizes:

   The US government has provided us with a healthy “food pyramid.”
   This plan works! So don’t be afraid to use it.
   It’s simple, too. If you are an adult, each day you should have
   the following allotment:

   1. Fats, Oils and Sweets – use sparingly.
   2. Milk, Yogurt, Cheese – 2 to 3 servings.
   3. Meat, Poultry, Fish, Dry Beans, Nuts, Eggs – 2 to 3 servings.
   4. Vegetables – 3 to 5 servings.
   5. Fruits – 2 to 3 servings.
   6. Grains, Bread, Cereal, Rice, Pasta – 6 to 11 servings.

   6 to 11 servings is a wide range.
   The amount of servings you need per day will be based on your
   daily activity and special needs:

   A breast-feeding mother will need the highest amounts –
   3 servings of milk and cheese, 3 servings of meat.

   A middle aged woman who has a desk job
   will probably need the lower servings suggested –
   6 servings of the grain/bread group, 2 servings of meat.

   6 servings of grains may seem like a lot of food – but –
   you must be careful on the serving size. A pasta meal at a restaurant
   may equal 6 servings of pasta. Watching the amount of food
   is as important as the kinds of food.
   Serving sizes follow:

   • milk group – – 1 cup 2%, 1 cup yogurt, 1 1/2 oz of cheese
   • meat group — 2-3 oz. of meat, 1/2 cup cooked dry beans,
   • vegetable group — 1/2 cup of cooked or raw cut up, 1 cup raw leafy
   • fruit group — medium sized piece of fruit or 1/2 cup cut up, 3/4 cup of juice
   • grain group — a serving is 1/2 cup of cooked pasta or rice, 1 slice of bread, 1 oz.
     dry cereal.

   Do not assume that the serving sizes on packaged products
   are the same as the above. Use common sense. Be honest
   with yourself about serving sizes.

   Here is a cool visual chart that makes for great printing. Print
   it out and tack it up on your refrigerator! Another great motivator is tacking up a picture of
   yourself on the fridge – as you are now or as you would like to be.

4. Plan to Exercise:

   You don’t need to run a marathon every day in order to get exercise.
   There are little ways that you can get the exercise you need everyday.
   Here are some suggestions – choose at least one of these and do it
   everyday or at least once a week. I guarantee that after a
   couple months – if you don’t get your exercise, you will MISS it!

   1. Take the stairs instead of the elevator.
   2. Park the farthest away spot from the store every time you go.
   3. Take a 30 minute walk everyday. (This is the one that I do – I
      love my walk, if I don’t get my walk, I really feel at a loss – and
      I am definitely NOT an exercise fanatic, but I never miss my walking
      even on vacation – and I feel GREAT because of it.)
   4. Take an aerobics class or a dance class. (Do you have a partner?
      Take ballroom dancing! Not only will you get some exercise, you will
      also learn a useful, fun skill.)
   5. Get off the subway or bus stop one stop before where you normally
      get off and walk the rest of the way home.
   6. Decide to take up a sport like Tennis, Racquetball, or even join
      a Softball team. Check out your community athletic center or the YMCA
      for sports that you think you might like to participate in.
   7. Buy a work out video and commit to working out 20 minutes a
      day.
   8. There are some awesome workout programs for free on the
      internet. Here’s one at Drop a Dress Size in Six Weeks.
      (I like the free ones you can do at home, because if you’re like me,
      you’re a clutz and are embarrassed to be seen doing any of those
      exercises in public!)
5. The Right Tools:

   1. Support Network –

      In the first part of the plan, we discussed a support network. This
      network may be made up of health professionals or simply
      a group of family or friends that you can talk to. They are positive
      people that will help you over the rough spots.

   2. Healthy Eating Guide –

      You need to know the right balance of foods to eat.
      Use this cool food pyramid.
      This pyramid is taken from the US Government Recommended Daily Allowances.
      If you join any type of Diet plan, they all have their individual
      ways of keeping track of your calories or nutritional intake,
      however, they are all similar to the Food Pyramid.

   3. Nutritional Counting Device –

      Make your healthy diet fun! The NutriCounter can help you keep
      track of your daily eating habits, it’s a wonderful way to get into
      a routine and stay healthy.
      Learn more about The NutriCounter.

About the Author

Come and visit the NutriCounter web site for more information on how nutrition influences weight loss, diabetes, pregnancy, heart disease and more!
http://www.nutricounter.com

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If you want to help your teenage kids to lose weight, here are some tips that may prove helpful:

1. Make losing weight a family affair. Rather than just concentrating on your teen, try to adopt healthy habits as a family. Eating healthier foods at home and getting more exercise is good for the whole family. Try to encourage family members to eat more fruits, veggies and whole grains.

Prepare menus that contain healthy food groups to ensure that your family is getting all the nutrients that they need. Practice leaving junk food when you do your shopping at the grocery store. Healthy foods may sometimes cost you more, but it’ is worth investing in as it concerns the health of your whole family.

2. Allow occasional treats as a break from the usual. That late-night pizza with friends or nachos at the mall doesn’t need to be totally excluded from your teen’s healthy-eating plan. Suggest a healthier alternative instead such as breadstick and marinara sauce instead of garlic bread dripping in butter and cheese.

You can also opt for ordering a shared snack instead of a full-size order to lessen the portions. You can let your teen know that he or she can also have control over his or her eating choices and an occasional indulgence is acceptable. A trend towards developing healthier habits is what really matters rather than banishing your kid’s favorite food totally.

3. Plan fun and highly active family outings, such as regular walks at the park or weekend visits to a local recreation center. Such activities can greatly help keep your kids stay active. And not only that, such activities can also be a great way for the whole family to bond and enjoy each one’s company.

4. Be positive. With your kids being overweight, their feelings should also be put into consideration. How they feel about themselves can affect their motivation to lose weight. As a parent, you can actually influence how your kids will feel about themselves.

You must help them realize that being overweight doesn’t inevitably lead to a lifetime of having low self-esteem. Your acceptance of their condition is critical. Try to listen to your teen’s concerns. Provide positive comment on his or her efforts, skills and accomplishments. You must always make it clear that your love and concern is unconditional and that it is not dependent on weight loss.

This will make them more secure as well as confident in trying to motivate himself or herself from losing weight. You can help your teen learn healthy ways of being more open in express his or her feelings.

5. Eat breakfast. This is usually a thing that is lightly taken in many families. But breakfast can really help your teen from keeping off those extra pounds. It may take some constant urging for your teen to get up early for breakfast, but always bear in mind that it is important.

A well-balanced nutritious breakfast at the start of the day will jump-start your teen’s metabolism. This meal will be able to give him or her energy to face the day ahead. Even better, feeling full each morning before going out of the house may keep your teen from eating too much during the rest of the day.

These are just a few of the many things that you can do to help your teen from getting rid of excess pounds and keeping it off. It may take a bit of work on your part. But the rewards can be seen in knowing that your kids are learning to live a healthier lifestyle and grow and develop into healthy adults.

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If motivation for how to lose stomach fat was easy, no one would be overweight in our country. We would all be the ideal weight and pictures of fitness. In order for you to get and keep your motivation there are some tips you can follow.

Ultimately though, it’s up to you to figure out what things will not only help you get motivated, but to keep that motivation intact. Of course, everyone knows of the dire consequences associated with having too much body fat and living a sedentary lifestyle. It is one of those things though that until (or unless) it happens to you or someone you love, you just stay complacent and think that it will never happen to you.

Of course, it can and will if you don’t take control now. There are a few aspects to losing weight, such as eating better foods, less junk, and getting a lot of exercise. Believe it or not, for many people the motivation to lose weight will often start with working out.

I know that may sound ridiculous, but if you get past the idea that exercising is just jumping in the car and going to the gym, you may begin to understand what I mean about how to lose stomach fat.

For instance, if you enjoy dancing think how much fun you’d have going to a dancing class. What you might not realize is that that is a great way to lose weight, too.

If you enjoy getting outside, it is so easy to get some exercise by riding your bike, or just taking your dog for a walk. When you realize that exercise doesn’t have to be a chore, but rather some form of physical activity that you can actually enjoy you will see that the motivation may not be so hard to come by.

Another great way to get and keep your motivation is to find a friend to exercise with. It can be as simple as the two of you taking a class together, joining a gym, or just going for walks, having a buddy can make all the difference. A little friendly competition never hurt anyone.

There are a few reasons for this. One of them is that you will feel a certain amount of peer pressure when you start working out with a friend. You don’t want to let your friend down, you know they’re counting on you. By including your friend in your workout plans you’ll also be making it more of a social event rather than an ‘exercise’ session. No one wants to miss out on a chance to socialize!

One thing you don’t want to do is put yourself under a lot of pressure by setting up an unrealistic time frame. Don’t wait until a few weeks before a wedding, or vacation. If you do, you will just be setting yourself up for failure. It will be virtually impossible for you to meet your goal and once the event comes and goes you will probably be done working out. Instead just make a commitment to yourself to get healthy, that is the best way on how to lose stomach fat.

Tags: Amoun, Body Fat, Consequences, Dancing Class, Easy Exercise, Eating Habits, Exercise Bike, Find A Friend, Find Friend, Fitness, Fun, How To Lose Stomach, How To Lose Stomach Fat, Ideal Weight, Joining A Gym, Losing Weight, Many People, Motivation To Lose Weight, Physical Activity, Sedentary Lifestyle, Walks —

Odds are if you need belly fat loss you also need to lose weight other places as well.
To me, belly fat is the most embarrassing and unsightly fat you can have. What happens when you put your favorite jeans on? Your belly fat gets pushed up and spills over the top of the jeans. This is called muffin top. How cute, right? Wrong!

I hate it and belly fat loss is also the most difficult to achieve, second only to arm fat. You have to lose weight all over to lose weight in your belly and the best way to do that is to take in less calories than you burn in one day.

I want you to do something, not for me, but for yourself. Start this all off by taking a thirty minute walk everyday. If you cannot go for thirty minutes the first week then work up to it. Walking is the best thing you can do for yourself. Walking will improve lung and muscle function. Your heart will love you for it. Carry a water bottle to stay hydrated especially if it is warm outside. You can sweat out a considerable amount of water and nutrients in thirty minutes if you are not careful.

Losing weight takes commitment to yourself but staying motivated can be a challenge sometimes. If motivation to lose weight was easy to come by, no one would be overweight in our country. We would all be our ideal weights and pictures of fitness.

It’s up to you to figure out what things will help you get and stay motivated. Everyone knows the consequences associated with having too much body fat and living a sedentary lifestyle. It’s one of those things though that until it happens to you or someone you love, you just stay complacent and think that it will never happen.

Of course, it can and will if you don’t take control now. There are a few aspects to losing weight, such as eating better foods, less junk, and getting a lot of exercise. Believe it or not, for many people the motivation to lose weight will often start with finding a work out you can live with. That is why I suggest starting with walking for thirty minutes a day. It is easy to stick to. You can always incorporate more into a work out, but it pays to start simple.

Another great way to get and keep your motivation is to find a like minded friend to exercise with. It can be as simple as the two of you taking a class together, joining a gym, or just going for walks, having a buddy can make all the difference.

One thing you don’t want to do is put yourself under a lot of pressure by setting up an unrealistic time frame. Don’t wait until a few weeks before a wedding, or vacation. If you do, you’ll just be setting yourself up for failure. It will be virtually impossible for you to achieve your belly fat loss and once the event comes and goes you’ll probably be done working out. Instead just make a commitment to yourself to get healthy, that is the best motivation to lose weight.

Tags: Body Fat, Calories, Consequences, Eating Habits, Exercise, Fat Loss, Fitness, Heart, Jeans, Losing Weight, Motivation To Lose Weight, Muffin Top, Muscle Function, Nutrients, Odds, Sedentary Lifestyle, Water Bottle, Weights —