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My goals ----
Cut out Fast Food and/or Junk Food
Increase Daily Activity by 5 minutes - per day
Eat Your Fruits & Veggies
Increase Strength Training, Target: 2-3x's per week
Reduce Table Sugar & Processed Sugar Intake
Increase Daily Steps/Miles
Reduce Sodium Intake
Reduce TV use by ONE hour
Increase Exercise by 10 Mins./day
Increase Strength training, Target: 3-4 x's per week

S.M.A.R.T. GOALS
SPECIFIC: Give the who, what when, where, and
how of your goal.
MEASUR ABLE: How are you going to measure
your progress?
ATTAINABLE: Is this something that you can
achieve in the time given?
REALISTIC: Are you willing and able to work
toward this goal?
TIMELY: By when will this goal be achieved?


ENERGY BALANCE 101
Controlling weight is about balancing energy. If calories in and calories out are in balance, you will maintain your weight.
If you burn more calories than you eat, you will lose weight. Eat too much and move too little, and you will gain.
Physical activity fires up your metabolism so you automatically burn calories even while sitting at your desk, watching TV, or sleeping ? not a bad deal, right?
Weight management through energy balance may also lower blood pressure and cholesterol, help control blood sugar, and increase energy levels.



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HALT emotional eating-----
Do you ever find yourself turning to food when your emotions are running high? How about when you are tired or hungry?

H Hungry

A Angry

L Lonely

T Tired

Avoid hunger by eating regularly and recognize the difference between lack of sleep ?energy? and lack of food ?energy?. Emotions such as anger and loneliness will challenge your abilities to make healthy choices, but they don?t change your abilities.

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Have you ever try to ride a bicycle with one flat tire? You don't get very far. Anyone can go "on a diet" for a few weeks to lose weight. But learning how to change behaviors for good will enhance success.

Losing weight is not rocket science. It's really quite simple: In order to lose weight, calories in have to be less than calories out. But what can revolutionize a lifelong struggle with weight management is learning how to take in less calories or expend more calories. Here's one tip that can help everyone achieve their weight loss and weight maintenance goals " if you bite it, you must write it!"

This is called self-monitoring and it is arguably one of the most effective component of successfully losing and maintaining weight loss. There are many reasons why it is so effective,here are just a few.

#1: It teaches portion control

Many don't understand what an appropriate serving looks like.

In today's age of "Burritos the size of your head," calories can add up very quickly. Research has shown that portion sizes have increased over the last several decades to 2-3 times the recommended serving size. You need to remove "supersize" and "large" from your vocabulary.

When writing it down, though, you will have to measure the serving to get a close count as to how much you?re putting in your body. Once you actually learn portion control, you'll quickly get a grasp on just how easy it is to overeat.

#2. It increases your awareness

All too often, we eat for the activity rather than for physiological hunger. We eat while we work, while driving, or while doing household tasks. Too often we combine eating with relaxation such as watching TV, reading, or attending sporting events. However, research has shown that coupling events with eating increases calorie intake.

Once distracted, we become unaware of the amount we have consumed and do not feel fuller by eating more. Rather than serving any physiological need for food, eating becomes merely an activity. Keeping a daily log of your intake, though, increases your awareness and decreases the likelihood of overconsuming calories or eating for other reasons aside from physiological hunger!

#3. It decreases overall calorie intake.

Research suggests that simply recording the foods and beverages consumed naturally decreases the amount of calories we eat. This benefit is a natural off shoot of the first 2 benefits when we are more aware of portion sizes, we eat less calories, and when we are more aware of what we are putting in our body, and we naturally eat less. In fact, data from the National Weight Control Registry, a registry of men and women who have lost at least 30 lbs and maintained that for at least one year, has tracked behaviors of these individuals. One of the behaviors that is attributed to their success is daily journaling and monitoring of their intake!

This doesn't require a complete overhaul of your lifestyle; it's a simple behavior that can help you reach your goals! If you bite it, you must write it!


We have become a nation that sits on our butts! That's right! More than half of adults engage in no physical activity at all! That's disappointing, since more and more data show that regular exercise has been linked to decreased risk for obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and cancer. Being physically active can even reduce premature death.

What is physical activity?

Regular physical activity is defined as participating in moderate intensity activity (gardening, walking briskly as if you are late for the bus) for at least 30 minutes a day on 5 or more days a week or vigorous activity (such as running, heavy yard work etc.) for at least 20 minutes a day 3 or more days per week.

This may seem like a lot, especially if you have a lot going on in your life. However, remember that every bit counts. You don't have to go to the gym to reap the benefits of physical activity. Don?t overlook the small ways you can be more active every day. Take more stairs at home or work, park farther away from the office and from the store and get up from your desk frequently throughout the day. Small changes maintained over the course of the year can add up to be significant improvements in health!

Try a pedometer too. Pedometers are also known as step counters; they measure the amount of physical activity you do throughout the day. It is recommended to take a minimum of 10,000 steps per day; this is equivalent to exercising at least 30 minutes per day. These are a fantastic tool when trying to increase physical activity or for those who are looking to maintain the recommended level of activity each day. And the feedback is instantaneous -- if you haven't walked 10,000 steps before bedtime, you better get moving!




Some things I have used along the way to reach my goals. Take them with a grain of salt...NOT!

Why Is Sodium Needed?
Sodium has an important role in maintaining the water balance within cells and in the function of both nerve impulses and muscles. Any extra sodium is excreted by the kidneys. Consuming excess sodium may lead to edema or water retention. Women who consume excess sodium may be at higher risk for developing osteoporosis even if calcium intake is adequate. Some evidence suggests that for each teaspoon of salt (2,000 mg of sodium) consumed, considerable calcium is excreted in the urine.

Athletes and heavy laborers are sometimes concerned about not getting enough sodium to replace what is lost through perspiration. However, salt tablets are not recommended. They may increase dehydration and actually lower performance. Sodium losses are easily replenished at the next meal.


My goal is to lose 1.8 pounds a week by trying to shave off 900 calories from my calorie intake to maintain weight.
At times I have tried to zig zag my calorie inake using......

DAILY CALORIC INTAKE CALCULATOR
Age: 38 Years
Gender: Female
Weight: 152.5 Pounds
Height: 5 Feet 7 Inches
Exercise level: 7 times/week (intense)

RESULTS - GUIDELINE ONLY
Maintenance: 2306 Calories/day
Fat Loss: 1845 Calories/day
Extreme Fat Loss: 1383 Calories/day



7 day calorie cycle (zig-zag)


Ex Fat Loss Fat Loss Maintain
Monday 1384 1845 2306
Tuesday 1225 1476 1845
Wednesday 1661 2214 2767
Thursday 1384 1845 2306
Friday 1246 1661 2076
Saturday 1522 2030 2537
Sunday 1384 1845 2306

*Calorie cycling provides same amount of calories per week, but 'tricks' your body by constantly changing daily calories. This helps to prevent or break plateaus.
http://www.freedieting.com/tools/calorie_calculator.htm#


Your ideal body weight is where you are healthiest
This isn't meant to sound controversial or trite, but rather - most Ideal Body Weight calculators are based on simple measurements of height. This is NOT a good way to estimate your ideal weight. This kind of measurement does not take into account bone density, muscle mass, or fat proportion. In addition to this, due to modern body image obsession, and psychological disorders (EDs), many people are unable to determine an accurate body weight. The calculator can help.

You should be aiming for a body fat percentage goal.

An ideal body fat percentage for men would be 10-14%, or 16-20% for women. If you know your current body fat percentage you would be able to calculate your ideal weight. But not many of us know this!

IDEAL BODY WEIGHT CALCULATOR for Lesley
Gender: Female
Height 5 7
Frame Large

Ideal Weight Range
144 - 148 pounds
65 - 67 kilograms

* To determine your frame size:
Grip your wrist using your thumb and index finger.
- If your finger and thumb don't touch you are a LARGE frame
- If your finger and thumb just touch you are a MEDIUM frame
- If your finger and thumb overlap you are a SMALL frame

BODY FAT CALCULATOR
Weight: 162 Pounds
Age: 38 Years
Method: Estimate



ESTIMATE (BASIC)
Gender: Female
Waist: 27.5 Inches
Men - measure at the navel
Women - measure halfway between navel and sternum

RESULTS
Body Fat: 16.38 %
Fat Weight: 24.9 pounds
Lean Weight: 127.1 pounds


Body Fat Rating Scale
MEN WOMEN
Exceptionally Lean 6-10% 10-15% **
Very Lean 11-14% 16-20% **
Lean 15-18% 21-25%
Moderate 19-24% 26-29%
Overfat* 25%+ 30%+


*Men are considered borderline at 25% body fat and clinically obese at 30%, while women are borderline at 30% and clinically obese at 35% body fat.

Body Fat Measurement - Is It Any Good?
Charting body fat is much better than body weight. Body weight does not take into account muscle mass. Unfortunately some weight loss programs result in loss of muscle mass - whilst the person still maintains the same level of body fat! (what you would call a "skinny fat" person).

Body fat is deposited in 3 places, under the skin (subcutaneous), around internal organs (internal fat), and fat inside muscle tissue (intramuscular fat). Skinfold calipers measure the subcutaneous fat, and from this, derive a body fat percentage.

Ideal Weight Loss
An ideal weight loss regimen would result on loss of fat while still maintaining (or even building) more muscle. Muscle is metabolically active and burns calories just by sitting still!

Note: As BMI does not measure body composition in any way - it is effectively a flawed and faulty index. However it is still used by many government health institutions.

Body Mass Index
BMI uses a mathematical formula based on a person's height and weight. BMI equals weight in kilograms divided by height in meters squared (BMI = kg/m2). The BMI table that follows has already calculated this information.

A BMI of 25 to 29.9 indicates a person is overweight. A person with a BMI of 30 or higher is considered obese. The BMI does not measure body fat levels - so you could be rippling with muscle - and BMI will show obese.

Like the weight-to-height table, BMI does not show the difference between excess fat and muscle.

However, take your BMI reading with a grain of salt - or ignore it completely! If a bodybuilder measured their BMI, they would show up as obese. This is obviously not true. It is difficult to apply a "one-size-fits-all" to unique body types. Some ethnic groups also have denser and heavier bone structure which can skew the results even more.

WAIST TO HIP CALCULATOR
Waist: 27 Inches at NARROWEST point
Hip: 38 Inches at WIDEST point

My waist to hip ratio is 0.7



Waist: Measure about 1 inch above your navel.
Hips: Measure a few inches


Waist to Hip Ratio - What does it mean?
The National Institute of Diabetes, Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) states that:

Women with waist-to-hip ratios of more than 0.8 are at increased health risk because of their fat distribution.

Men with waist-to-hip ratios of more than 1.0 are at increased health risk because of their fat distribution .

Excess fat in the abdominal region poses a greater health risk than excess fat in the hips and thighs and is associated with a higher risk of high blood pressure, diabetes, early onset of heart disease, and certain types of cancers. (American Dietetic Association)

Apples and Pears
The apple or pear shape is an anecdotal way of classifying women's body shapes. the general rule is: WHR (Waist-to-Hip Ratio) on or above 0.8 - you are an apple shape. WHR under 0.8 - you are a pear shape.
Ideal Waist Hip Ratio and Attractiveness
There is plenty of talk on what constitutes an ideal waist to hip ratio. Ideal to whom? Yourself or someone that looks at you? The "supposed ideal" is just under 0.7.

TARGET HEART RATE CALCULATOR
Age: 38 in years

RESULTS
Heart Rate Zone Beats Per Minute
Maximum Heart Rate 181
90% Anaerobic 163
80% Interval Training 145
70% Aerobic 127
60% Light 109

Target Heart Rate - How To Use It
Maximum Heart Rate is a measure of the maximum number of times your heart can safely beat per minute. This figure will decline with age. Your heart rate can be measured by using two fingers on your pulse (either at the neck, or on the wrist). Some exercise machines will calculate heart rate (although they seem to be inaccurate). The most accurate way of measuring heart rate is to use a Heart Rate Monitor (uses a chest strap or wrist strap).

Heart Rate For Fat Burning
Like many concepts in fat loss and fitness - there are a number of different arguments. However most people agree that a heart rate of 60-70% of your maximum is best when you are aiming to burn fat and are on a reduced calorie diet. At this zone more calories are burned from fat (during the exercise).

However; higher heart rates burn more calories in a shorter period of time, and provide a metabolism boost (afterburn) - however fewer calories are burned from fat (during the activity). Confused?!

There are many advocates of High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT). This involves short bursts (30 seconds to 1 minute) of exercise at 90% (or even maximum) heart rate, followed by a 1-2 minute recovery period. However if your aim is simply for fat loss - use the 60-70% zone.

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Think first.

T - Taste, Are the calories/fat/sodium worth the taste?
H - Health, How will this choice affect my overall health?
I - Indulge, Allow yourself to have a small indulgence, then STOP!
N - NO, Just say "No"
K - Knowledge, How long will I need to exercise to burn this off?

Maintaining a healthy weight depends on achieving energy balance. This is accomplished by balancing the amount of energy burned and food consumed in your day. To stop weight gain, most Americans need to do just two simple things:
-Add 2000 more steps each day
-Eat 100 fewer calories daily
Small changes in the types of foods you eat and in the portion sizes you choose will quickly add up to 100 reduced calories,or even more! By pledging to walk an extra mile (equivalent to
2000 steps) and reduce 100 calories (equivalent to 1 tablespoon of butter) you will see how easy it can be to achieve energy balance.

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Persevering through failure

Of course try, try again, but when you don't succeed at something it's best not to beat yourself up or hold yourself to an unrealistic standard of achievement. Feeling as if you're a failure, simply for not reaching a goal, is not who you truly are. Do you think you're the only one who fails? Of course not! Most problems involve steps to their solution, and solving each step along the way IS an accomplishment. If you become discouraged during your weight loss journey, keep trying! Some of life's most rewarding experiences make you sweat and persevere through hard times, only to emerge on the other side victorious and wiser for having worked so hard.


Trying (but failing) to see your goals realized can be frustrating. Margaret Thatcher once said "You may have to fight a battle more than once to win it," and she was absolutely right. You've got to believe that you will succeed! Never admit defeat as long as time and effort remain. Our greatest asset is patience; our greatest weakness is throwing in the towel. Banish discouragement and feelings of impossibility by working hard, doing more, and not giving in! A diamond was only made beautiful after millions of years as a lump of coal.
from Healthy Reflections




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A list of 50 benefits to Exercise:

* Improved digestion.
* Enhances quality of sleep.
* Adds a sparkle and radiance to complexion.
* Improves body shape.
* Tones and firms muscles.
* Provides more muscular definition.
* Enables weight loss and keeps it off.
* Makes you limber.
* Improves endurance.
* Burns extra calories.
* Improves circulation and helps reduce blood pressure.
* Increases lean muscle tissue in the body.
* Improves appetite for healthy foods.
* Alleviates menstrual cramps.
* Alters and improves muscle chemistry.
* Increases metabolic rate.
* Enhances coordination and balance.
* Improves posture.
* Eases and possibly eliminates back problems and pain.
* Makes the body use calories more efficiently.
* Lowers resting heart rate.
* Increases muscle size through an increase in muscle fibers.
* Improves body composition.
* Increases body density.
* Decreases fat tissue more easily.
* Makes body more agile.
* Is the greatest body tune-up.
* Reduces joint discomfort.
* Improves athletic performance.
* Enriches sexuality.
* May add a few years to life.
* Increases your range of motion.
* Enhances immune system.
* Improves glycogen storage.
* Enables the body to utilize energy more efficiently.
* Increases enzymes in the body which burn fat.
* Increases the number and size of mitochondria in muscle cells.
* Increases concentration of myoglobin (carries oxygen in muscles) in skeletal muscles.
* Enhances oxygen transport throughout the body.
* Improves liver functioning.
* Increases speed of muscle contraction and reaction time.
* Enhances feedback through the nervous system.
* Strengthens the heart.
* Improves blood flow.
* Helps to alleviate varicose veins.
* Increases maximum cardiac output.
* Increases contractility of the heart's ventricles.
* Increases the weight and size of the heart.
* Improves contractile function of the whole heart.
* Makes calcium transport in the heart and body more efficient.


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Eat Your Fruits & Veggies!!!

The phrase "eating a rainbow" of fruits and vegetables is a simple way of remembering to get as much color variety in your diet as possible, so that you can maximize your intake of a broad range of nutrients. The colors of fruits and vegetables are a small clue as to what vitamins and nutrients are included. By getting a variety of different colored fruits and vegetables, you are guaranteed a diverse amount of essential vitamins and minerals.

According to the food pyramid potatoes are not counted as a vegetable, as they are consist mostly of starch and should be consumed sparingly.

Red Fruits and Vegetables
Contain nutrients such as lycopene, ellagic acid, Quercetin, and Hesperidin, to name a few. These nutrients reduce the risk of prostate cancer, lower blood pressure, reduce tumor growth and LDL cholesterol levels, scavenge harmful free-radicals, and support join tissue in arthritis cases.

Orange and Yellow fruits and vegetables
Contain beta-carotene, zeaxanthin, flavonoids, lycopene, potassium, and vitamin C. These nutrients reduce age-related macula degeneration and the risk of prostate cancer, lower LDL cholesterol and blood pressure, promote collagen formation and healthy joints, fight harmful free radicals, encourage alkaline balance, and work with magnesium and calcium to build healthy bones.

Green vegetables and Fruit
Green vegetables contain chlorophyll, fiber, lutein, zeaxanthin, calcium, folate, vitamin C, calcium, and Beta-carotene. The nutrients found in these vegetables reduce cancer risks, lower blood pressure and LDL cholesterol levels, normalize digestion time, support retinal health and vision, fight harmful free-radicals, and boost immune system activity.

Blue and Purple fruits and vegetables
Contain nutrients which include lutein, zeaxanthin, resveratrol, vitamin C, fiber, flavonoids, ellagic acid, and quercetin. Similar to the previous nutrients, these nutrients support retinal health, lower LDL cholesterol, boost immune system activity, support healthy digestion, improve calcium and other mineral absorption, fight inflammation, reduce tumor growth, act as an anticarcinogens in the digestive tract, and limit the activity of cancer cells.

White fruits and vegetables

Contain nutrients such as beta-glucans, EGCG, SDG, and lignans that provide powerful immune boosting activity. These nutrients also activate natural killer B and T cells, reduce the risk of colon, breast, and prostate cancers, and balance hormone levels, reducing the risk of hormone-related cancers.

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Why aren't you walking? What excuse is keeping you from stepping out the door or onto the treadmill?
You've found the right place: Excuse Busters will exorcise your exercise excuses.
Excuse: Too Busy to Walk This green goblin of an excuse infests most homes. Work, school, cooking, cleaning, shopping, kids, laundry: There isn't enough time to do everything.
Bust it: Commit to a walking time: Put it on your calendar, in your day planner, or set your alarm clock. Invite others: Invite your family or housemates to join you. But make it clear that this time is for walking and exercise, nothing else. Work walking into your chores: Instead of stopping on the way home from work to do errands, I walk to the market and post office and carry things back in a backpack. Leave the beeper at home: If you carry a cell phone for safety, put it on vibrate for incoming calls. Sneak walking into a busy day: Walk during your breaks and lunch at work, or go for a quick walk at home while a pot is stewing. Although it is best to walk for a half hour or more, sneaking in a couple of 10- to 15-minute walks burns calories and gets you into the habit of exercising.


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Slipped, Stuck, Snap Back On Track
Took a detour off your eating plan or workout program. No worries. Life happens, and one of the keys to long-term victory is learning how to recover from missteps. Here are the secrets:

1. Pretend it never happened (sort of).
Get right back to your goals. The YOU Docs -- RealAge experts Michael Roizen, MD, and Mehmet Oz, MD -- point out that when you make a wrong turn on a highway trip, your GPS doesn't let you get 50 miles off course; it alerts you right away. Make a YOU-turn as quickly as possible.
2. Don't beat yourself up.
Missteps are not signs of failure. They're speed bumps that help regulate your journey. Don't judge what happened; instead, use the lapse for useful info on what gets you into danger and how to keep moving forward.
3. Look at the big picture.
Check your exercise tracker & food logs to see how far you've come. Focus on more than the numbers; think about whether you've had more energy, self-esteem, and passion for life. Pay more attention to your overall progress than to the individual days.
4. Have a backup plan.
People who have a backup tend to meet their goals more quickly than people who see themselves either on or off the program. Figure out what you'll do when, say, your walking buddy is on vacation or flight delays leave you stuck eating airport pizza.


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How do you see yourself?
Too often, we tend to look in the mirror and focus on areas that we don't like and say things to ourselves such as, "These thighs are as big as Red Woods, they'll never get slim", or "This stomach is so huge, washboard abs, ha, more like the whole washing machine!", or "I hate my butt, no matter what I do, it never gets smaller!"

Consider this thought a few moments: How do you describe yourself? Start with: "I am..." and put in how you see yourself.
When we use negative statements towards ourselves, we can actually set ourselves up to FAIL in our healthier lifestyles!

So, how do we change these views of ourselves?
Answer: You cease expectations and continue to eat healthy and get in your exercise!

Seem too simple? It's actually very difficult to not judge our progress or ourselves, by our own expectations or those of others in our lives.

Treat yourself with love and respect. Change your self-talk to only positive statements and when you look in the mirror next time, thank yourself for what you ARE doing and how you ARE changing - from the inside out!

This coming St. Valentine's Day, why not give those thighs, that stomach and that butt a beautiful bouquet of flowers!!! Start treating yourself well today and everyday and do what you already know to do - eat healthy, get in your exercise and give yourself time to change.
You CAN do it and you ARE worth it!


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The Iditarod Sled dog race is 1049 miles long from Anchorage to Nome, Alaska. To complete the Idita-walk, walk 30 minutes a day for 35 days between February 1, 2009 to March 31, 2009 for a total of 1049 minutes.



IF you walk 50 miles a month you will

lose approximately 1.3 lbs in a month
lose approximately 15.6 lbs in a year
have a 47% better chance of reducing depression
have a 10 day earlier healing of skin wounds
have an 18% lower risk of gettring breast cancer
have a 31% lower risk of getting colon can cancer
have a 33% higher survival rate if you get cancer
have a 32% lower risk of getting heart disease
have a 33% lower risk of getting a stroke
have a 71% lower risk of getting type 2 diabetes
have a 41% lower risk of getting a disability
have a 40% lower risk of getting Alzheimer's
have a 46% lower risk of getting Arthritis
have 0% loss of bone density


There is a difference between interest and commitment. When you're interested in doing something, you do it only when it's convenient.When you're committed to something, you accept no excuses - only results!

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