Posts Tagged ‘lifestyle choices’

Lately I’ve been receiving a lot of spam emails. It’s amazing how many of them are promising quick weight loss without any effort! One of them even promised that their new ’super tonic’ was the new Fountain of Youth…..just take their product and watch the years fade away. If you’ll excuse the expression, that’s all just a bunch of baloney. The radio advertisements promise “weight loss without diet or exercise” and the infomercials brag about the newest and greatest pill that will magically make the fat melt away…..baloney!

I’d like to ask those advertisers just a few questions: If your “magic-weight-loss-potion-miracle-in-a-bottle” is the real deal, then why hasn’t the media picked up on the story? If your product is indeed the Fountain of Youth, why didn’t my doctor recommend it? Why isn’t it being featured on CNN and all the major news networks?

The reason why the media, and the entire world, isn’t going ga-ga over these new ‘miracle’ cures is that they’re not real miracle cures.

However, I do have some BIG NEWS for you! Against all odds, after careful research and years of painstaking effort, WE HAVE DISCOVERED THE REAL FOUNTAIN OF YOUTH!!!

The only real Fountain of Youth (at least, the closest thing we’ve found) is EXERCISE! There, now you’re in on the secret too! It turns out that our doctor was right, the Surgeon General was right, the American Medical Association was right, and your old coach was right too…..the best way to help keep the body young and healthy is through regular exercise!

The human body can fail in a staggering number of ways. Yet most problems develop gradually over months, years or decades. That leaves plenty of time for action. Doctors can help, but studies show that at least 70 percent of healthy aging depends on decisions each person makes about diet, exercise, smoking and other lifestyle choices (Source: St. Petersburg physician Timothy Carlson).

Did you catch that? Let’s read it again: At least 70 percent of healthy aging depends on decisions each person makes about diet, exercise, smoking and other lifestyle choices! Now that’s what I call the Fountain of Youth!

Unfortunately, the vast majority of people make poor decisions. “Only 18% of patients are at goal,” meaning that their body weight, cholesterol, blood pressure, blood sugar and so on are normal (Source: St. Petersburg physician Timothy Carlson).

Guess what? Regular exercise improves body weight, cholesterol, blood pressure, blood sugar and so much more! People who engage in regular exercise are much more likely to be in the 18% group…..the 18% who are at their goal.

So what are we waiting for? Let’s go exercise!

Until next time, we’ll see you at the Fountain of Youth…..oops, I mean we’ll see you at the gym!

Tracie Johanson is the founder of Pick Up The Pace, a 30-minute exercise studio for women, focusing on fitness, health and nutrition for maximum weight loss. Please visit http://www.letspickupthepace.com/ for more information.

Have you lost weight in the past only to regain it a short time later? Have you followed every diet including Atkins, South Beach, the Drinking Man’s diet, the Peanut Butter diet, or even the Chocolate Diet?

All of these diets work, and none of them work, meaning you can and probably do lose weight on any of them, but you won’t keep it off. Why not? Because the day will come when the diet is over and you’re right back to your regular routine; the same routine that got you fat in the first place.

In the past diets carried a warning not to stay on them longer than the prescribed period; usually two weeks, some a mere three days.

Today’s popular diets are attempting to style themselves as lifestyle choices, but this isn’t working either. People want to be able to eat a sandwich now and then. They want the burger and the bun! Strive for balance choosing foods you prefer, and you’ll have a better chance at lasting weight loss success.

Small Changes: Big Answer to Weight Loss Blues

Start today, and work one day at a time making one or two small changes such as switching to the calorie-free soft drinks then weaning yourself down to two or less a day (if you drink more than that now of course).

Changes don’t have to be drastic. In fact trying to make drastic changes in your lifestyle never works because while you may be happy in the beginning, you slowly grow miserable toward the end. In fact, that’s the problem right there: you anticipate an end.

Weight Loss Comes Down to Choices

Talk to people who’ve lost weight and kept it off. They’ll say, “This is a lifestyle.” It’s about choices you make every day. Are you choosing to take an extra helping, even though you’re comfortably full? Change that one behavior and you’re on your way.

Do you choose to take the bag of chips to the couch? Change that, in fact just stop eating on the couch entirely and you’re one step closer. Eliminate the habit of grabbing a few bites on your way past the candy dish, that alone can shave several pounds.

I once lost eight pounds simply by eliminating the candy dish I kept at my desk (not to mention the money I saved not buying a couple pounds of candy a week).

Choose one small habit or behavior at a time, not your entire existence, and you’ll have a much better chance to reach your weight loss goals.

Kimberly Thomas writes articles within the weight loss industry.Learn how to lose the healthyway at http://www.edietfactory.com