Staying in Shape is Easier. . .

Some of you may know who Jack LaLanne is. The godfather of American fitness - he is world reknowned as a bodybuilder, motivational speaker, nutrition and fitness expert. At 94 years of age he continues to work out every morning for two hours, spending 1 ½ hours in the weight room and ½ hour swimming or walking.
LaLanne says that as a child he was addicted to sugar and junk food. At age 15, he heard Paul Bragg give a talk on health and nutrition. Bragg's message was very simple but had a powerful influence on LaLanne, who subsequently decided to focus on his diet and exercise habits. His message has always been - stay in shape and you won't have to worry about getting back into shape.
Many of the emails I get from prospects and clients talk about their struggle - climbing on the fitness horse, falling off and getting back on again. Weight gain and loss yo-yoing back and forth - with the result that the amount of fat cells increase in the body over time and increased chances of diabetes and other health problems. And the yo-yo effect not only takes more time to get weight off, but to keep it off permanently or drop the last 10 to 20 pounds.

If you're not currently fit - don't lose hope or heart. Get back on the horse and make a commitment to STAY on. Don't cheat yourself out of the radiant good health and confidence that you deserve. And if you are currently fit - listen up - STAY THAT WAY! Take a leaf from Jack's book! Don't allow yourself to get out of shape and you won't ever have to worry about getting back in.

Tip the Scales in Your Favor. . .

To tip the energy balance in your favor, start by determining how many calories you need each day to maintain your current weight. Doing this requires a few simple calculations.

First, multiply your current weight by 15. That’s roughly the number of calories per day needed to maintain your current weight if you are moderately active. Moderately active means getting at least 30 minutes of physical activity a day (walking at a brisk pace, climbing stairs, or active, physical gardening). If you are less active, you’ll need to increase your activity to that level or reduce your calories further, or you will gain weight.

Weight X 15 = Daily calories to maintain weight
Daily calories - 500 = Weight loss

Let’s say you’re a moderately active woman who is 5 feet, 2 inches tall and weighs 150 pounds. If you multiply 150 by 15, you will get 2,250, which is the number of calories per day that you need to maintain your current 150-pound weight. To lose weight, you will need to eat below that total each day.

If your BMI shows that you are overweight, you can set a goal of losing one to two pounds a week — a rate that experts consider safe. To lose weight, your daily food consumption should provide 500–1,000 calories less than your total weight-maintenance calories. So in the example of the 150-pound woman, reducing calories to 1,250–1,750 a day will produce the desired weight loss.

If you are sedentary, you will also need to build more activity into your day. In order to lose at least a pound a week, try to do at least 30 minutes of physical activity on most days, and reduce your daily calorie intake by at least 500 calories. However, calorie intake should not fall below 1,200 a day in women or 1,500 a day in men, except under the supervision of a health professional. Eating too few calories can endanger your health by depriving you of needed nutrients.

The Skinny on Diet Soda

Lately the artificial sweetener leading to weight gain issue has been bandied back and forth quite a bit. Researchers suggest that these sweeteners may work counterintuitively by giving your body the go ahead to eat more food rather than less.

The studies are not conclusive and more research is needed, but the premise is that the sweet taste sends your body a message that you're taking in a lot of calories. But when your ingestive and digestive reflexes gear up for the high-caloric intake - they are met with the no cal or low cal sweetener and the body then gets the metabolic go ahead to eat more and consequently burn less.

Just to be safe, stay clear of of artificial sweetened foods as much as possible. Natural alternatives won't cause an insulin spike or confuse your system and lead to possible weight gain.