Tips to Boost Our Success

Dear friends -

What a motivating call last night!  Since the majority of us are looking to lose 10 pounds (or in that neighborhood) I thought the following article might have some good tips for us - http://www.prevention.com/smallchanges/index.shtml

Here is a summary of a few things that appear in the article - Small Changes that Take Off Big Pounds

1. Keep a food journal.  By picking up a pen after every meal, you live in the awareness that is key to our program.
2. Get up and move during commercials when you are watching TV. Skip, dance, go up and down some stairs, run in place—anything that gets your heart rate up so you feel somewhat breathless, Do it for each 2-minute break during a typical 2-hour TV night and you'll burn an extra 270 calories a day—which can translate to a 28-pound weight loss in a year.
3. Limit high fat foods to once a week.  Remember another part of our program centers around the recognition that we are human - and that means that sometimes we crave the foods that aren't good fuel sources.
4. Sign up for e-newsletters about health and wellness.  The more you know the better off you will be.
5.Walk 5 minutes more every day. Some simple ways to get moving include:

• Walk around the perimeter of the grocery store at least once before heading toward the items you need.
• Move in place whenever you're talking on the phone.
• Go through or around the entire shopping mall instead of parking near the store you need.
• Take a walk around the block at lunch and after dinner.

6. Strength-train in mini-bursts.  Try this mini-workout: Do 10 reps each of knee push-ups, squats, crunches, lunges, and chair dips. Then gradually increase the number of reps it takes for your muscles to feel fully fatigued.
7. Climb 3 extra flights of stairs daily.
8.Take a pedometer wherever you go. Research shows pedometer users take nearly 2,500 more steps a day (over 1 mile, or about 100 calories) than nonusers. Over a year, that's enough to burn off about 10 pounds.
9. Brown bag at least once a week to save money and calories.
10.Obey the 1-mile rule during errands. Burn calories instead of gas by following this rule: If your errands are less than 1 mile away, vow to walk them at a brisk pace instead of driving. Or park where you can run several errands within a mile instead of moving your car each time. Walk every day and you'll be 13 to 17 pounds lighter next year.

There are more great ideas in the article.

Here's to being lighter!
Tee