Obviously I still got the munchies.

11 Superfoods for Weight Loss - by Linda Kallman

These nutritious foods will satisfy your appetite and help you get to your ideal weight.

Foods for Weight Loss

Here are some suggestions from Sasson for meals and snacks that are loaded with the nutrients your body needs and that will keep those hunger pangs at bay.

Scrambled Eggs, Toast, and Strawberries
Fasting or skipping meals does not lead to successful, long-term weight loss. A healthy breakfast gets your body going, boosts your metabolism, and helps to regulate your appetite for the rest of the day. So scramble a few eggs, which are a great source of protein, vitamins A, B2, and B12, phosphorus, and iron.

Add some whole wheat toast and fresh strawberries for fiber, plus almost 150 percent of the RDA for vitamin C in the berries. Using a little bit of butter or margarine on the toast or for cooking the eggs will help your body absorb fat-soluble vitamins.

Recommended Serving Size: 2 medium eggs, about 130 calories or 1 medium egg and the egg white from 1 egg, about 80 calories 2 slices whole wheat toast, about 138 calories 1 pat butter, about 36 calories or 1 pat of margarine, about 32 calories 1 cup of strawberries, about 49 calories

Nectarines and Almonds
Having the right midmorning snack will keep your metabolism humming and your energy levels up, and will help you avoid eating too much at lunch out of extreme hunger. A medium nectarine along with some almonds gives you fiber, protein, a variety of vitamins and minerals, and heart-healthy fat.

Recommended Serving Size: 1 medium nectarine, about 60 calories 6-8 almonds, about 40-60 calories

Colorful Spinach, Veggie, and Chicken Salad
Throw together a spinach salad with cucumbers, carrots, red peppers, cherry tomatoes, and some cooked chicken breast. Top it with an olive-oil-based vinaigrette dressing for a low-fat, low-cal, and filling lunch. Vitamin- and mineral-rich spinach provides over 50 percent of your RDA for vitamin A, plus dietary fiber and iron. As a rule, colorful vegetables are more nutritious, and this combination is rich in fiber, tons of vitamins. and the phytochemicals that may help prevent chronic disease. Finally, the protein in the chicken will keep you full until your midday snack.

Recommended Serving Size: 1 cup spinach, about 7 calories 1/2 cup sliced cucumber, about 12 calories 1/4 cup grated carrots, about 10 calories 1/2 cup red peppers, about 12 calories 6-8 cherry tomatoes, about 18-24 calories 2 oz. chicken strips, about 75 calories 2 tablespoons vinaigrette dressing (with olive or canola oil), about 90 calories

Yogurt and Grapes Snack
You'll get calcium, protein, fiber, and vitamin C from this super snack. Plus, grapes pack cancer-fighting antioxidants.

Recommended Serving Size: 6 oz. low-fat yogurt, about 160 calories 10 grapes, about 50 calories

Tuna Steak and Broccoli
This dinner will satisfy your taste buds and fill you up without adding on the calories. Fresh tuna is a great source of heart-healthy fat and omega-3 fatty acid, which helps prevent heart disease and stroke. Broccoli, a cruciferous vegetable, gives you over 80 percent of the RDA for vitamin C, 30 percent of your daily calcium, and disease-fighting phytochemicals. A side dish of Spanish rice is an excellent complement to the fish.

Recommended Serving Size: 3 oz. cooked broiled or grilled tuna steak, about 118 calories 1 cup broccoli, about 25 calories 1/2 cup Spanish rice, about 140 calories

Low-Fat Vanilla Ice Cream with Fruit Topping
Don't deprive yourself of that tasty dessert you crave. This one is refreshing and satisfying but is also a source of calcium, as well as some vitamins and minerals. Just remember to watch your portion size.

Recommended Serving Size: 1/2 cup low-fat vanilla ice cream, about 120 calories 1/2 cup mixed fruit, about 60 calories [source]

And now, the moment you've all been waiting for. The final 25 tips. *blink* *blink*

What? Oh the source is what you want? The source is the sole reason you trudged back here every day for the last 4 days? "Give me the source woman!" is what you are screeching as tears roll down your face? Okay fine. Here it is...@ the end of the last 25 of course. ::

How Can I Conquer My Downfall: Bingeing at Night?


1. Eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner. The large majority of people who struggle with night eating are those who skip meals or don't eat balanced meals during the day. This is a major setup for overeating at night.
2. Eat your evening meal in the kitchen or dining room, sitting down at the table.
3. Drink cold unsweetened raspberry tea. It tastes great and keeps your mouth busy.
4. Change your nighttime schedule. It will take effort, but it will pay off. You need something that will occupy your mind and hands.
5. If you're eating at night due to emotions, you need to focus on getting in touch with what's going on and taking care of yourself in a way that really works. Find a nonfood method of coping with your stress.
6. Put a sign on the kitchen and refrigerator doors: "Closed after Dinner."
7. Brush your teeth right after dinner to remind you: No more food.
8. Eat without engaging in any other simultaneous activity. No reading, watching TV, or sitting at the computer.
9. Eating late at night won't itself cause weight gain. It's how many calories--not when you eat them--that counts.


How Can I Reap Added Health Benefits from My Dieting?


10. Fat-free isn't always your best bet. Research has found that none of the lycopene or alpha- or beta-carotene that fight cancer and heart disease is absorbed from salads with fat-free dressing. Only slightly more is absorbed with reduced-fat dressing; the most is absorbed with full-fat dressing. But remember, use your dressing in moderate amounts.
11. Skipping breakfast will leave you tired and craving naughty foods by midmorning. To fill up healthfully and tastefully, try this sweet, fruity breakfast full of antioxidants. In a blender, process 1 c nonfat plain or vanilla yogurt, 1 1/3 c frozen strawberries (no added sugar), 1 peeled kiwi, and 1 peeled banana. Pulse until mixture is milkshake consistency. Makes one 2-cup serving; 348 calories and 1.5 fat grams.
12. If you're famished by 4 p.m. and have no alternative but an office vending machine, reach for the nuts--. The same goes if your only choices are what's available in the hotel minibar.
13. Next time you're feeling wiped out in late afternoon, forgo that cup of coffee and reach for a cup of yogurt instead. The combination of protein, carbohydrate, and fat in an 8-ounce serving of low-fat yogurt will give you a sense of fullness and well-being that coffee can't match, as well as some vital nutrients. If you haven't eaten in 3 to 4 hours, your blood glucose levels are probably dropping, so eating a small amount of nutrient-rich food will give your brain and your body a boost.
14. Making just a few changes to your pantry shelves can get you a lot closer to your weight loss goals. Here's what to do: If you use corn and peanut oil, replace it with olive oil. Same goes for breads--go for whole wheat. Trade in those fatty cold cuts like salami and bologna and replace them canned tuna, sliced turkey breast, and lean roast beef. Change from drinking whole milk to fat-free milk or low-fat soy milk. This is hard for a lot of people so try transitioning down to 2 percent and then 1 percent before you go fat-free.
15. Nothing's less appetizing than a crisper drawer full of mushy vegetables. Frozen vegetables store much better, plus they may have greater nutritional value than fresh. Food suppliers typically freeze veggies just a few hours after harvest, locking in the nutrients. Fresh veggies, on the other hand, often spend days in the back of a truck before they reach your supermarket.
16. Worried about the trans-fat content in your peanut butter? Good news: In a test done on Skippy, JIF, Peter Pan, and a supermarket brand, the levels of trans fats per 2-tablespoon serving were far lower than 0.5 gram--low enough that under proposed laws, the brands can legally claim zero trans fats on the label. They also contained only 1 gram more sugar than natural brands--not a significant difference.


Eating Less Isn't Enough--What Exercising Tips Will Help Me Shed Pounds?


17. Overeating is not the result of exercise. Vigorous exercise won't stimulate you to overeat. It's just the opposite. Exercise at any level helps curb your appetite immediately following the workout.
18. When you're exercising, you shouldn't wait for thirst to strike before you take a drink. By the time you feel thirsty, you're already dehydrated. Try this: Drink at least 16 ounces of water, sports drinks, or juices two hours before you exercise. Then drink 8 ounces an hour before and another 4 to 8 ounces every 15 to 20 minutes during your workout. Finish with at least 16 ounces after you're done exercising.
19. Tune in to an audio book while you walk. It'll keep you going longer and looking forward to the next walk--and the next chapter! Check your local library for a great selection. Look for a whodunit; you might walk so far you'll need to take a cab home!
20. Think yoga's too serene to burn calories? Think again. You can burn 250 to 350 calories during an hour-long class (that's as much as you'd burn from an hour of walking)! Plus, you'll improve muscle strength, flexibility, and endurance.
21. Drinking too few can hamper your weight loss efforts. That's because dehydration can slow your metabolism by 3 percent, or about 45 fewer calories burned a day, which in a year could mean weighing 5 pounds more. The key to water isn't how much you drink, it's how frequently you drink it. Small amounts sipped often work better than 8 ounces gulped down at once.


How Can I Manage My Emotional Eating and Get the Support I Need?


22. A registered dietitian (RD) can help you find healthy ways to manage your weight with food. To find one in your area who consults with private clients call (800) 366-1655.
23. The best place to drop pounds may be your own house of worship. Researchers set up healthy eating and exercise programs in 16 Baltimore churches. More than 500 women participated and after a year the most successful lost an average of 20 lb. Weight loss programs based on faith are so successful because there's a built-in community component that people can feel comfortable with.
24. Here's another reason to keep level-headed all the time: Pennsylvania State University research has found that women less able to cope with stress--shown by blood pressure and heart rate elevations--ate twice as many fatty snacks as stress-resistant women did, even after the stress stopped (in this case, 25 minutes of periodic jackhammer-level noise and an unsolvable maze).
25. Sitting at a computer may help you slim down. When researchers at Brown University School of Medicine put 92 people on online weight loss programs for a year, those who received weekly e-mail counseling shed 5 1/2 more pounds than those who got none. Counselors provided weekly feedback on diet and exercise logs, answered questions, and cheered them on. Most major online diet programs offer many of these features.

Here's the source, where you'll find all 100 diet tips in a nice printable format.

Enjoy!

I noticed the tips from the last two days seemed disjointed. No wonder. I didn't think to include the transitional text. The list isn't solely a lump of 100 things. It has tips for various situations. I fixed it here and went back and added the text to the for 1-25 & 26-50. It should read better now.

What Can I Eat for a Healthy Low-Cal Dinner if I Don't Want to Cook?


1. A healthy frozen entree with a salad and a glass of 1 percent milk.
2. Scramble eggs in a nonstick skillet. Pop some asparagus in the microwave, and add whole wheat toast. If your cholesterol levels are normal, you can have seven eggs a week!
3. A bag of frozen vegetables heated in the microwave, topped with 2 tablespoons of Parmesan cheese and 2 tablespoons of chopped nuts.
4. Prebagged salad topped with canned tuna, grape tomatoes, shredded reduced-fat cheese, and low-cal Italian dressing.
5. Keep lean sandwich fixings on hand: whole wheat bread, sliced turkey, reduced-fat cheese, tomatoes, mustard with horseradish.
6. Heat up a can of good soup.
7. Cereal, fruit, and fat-free milk makes a good meal anytime.
8. Try a veggie sandwich from Subway.
9. Precut fruit for a salad and add yogurt.


What's Your Best Advice for Avoiding those Extra Holiday Pounds?


10. Don't tell yourself, "It's okay, it's the holidays." That opens the door to 6 weeks of splurging.
11. Remember, EAT before you meet. Have this small meal before you go to any parties: a hardboiled Egg, Apple, and a Thirst quencher (water, seltzer, diet soda, tea).
12. As obvious as it sounds, don't stand near the food at parties. Make the effort, and you'll find you eat less.
13. At a buffet? Eating a little of everything guarantees high calories. Decide on three or four things, only one of which is high in calories. Save that for last so there's less chance of overeating.
14. For the duration of the holidays, wear your snuggest clothes that don't allow much room for expansion. Wearing sweats is out until January.
15. Give it away! After company leaves, give away leftover food to neighbors, doormen, or delivery people, or take it to work the next day.
16. Walk around the mall three times before you start shopping.
17. Make exercise a nonnegotiable priority.
18. Dance to music with your family in your home. One dietitian reported that when she asks her patients to do this, initially they just smile, but once they've done it, they say it is one of the easiest ways to involve the whole family in exercise.


How Can I Control a Raging Sweet Tooth?


19. Once in a while, have a lean, mean salad for lunch or dinner, and save the meal's calories for a full dessert.
20. Are you the kind of person who does better if you make up your mind to do without sweets and just not have them around? Or are you going to do better if you have a limited amount of sweets every day? One RD reported that most of her clients pick the latter and find they can avoid bingeing after a few days.
21. If your family thinks they need a very sweet treat every night, try to strike a balance between offering healthy choices but allowing them some "free will." Compromise with low-fat ice cream and fruit, or sometimes just fruit with a dollop of whipped cream.
22. Try 2 weeks without sweets. It's amazing how your cravings vanish.
23. Eat more fruit. A person who gets enough fruit in his diet doesn't have a raging sweet tooth.
24. Eat your sweets, just eat them smart! Carve out about 150 calories per day for your favorite sweet. That amounts to about an ounce of chocolate, half a modest slice of cake, or 1/2 cup of regular ice cream.
25. Try these smart little sweets: sugar-free hot cocoa, frozen red grapes, fudgsicles, sugar-free gum, Nutri-Grain chocolate fudge twists, Tootsie Rolls, and hard candy.

As an aside, I didn't make these tips up myself. On Saturday, when I post the final 25, I'll link to the original source. We all know doing it now just defeats the purpose of tricking teasing people into coming back each day. ::

How Can I Eat More Veggies?


1. Have a V8 or tomato juice instead of a Diet Coke at 3 pm.
2. Doctor your veggies to make them delicious: Dribble maple syrup over carrots, and sprinkle chopped nuts on green beans.
3. Mix three different cans of beans and some diet Italian dressing. Eat this three-bean salad all week.
4. Don't forget that vegetable soup counts as a vegetable.
5. Rediscover the sweet potato.
6. Use prebagged baby spinach everywhere: as "lettuce" in sandwiches, heated in soups, wilted in hot pasta, and added to salads.
7. Spend the extra few dollars to buy vegetables that are already washed and cut up.
8. Really hate veggies? Relax. If you love fruits, eat plenty of them; they are just as healthy (especially colorful ones such as oranges, mangoes, and melons).
9. Keep seven bags of your favorite frozen vegetables on hand. Mix any combination, microwave, and top with your favorite low-fat dressing. Enjoy 3 to 4 cups a day. Makes a great quick dinner.


Can You Give Me a Mantra that will Help Me Stick to My Diet?


10. "The best portion of high-calorie foods is the smallest one. The best portion of vegetables is the largest one. Period."
11. "I'll ride the wave. My cravings will disappear after 10 minutes if I turn my attention elsewhere."
12. "I want to be around to see my grandchildren, so I can forgo a cookie now."
13. "I am a work in progress."
14. "It's more stressful to continue being fat than to stop overeating."


I Eat Healthy, but I'm Overweight. What Mistakes Could I Be Making without Realizing It?


15. Skipping meals. Many healthy eaters "diet by day and binge by night."
16. Don't "graze" yourself fat. You can easily munch 600 calories of pretzels or cereal without realizing it.
17. Eating pasta like crazy. A serving of pasta is 1 cup, but some people routinely eat 4 cups.
18. Eating supersize bagels of 400 to 500 calories for snacks.
19. Ignoring "Serving Size" on the Nutrition Facts panel.
20. Snacking on bowls of nuts. Nuts are healthy but dense with calories. Put those bowls away, and use nuts as a garnish instead of a snack.
21. Thinking all energy bars and fruit smoothies are low-cal.


What Can I Eat for a Healthy Low-Cal Dinner if I Don't Want to Cook?


22. A smoothie made with fat-free milk, frozen fruit, and wheat germ.
23. The smallest fast-food burger (with mustard and ketchup, not mayo) and a no-cal beverage. Then at home, have an apple or baby carrots.
24. A peanut butter sandwich on whole wheat bread with a glass of 1 percent milk and an apple.
25. Precooked chicken strips and microwaved frozen broccoli topped with Parmesan cheese.

I'll post 25 tips a day for the next four days.

I Can Only Handle One Diet Change Right Now. What Should I Do?


1. Add just one fruit or veggie serving daily. Get comfortable with that, then add an extra serving until you reach 8 to 10 a day.
2. Eat at least two servings of a fruit or veggie at every meal.
3. Resolve never to supersize your food portions--unless you want to superize your clothes.
4. Make eating purposeful, not mindless. Whenever you put food in your mouth, peel it, unwrap it, plate it, and sit. Engage all of the senses in the pleasure of nourishing your body.
5. Start eating a big breakfast. It helps you eat fewer total calories throughout the day.
6. Make sure your plate is half veggies and/or fruit at both lunch and dinner.


Are there Any Easy Tricks to Help Me Cut Calories?


7. Eating out? Halve it, and bag the rest. A typical restaurant entree has 1,000 to 2,000 calories, not even counting the bread, appetizer, beverage, and dessert.
8. When dining out, make it automatic: Order one dessert to share.
9. Use a salad plate instead of a dinner plate.
10. See what you eat. Plate your food instead of eating out of the jar or bag.
11. Eat the low-cal items on your plate first, then graduate. Start with salads, veggies, and broth soups, and eat meats and starches last. By the time you get to them, you'll be full enough to be content with smaller portions of the high-calorie choices.
12. Instead of whole milk, switch to 1 percent. If you drink one 8-oz glass a day, you'll lose 5 lb in a year.
13. Juice has as many calories, ounce for ounce, as soda. Set a limit of one 8-oz glass of fruit juice a day.
14. Get calories from foods you chew, not beverages. Have fresh fruit instead of fruit juice.
15. Keep a food journal. It really works wonders.
16. Follow the Chinese saying: "Eat until you are eight-tenths full."
17. Use mustard instead of mayo.
18. Eat more soup. The noncreamy ones are filling but low-cal.
19. Cut back on or cut out caloric drinks such as soda, sweet tea, lemonade, etc. People have lost weight by making just this one change. If you have a 20-oz bottle of Coca-Cola every day, switch to Diet Coke. You should lose 25 lb in a year.
20. Take your lunch to work.
21. Sit when you eat.
22. Dilute juice with water.
23. Have mostly veggies for lunch.
24. Eat at home.
25. Limit alcohol to weekends.

Weight-loss fads come and go. But no matter what you hear, limiting fat in your diet, particularly saturated fat and trans fat, is one of the most important diet changes we can make for optimum health. The Mayo Clinic offers 10 ways you can cut down on fat.

And my day was going so well

There are 4 life stages when your body clings to fat. Here's what you can do to lose it.

"Your metabolism slows by about 5% each decade, which means that at age 35 you're burning about 75 fewer calories a day than you did at age 25,"

[snip]

For looking and feeling your best, the American Institute for Cancer Research in Washington, DC, recommends gaining no more than 11 pounds--for life--after age 18. Tell that tidbit to my tummy, hips & thighs. - Renee

What you can do with diet, exercise, and behavior:

Slow losing beaker babes, rejoice! (Red text is my emphasis.)

Why you don't seem to be losing weight - by Sarah Robertson

Q: I started a weight loss program 2 weeks ago, but the scale hasn't budged. Why?

A: It's not uncommon for people to lose weight at different rates, even if their eating and exercise habits are the same. The most likely explanation is fluid retention, says Franca Alphin, MPH, RD, nutrition director of student health services at Duke University Medical Center in Durham, NC. Some people are just more prone to retaining fluids.

To prevent this, watch your salt intake, drink more water, and be patient. Come next week, you may suddenly drop the few pounds you were hanging on to as your body starts adjusting to your new regimen, Alphin says.

However, if you don't see a change by the fourth week, reevaluate what you're doing. If you started walking, great. But realize that, at most, you'll be burning about 100 calories for each mile walked. Since there are 3,500 calories in 1 lb of fat, you'll get faster results by also trimming some calories. Most people can expect to lose an average of 1 to 2 lb a week. (If you have 10 lb or less to lose, the weight will come off more slowly: about 1/4 to 1/2 lb a week. [source]

Deconditioning, or losing fitness, when you stop training due to illness or injury is one of the 5 principles of conditioning. The principle of use/disuse refers to the 'use it or lose it' concept. However, how quickly you lose fitness depends on how fit you are, how long you have been exercising and on how long you stop.

Deconditioning theories are becoming more clear thanks to several research studies focused on aerobic fitness. One study had well-conditioned athletes who had trained for year stop exercise all together. After a three month hiatus researchers found that the athletes lost about half of their aerobic conditioning. New exercisers, however, didn't fare as well. Another study followed new exercisers through the conditioning and deconditioning process.

Sedentary individuals started a bicycling program for two months. During that time they made dramatic cardiovascular improvements and boosted their aerobic capacity substantially. Then they quite exercising for the next two months. When re-tested, the researchers found that these new exercisers lost all their aerobic gains and returned to their pretraining fitness levels.

There is also research being conducted that looks at decreases in training level, rather than completely stopping all exercise. The results are very promising and should provide comfort to athletes who need to cut back on training due to time constraints, illness or injury. One study followed sedentary men through 3 months of strength training, 3 times a week, and then had them cut back to one session per week. They found that these men maintained nearly all the strength gains they developed in the first 3 months.

There are also many individual differences in deconditioning rates, and it is impossible to apply all these studies to your situation. But it appears that if you can maintain some exercise on a weekly basis, you can maintain your fitness levels fairly well.

If you do need to stop exercise completely for several months it is difficult to predict with accuracy how long it will take you to return to your former fitness levels. Again, individual differences come into play. Some research shows that after a 3 month break, you can not return to peak condition in a week. In some cases, it takes as long as 3 months to regain all your conditioning. Here again, it seems to depend on your original level of fitness and how long you stopped.

The take-away for athletes who need to take time off is to try to do something at least once a week during your break, but don't quit completely. Cross-training through an injury is always a great option. [source]

Weight management is a balancing act between taking in calories and burning them up. New research suggests that the way your body burns energy may be at least as important as how much you eat. Try these tips for keeping your body's idle speed high.

Tailor strength and cardiovascular workouts to your goals.

TO BUILD MUSCLE

1. Work to fatigue. Weight should be heavy enough so muscle is fatigued after 6 to 15 repetitions.

2. Add weight progressively. Start with one set, one to three times a week, with a weight that tires the muscle after 8 to 15 reps. Once that gets easier — usually in two to four weeks — work up to three sets. Then increase weight slightly and go back to one set, working up to three.

3. Include heavier weights. Once a week, hoist a weight heavy enough to fatigue you after three to five reps. Do two sets.

4. Fuel workouts. Before a strenuous session, Karen Reznik Dolins, an adjunct professor of sports nutrition at Columbia, suggested eating carbohydrates, and within an hour after, carbohydrates and protein.

TO LOSE WEIGHT

1. Focus on cardiovascular exercise. Do workouts like running or aerobics five or more days a week, for at least 45 minutes, but also include weight lifting one to three times a week, said Joseph Donnelly, the director of the Energy Balance Laboratory at the University of Kansas.

2. Be active throughout day. If you sit at a desk, get up and walk around for five minutes every hour.

3. Eat regularly. Pace meals and snacks every three to four hours for the right amount of calories when the body needs them, Dolins said. [source]
You may need to register to read. Make use of

Pretty much confirms an idea I flirted w/earlier this year. I also heard a naturopath say something similiar last week and also read this on a forum. Methinks it now sticks.

It'll be hard, if not impossible, for me to build muscle AND lose weight. My best bet is to work on maintaining the muscle I have or just try not to lose too much.

The naturopath said it takes quite a bit of protein in addition to some heavy resistance to add muscle and it doesn't just happen overnight. The forum said it's to be expected that some muscle loss will happen when eating restricted calories. It's only when bulking starts and calories are ramped up does one actually add muscle.

I dig that.

By Dianne Hales - Published: January 2, 2005

You've vowed, yet again, to pare down the pounds this year, but you know that the odds of keeping them off are bleak. Diets may work, but research and experience show that it's often only for a while. Exercise helps—as long as you keep at it.

Even with the best diet, people have trouble keeping their resolve, and health experts are beginning to deal with this problem. With two in three adults overweight or obese, those experts are looking beyond carbs and calories to the cognitive-behavioral techniques that have helped many Americans overcome other unhealthy habits, such as smoking and alcohol abuse.

1. If I say I want to lose 50 pounds, I will! I know, I know, what's the point of dieting if you don't have a specific number in mind? Well, it's important to understand that as your body matures, it responds to exercise and reduced calorie consumption in different ways. I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but the older we get, the harder our weight loss efforts become. In other words, remember when you were in your 20's and you could go a couple of days without eating and BINGO, suddenly the scale was back down where you wanted it? Well, as we lose muscle mass and go through the lovely changes of life, our body doesn't bounce back like that anymore. So, set a goal of becoming more active while keeping an eye on nutrition. This is an attainable and realistic goal.

2. Diet is deprivation! Generally speaking, a diet will act as a jump-start for your weight loss efforts. The hope is that you will find certain aspects of your selected diet and apply those to your lifestyle permanently. The problem is that so many people view diets as their last chance to lose weight, and they completely exempt any "fun food" from their diet. Granted, if you are serious about losing weight, you need to rid yourself of too much sugar and junk food. But, once in a while, a treat is just fine.

3. I will look like a movie star! How often have we said to our kids, "If Johnny jumped off a bridge would you?" OK, maybe the names have been changed, but you get the gist. Our bodies are uniquely ours and how they respond to exercise, stress, love, happiness and so on is very different. We have to respect our bodies, our unique strengths and weaknesses and build upon the things we recognize as strengths. Your friend, family member or neighbor may have lost a bunch of weight, but her body type and yours are probably very different. Sure, you can find out what she did to attain her goal, but it's more important that YOU find out what will help you achieve a realistic goal!

4. Once I'm finished with the diet, I can go back to what I did before! All too often people view diets with a starting point and an ending point. The hope is that you will use the diet to shift what you're doing now, whether it's limiting your sugar intake, reducing your daily calorie consumption, increasing your water or whatever it may be. Your attempt should be to lose the bad habits you've grown accustomed to. I remember a reader once wrote in to my column saying, "A good friend of mine just lost 60 pounds on a diet, does that mean he can go back to his 'old' way of eating?" I wasn't sure if the reader was serious or not, but let's think about that question. If he had 60 pounds to lose because his health was poor, why in the world would he want to go back to his old way of eating (which clearly got him into trouble)? So, when you begin a diet, look at the aspects that make sense to you and your current lifestyle. These are the pieces you want to apply to your lifestyle. If there are aspects of a diet that are not appealing, let them go and stick with what works for you!

5. I need someone to tell me what to eat! Here's the deal, we all KNOW what we should be eating. However, due to the plethora of information available, we have become a society confused with which foods are good for us and which are not. We have become consumed with eating to lose weight versus eating to be healthy. When you eat well and are active, nine times out of 10, your weight will be where it needs to be. It might not jibe with the weight charts that are out there, but eating well and exercising will give your body what it needs to be healthy. In other words, daily activity and mindful nutrition results in an appropriate weight! You know you should be eating more fruits and veggies and less processed foods, right? So you DO know what you should be eating. Believe in yourself enough to know that you've got what it takes to make the right changes!

6. If I just exercise a couple of hours a day, I can eat whatever I want! Yeah, and if I just wish hard enough, I can sing like Barbra Streisand. The truth is that exercising simply in an effort to lose weight just won't cut the mustard. Your success will be short-lived and never become a regular part of your lifestyle. Exercise needs to be embraced for all of the right reasons including: more energy, improved quality of life, reduced risks of cancer, cardiovascular risks and osteoporosis. Find one of the hundreds of benefits that speaks to you and go for it. If you exercise simply to keep your weight in check, it will never be enough to maintain weight loss.

7. I don't have time to exercise so I'll just cut out more calories! Again, you need to focus on health. If we make decisions to alter our lifestyle simply for weight loss, "Fuget about it!" -- it will never last. You MUST figure out incentives valuable enough to you that will get you to exercise and eat well for all of the right reasons. How many calories are you willing to cut out and at what cost? Here is something that has helped me immensely: Living Healthy 80/20. If you can exercise and make sound nutritional choices 80 percent of the time, you'll have a 20 percent margin of error. We usually don't exercise and eat right every day of our lives, even those of us who are committed to doing so. Life happens and for whatever reason, you don't exercise or you're forced to pick up fast food. But if that only happens 20 percent of the time, the odds are pretty good that you'll maintain a healthy lifestyle.

8. Writing things down doesn't make a difference! Trust me, it does. Some of my greatest client success stories come from those who were committed to keeping track of what they put in their mouth. Come on, how many times do you pop something into our mouth and then say, "It was small, it doesn't count?" We all have, but if you're writing things down you can clearly see where your biggest struggles lie. Additionally, if you are able to see where those struggles are, you can begin taking steps to change them, one at a time. And that, my friends, is the secret to long-term success -- baby steps!

9. You're bad! No, actually, murder is bad, YOU are not bad. Making an unhealthy food choice is NOT bad. As long as we continue to view our choices as bad or good, we will always struggle with change. When making choices about exercise or food, more often than not we TRY to make the best choices. Sometimes stress, time constraints, and lifestyle change can have a huge impact on our choices. Being unable to make healthy choices upon occasion is not BAD. We all have challenging weeks, sometimes even challenging months. Doing the best you can do is all you can do. I often pose this question to my clients when they tell me they've been bad, "What would you tell a friend who was struggling with good decisions?" Nine times out of 10, they end up answering that question with what they need to be telling themselves: "It will be OK, there's always tomorrow." So stop beating yourself up, stop calling yourself BAD. If your kids come home from school and tell you that they answered a couple of math questions wrong on a test do you call them bad? Of course not, you figure they will learn from their mistakes and answer them differently next time. Right? Right!

10. New Year's Resolutions! Let's just say here and now, that never again will you look to the New Year as your time to drop weight and get active. Why? Because you're going to do it today and tomorrow and the next day and the day after and so on. Waiting until a particular time of year, because you believe it will be the key to your success just doesn't work. Think about how many New Year's resolutions you have made to lose weight... probably more than you'd like to count. Start taking baby steps toward healthy living. Start making small changes that will have a BIG impact on the quality of your life. Only you can make the decision to make changes in your lifestyle, and only you can decide which changes are reasonable and which are not. [source]

Awareness is essential in that oftentimes we really don't know that some of the little things we are doing are contributing in big ways to our excess weight. For example, do you drink one or more soft drinks in a day? ONE soft drink (approximately 10 ounces) is 120 calories, takes 20 minutes of cardiovascular exercise a DAY to burn it off AND is filled with unnecessary chemicals! Switching one's soft drink habit for water can amount to considerable weight loss over the course of a year.

Or are you cleaning morsels off of the kids' plates? ONE bite may not seem like much, but many "one" bites add up to ONE HUGE bite over the course of the day. It all counts!

I speak with so many people who swear to me they have fairly healthy habits. I think we kid ourselves a lot. Do you kid yourself? Is the joke on you?

Open your eyes and take a long hard look at your actions, and look for ways you can easily, and without much effort, improve upon your actions and make them a bit healthier.

Education is essential in that we need to know what is healthy. Today, that is perhaps harder than at any other time in history! There are so many confusing and mixed messages about what is healthy: low carb, low fat, low glycemic and bears, oh my!

I don't know what is the right way to eat, honestly, I don't. I am not a nutritionist, doctor or expert on food, but I am the undisputed expert on what NOT to eat! YOUR vices!!! I don't care how many times you have heard "You can eat what you love and still lose the weight" -- you CAN'T!!!! If you LOVE food, that in and of itself is part of the problem! I think you should love life, NOT food! Educate yourself on the foods you will eat that are healthy and that work within YOUR lifestyle!

Determination! YOU must be determined to succeed at this and really want to change your lifestyle! It is NOT enough that you just want to LOSE WEIGHT.

What then? you guessed it... the weight comes back on! You must, must, must make your goal to have a permanently healthy lifestyle and be determined to realize it!

Action! Once you have educated yourself as to what is unhealthy and are aware of what you are doing that is unhealthy and are determined to change, all that is left is to take action! Make sure every day that you are taking action and that is a step in the right direction!

Motivation! Sometimes the going gets tough, that is when the motivated get buff! Make some goals: short-term and long, plan some rewards you are going realize along the way AND make it fun! For example, buy a terra cotta planter and some small tiles, mirrors, large beads or stones... and then EACH day you stick to your plan, bust your vices and reach your daily goal, glue an item on the planter. By the end of the year, you will have the most gorgeous planter (grout over it, wipe down, let it dry and it will be fabulous!!) AND be, oh, about 100 pounds thinner! [source]

To lose weight you need a strong commitment, the right attitude, the right foods, the right exercise and you need to get rid of STRESS! Here are some keys that will open the door to your weight loss. By using these keys you can have permanent weight loss, feel full of energy, and be your ideal weight without diet or struggle.

Here are the 4 types of stress and how they effect weight gain:

Type Stress Why How it Affects Weight Gain Nutritional Improper or inadequate foods & nutrients Body doesn't get balanced nutrients and/or food is improperly processed. Emotional Eating for “wrong reasons” / “holding on” to weight Body/Mind develops cravings, food dependency and overeating Physical Not enough exercise or illness Slows body metabolism and increases fat storage in the body Environmental Outside pollutants; bad food/drug pollutants Slows down food processing and other body processes

If weight loss is your main reason for running, follow these rules for results by Amby Burfoot.

While some people run to lose just a few pounds, others have much bigger targets. They want to lose 20, 30, or more pounds. And, naturally, they want the pounds to melt off quickly and easily.

Imagine their surprise--and disgust--when they sometimes gain a pound or two in the first weeks of their training and when their subsequent weight loss is steady but not spectacular.

Running is perhaps the most effective way to lose weight, but that doesn't make it either fast or magical. In fact, you may gain a few pounds early on as your body converts fat tissue to muscle tissue, which is denser and heavier than fat. But if you stick with the program, you'll literally run off the excess pounds.

Here are some of the strategies that have proven most successful for runners interested in maximum weight loss.

Run 25 to 30 miles a week. According to statistics from the National Weight Control Registry, which studies people who have lost at least 30 pounds and kept the weight off, individuals who succeed in their weight-loss efforts burn about 2,800 calories a week through planned exercise. Note that you don't have to run fast or win races, you simply have to be disciplined enough to put in 25 to 30 miles a week of relaxed running.

Run long and slow. Slow workouts that last 90 minutes or more put you into the fat-burning zone, where your body begins to use stored fats, rather than carbohydrates, as a source of fuel. You can't and shouldn't do these longer workouts every day. With good planning, you may be able to fit in two a week. And, yes, it may take you months to work up to a run this long. (For more information, see "Running and Walking" on page 22). Don't be afraid to mix running and walking to reach your goal.

Several times a week, at the end of an easy run, do five or six strides on the grass or on a smooth road surface. Strides are 60- to 80-meter bursts of running at a fast but controlled speed. You don't have to sprint like an Olympian; simply pick up the pace and run smooth and fast for about 10 seconds. Then decelerate, jog for a minute or two until you feel recovered, and do another stride. These bursts of faster running at the end of a workout will boost your afterburn, increasing the number of calories that your body burns after you have finished running.

Eat often and eat everything in moderation. Restrictive diets simply don't work. Everyone falls off the wagon at some point. Better to start the day with a good breakfast, eat many small carbohydrate-packed meals during the day, and even occasionally include small portions of those forbidden, fatty foods. Satisfy your cravings, then get on with your healthy nutrition and exercise program.

5 Principles of Maximum Weight Loss

1. Running burns more calories than any other simple exercise and has produced more weight-loss success stories than any other activity. But the pounds don't just magically disappear. You must be disciplined and consistent in your training program and take a long-term approach.


2. To lose more weight, run more. You don't have to run fast. You just have to spend the time moving on your feet. The best results seem to come from 25 to 30 miles of running a week.


3. If possible, run 90 minutes or longer several times a week. (Yes, it may take you months to work up to this duration.) Also, do strides several times a week. Both of these strategies can give a boost to your calorie-burning efforts.


4. Drink plenty of water. You can cut up to 15 percent of your daily calorie intake by substituting water for juices, colas, and similar beverages.


5. Don't go on a restrictive very low calorie diet. This will only lower your metabolic rate. Eat breakfast and other carbo-packed meals and snacks regularly throughout the day.
[source]

Dropping a pound a week is safe, sensible, effective...and really slow. Lucky for you, there are ways to speed up the process.

I repeat: "To lose 10 pounds in...1 month...Have rough sex for 10 hours a day." Oh my.

[source]

For Elle Jay & anyone else who wondered what the hell I was talking about when I uttered the phrase HIIT yesterday.

HIIT training, which stands for High Intensity Interval Training, is one of the best methods for fat loss and muscle retention. HIIT training is not new, but is a form a interval training which has been used for many years. HIIT training is the best way to burn fat without burning muscle. Studies have shown that long endurance activates such as aerobics cause muscle catabolism (the breakdown of muscle tissue). HIIT training allows you to lose the fat without losing muscle. If you need proof all you need to do is look at sprinters to see that they have low body fat and lean, defined bodies.

HIIT and interval training are very similar, the only difference is the intensity in which they are done. So what is interval training? Interval training is a varying of intensities within one workout , where you add a low intensity bout with a higher intensity bout. HIIT training is a very high intensity bout with a lower intensity bout. You can perform your interval training in many ways, and you should use variety. You can perform it on a stationary bike, stairmaster, mountain bike, local track, etc. Change it up often. [source]

This site gives a pretty good overview and training plan. Having done BFL (book) before, I'm doing their version:

The cool thing about HIIT, is that you can do it w/anything. Biking, running, rope jumping. So the possibilities are endless. I'm doing walking now, but when level 10 no longer makes me wanna hurl, I'll up the intensity all around. The muscle media version intrigues me but I don't quite get it, I'll read up on it more and give it a shot over the summer.

Cardio Timing: The Secret to Burning Fat Up To 300% Faster - by Tom Venuto

When is the best time of day to do your aerobic exercise? The answer is any time! The most important thing is that you just do it. Continuous cardiovascular exercise, such as walking, jogging, stairclimbing, or cycling, sustained for at least 30 minutes, will burn body fat no matter when you do it. However, if you want to get the maximum benefits possible from every minute you invest in your workouts, then you should consider getting up early and doing cardio before you eat your first meal - even if you're not a "morning person." Early morning aerobic exercise on an empty stomach has three major advantages over exercising later in the day:

Ya know how two days ago, well all week really, I've been in cravings hell? I got this in my email today from the lovely folks over @ beachbody.com (red text is my emphasis):

Food cravings happen commonly when you don't eat for long periods of time and usually signal that you need to add something to your diet. They can be especially bothersome at the onset of an exercise program or any time you restrict your diet. Most commonly, they signal a blood sugar crash but other things can trigger them. Meat cravings may mean excessive muscle breakdown, veggies a vitamin deficiency. Ice cream, or any fat, might signal a fat deficiency. A quick way to calm cravings is to eat a good form of the type of food you are craving. If it's a true craving, it will subside with the right foods even if it's something you don't like. For example, a teaspoon of flaxseed oil might appease your ice cream craving if you haven't been getting enough essential fat. A protein shake will have ! the same effect as a Big Mac. An apple might just work for the piece of chocolate you were dying for. Your cravings should be indulged; you just should do it wisely.

I didn't realize other things could sooth the craving. Remember how I was scarffing down bread & cheese? Up to that point I was salivating @ all the fast food commercials. The salty fries & large coke urge was strong and for real.

After I ate the bread and cheese, I saw other commercials, even one for my favorite buffalo chicken pizza and was like, Feh. So I guess I inadvertently did what he suggested. Soothed my cravings with something else. Who knew?

Oh & to piggyback on what I chatted about earlier, I found a GREAT article that explains losing body fat, gives tips and overall has some pretty sound advice. And naw I'm not just saying that b/c it tells me I'm just about doing all the things it suggests......I have a lot of room for improvement, especially in the food area. But I'll post it tomorrow.

I'm not sure what's up w/me and these two part posts. Watching too much "To be continued" sitcoms I s'pose.

If you work out seriously, whether it's running, weightlifting or any other intense sport, you have to make sure that you're giving your body the fuel and nutrients it needs to recover adequately from the effort.

After a workout, your body's stores of glycogen -- the carbohydrate that is stored in the muscles and liver -- are depleted. If you don't replenish them, your body won't recover properly and your performance will suffer during your next workout. This is particularly important for athletes who partake in intense training sessions or competitions. If you only work out a couple of times a week, you will likely restore your glycogen in between sessions. However, athletes who train hard almost every day must really pay attention to what they eat immediately after they exercise.

Get Moving!: Top 7 Exercise Motivation Secrets

Let's face it, we all know we need to exercise. Many of us know how to exercise. How many books and videos do you own? How many gym memberships have you had in your life? You may even be an expert on the perfect exercises for your body. But you're not doing it! Why? Well the problem isn't lack of knowledge, it's lack of motivation. Does this sound familiar?

What can you do? Focus less on gaining more knowledge, and more on getting and staying motivated. As you become more consistent and start seeing results, you will be able to apply all that knowledge. Here are seven secrets to getting and staying motivated:

Secret One: Find Your "Why"
In order to be successful at any endeavor, we must have a good reason for doing it in the first place. Exercise is no exception. What will get you up in the morning on those cold, dark days when you just want to stay in bed? Many people say "because I want to lose weight" or "I want to be fit". While these are good goals, they are not good enough reasons for long term success. You must dig deeper. What is important to you? What do you value in life? Answer these questions, then see how a regular exercise program can support your values.

Secret Two: Make a Commitment
Once you find your "why", it's time to make a commitment. Here is a definition of commitment you may not have heard: a commitment is the ability to carry out a worthy decision, even when the excitement of making that decision has passed. Read that definition again, and really understand it. How many times have you been excited to start an exercise program, only to become bored or distracted by other things? As soon as the excitement passes, so do your exercise plans. Be sure you are ready to commit, and if you are not, then commit to not exercising. That way you can let go of the guilt and commit when you are ready.

Secret Three: Set Daily, Measurable and Realistic Goals
If your only goal is to lose 40 pounds it will be a while before you feel successful. After all, it can take a while to see such results. Rather, set daily measurable, achievable goals that allow you to feel successful every day. Keep a weekly diary and set goals each day for what kind of exercise you will do, how long you will workout, how hard you will exercise, etc.

Secret Four: Keep Track of Your Progress
After you set your goals and write them down, you want to also chart your progress. Be sure to write down your daily achievements to compare to your goals. This will become extremely motivating as you see yourself meeting your goals. With consistent exercise, you will also see your workouts becoming easier and your ability to work harder and longer. This often happens faster than visible results on your body, such as weight loss or definition. Many people become frustrated and quit exercise right before big changes are about to happen, because they don't see the results on their bodies. Seeing measurable progress on paper will keep you motivated while you work towards the bigger goals you have set for yourself.

Secret Five: Get Objective Feedback
You may know what a good workout feels like - you have that endorphin "high" after exercise, or you have energy to spare all day long. But do you know what an effective workout feels like? It is hard to know how effective your workout is every day without waiting for weeks or months to see the results. What if you could see day after day how many calories you burned, or what your heart rate was each workout? Using a heart rate monitor can tell you if you are working too hard or not hard enough. What about calories? An accelerometer can tell you all day long how many calories you are burning and keep you motivated to move! When you look for ways to add activity to your day it becomes a fun game and you can instantly see the results.

Secret Six: Avoid the "All or Nothing" Mentality
Have you had plans to exercise five times one week and the first day something happened and you didn't exercise? When this happens, many people give up on the rest of the week This is known as the All or Nothing Mentality. Keep away from this - it doesn't work. If you approach your exercise and nutrition program in that manner, you set yourself up for failure. Allow for flexibility in your exercise plans and know one missed day is not a setback.

Secret Seven: Be Accountable!
About 95% of all participants in an exercise program will stop exercising. Why? No support. Research has shown that exercisers with some kind of support system have a better chance of continuing exercise. You need someone who will also hold you accountable for your exercise. Working with someone like a personal trainer, a coach or a mentor will give you the support you need and you can work together to identify barriers to keeping your commitment and develop strategies to overcome these obstacles. Most people need far more support, follow up and accountability than they think to start and maintain an exercise program.

In the interest of avoiding the all or nothing mentality, don't try to implement all these secrets at once. Pick one or two and when you have those working, add another secret. Just like results from exercise, building motivation and consistency will take time. Fitness is not just about reaching a destination, it is a journey where you will learn much about yourself and grow from your experiences. Keep your short term goals in mind, and enjoy the journey to reaching your ultimate goals. [source]

        ...walk.

Walking is a simple aerobic conditioning activity that requires little more investment than a decent pair of shoes. But walking works. When you walk at a speed of 5 mph, the physical benefits you reap for your heart, lungs, circulatory system, and waistline are similar to that of jogging or running--without the stressful impact to your joints, knees, and shins.

What kind of walking is best?
The answer is brisk, according to Edward Gregg, an epidemiologist with the Centers for Disease Control. "People should be able to carry on a conversation but know that their breathing is elevated," he told HealthDayNews.

How long should I walk?
Walk for at least 20 minutes a day. Start slowly and build up to longer walks at a faster pace over hillier terrain. Be sure to stretch your muscles before and after your walk. Most of all, be consistent. Try to walk on all or most days. But remember this: Walking just two hours a week could cut your risk of heart disease in half, compared to a sedentary person, according to researchers from the University of Ulm Medical Center in Ulm, Germany.

What are the benefits of walking?
Walking will increase the efficiency of your heart, as well as improve your lung capacity and breathing efficiency. Walking aids in circulating oxygen throughout your body and is quite effective at lowering your blood pressure. TIME health reporter Christine Gorman says walking may be the best exercise of all. "You may not feel the benefits all at once, but the evidence suggests that over the long term, a regular walking routine can do a world of preventive good, from lowering your risk of stroke, diabetes, and osteoporosis to treating arthritis, high blood pressure, and even depression," she wrote.

Added benefit: Walk. Live longer
Type II diabetics who walk just two hours a week will live longer, according to new research from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. A study of 2,896 adults in their late 50s who had been diagnosed with diabetes for about 11 years found that those who walked just two hours a week had a 39 percent lower death rate from all causes and a 34 percent lower chance of death from heart disease specifically, reports Reuters of the study that was published in the Archives of Internal Medicine. Walking is beneficial for healthy folks, too. Dr. JoAnn Manson, chief of preventive medicine at Harvard's Brigham and Women's Hospital, told TIME magazine: "If everyone in the U.S. were to walk briskly 30 minutes a day, we could cut the incidence of many chronic diseases 30 percent to 40 percent." [emphasis mine, colored red for heart month]

[source]

Heart disease is the leading killer of women. One in three women die from heart disease, yet only 13 percent of American women recognize that heart disease is the greatest threat to their health.

[snip]

For women, as with men, prevention remains the key to reducing the burden and risk of heart disease. Women of all ages have risk factors that increase their chances of developing heart disease. Fortunately, early detection and early action can help us address those factors. Women can greatly reduce their risk of developing heart disease by practicing healthy lifestyle habits ? maintain a healthy weight, stay physically active, reduce high blood pressure, lower high cholesterol levels, and if you smoke ? quit!

Julie Louise Gerberding | Director - CDC

Lowering Heart Disease Risk

Physical Activity
Just Move
NHLBI: Sample Walking Program
NHLBI: Facts About Heart Disease and Women: Be Physically Active
Growing Stronger, Strength Training for Older Adults

Nutrition
Delicious Decisions
Eating for a Healthy Heart
Healthier Eating with DASH
Dietary Guidelines for Americans
5 A Day
Heart Information Network - Nutrition Guide

Cholesterol
NHLBI: Facts About Heart Disease and Women: Reducing High Blood Cholesterol
NHLBI: Live Healthier, Live Longer
National Cholesterol Education Month

High Blood Pressure
NHLBI: Facts About Heart Disease and Women: Preventing and Controlling High Blood Pressure
NHLBI: Controlling High Blood Pressure: A Woman's Guide

Stress
Strategies For Preventing Job Stress

Smoking
Facts About Heart Disease and Women: Kicking The Smoking Habit
Tips quitting smoking
American Lung Association - Tobacco Control - Quitting Smoking

Link

According to the University of California Wellness Letter, the average American gains about two pounds a year...two pounds translates into an extra 19 calories a day.

I reallyyyyyyyy don't like counting calories. That's one of the BIG reasons I'm a fan of NutriSystem and never can grasp Weight Watchers. A bit of math phobia plays into that as well. But cripes, 19 calories!?!? It's enough to make me want to whip out my calculator.

It's not unusual to have lofty goals at the start of a new year and then be disappointed when you don't live up to them. Maybe these small tips will help you out:

5 Easy Nutrition Tips

Improving your nutrition does not have to be difficult. Start with one of these suggestions.

1. Keep a bowl of fresh fruit available. If it's there, you're more likely to eat it.
   
2. Eat breakfast. Spreading your food intake over the day is the best way to burn calories.
   
3. Plan ahead for routine meals and snacks. People who eat regular meals get a more balanced, healthier diet and are closer to their goal weights.
   
4. Pack your lunch the night before. If you don't eat breakfast or pack a lunch because you rush too much in the morning, set everything up the night before.
   
5. Buy a healthy cookbook or food magazine. If you like to cook, this can help inspire you to cook healthier foods and meals.

How about committing to just one change this week?

How to keep up with those New Year's resolutions, researchers find commitment is the secret of success.

[snip]

To be successful with your own resolutions, Marlatt, who has studied the subject for more than 20 years, suggests:
• Have a strong initial commitment to make a change.
• Have coping strategies to deal with problems that will come up.
• Keep track of your progress. The more monitoring you do and feedback you get, the better you will do.

That can be applied to any health related goals. For example, you want to start a walking program:

Have a strong initial commitment to make a change.
- Commit to walking 20 minutes every morning.

Have coping strategies to deal with problems that will come up.
- In case you oversleep, try to walk during lunch or after work/school. Don't beat yourself up if you can't. Do something else that is healthy, like drink more water or only take the stairs.

Keep track of your progress. The more monitoring you do and feedback you get, the better you will do.
- Keep a chart of how many miles you walk. You'll be blown away when you total it up at the end of the month.