4. Don't Skip Meals

Ever heard that breakfast is the most important meal of the day? Well it's true. The one meal you should never skip is breakfast. It is the meal that sets the tone for your metabolism. When you miss breakfast your metabolism responds by slowing down. Your body receives signals of famine from the brain and switches to energy conservation mode. This means rather than burning calories the body gets stingier with them.

The other thing that happens, when missing breakfast is, by the time lunch time comes around you feel starved and you almost always end up overeating. And as a result of this added pressure on your digestive system, most of your energy gets used up as your body works hard to digest and absorb all that food. Needles to say, you won't feel very productive when you return to work, a feeling which may last for the next few hours.

Another important benefit of not skipping meals is that your blood sugar level is more stable, which keeps insulin in check - reducing unnecessary fat storage and ensuring that you have adequate energy levels required to perform your daily tasks with less physical and psychological stress.

5. Water

It was thought that drinking plenty of water throughout the day was a crucial part of a good weight loss strategy; the theory was that an adequate amount of water - 8 eight-ounce glasses per day - gives you a feeling of fullness which reduces periods of hunger; and the less you feel hungry the less you are going to snack - which translates to fewer calories. Recent studies have suggested, however, that choosing foods with high water content like fruits and vegetables and blending water into meals like soup has a greater effect on satiety, than simply just drinking water. And that it may result in a reduction of total daily calories.

In other words, including water rich foods like watermelon and other fruits and vegetables, fruit juice, and soups in your diet, is more effective with respect to satiety than relying on just drinking water. As a result, you wouldn't need to drink 8 glasses of water a day, if you were getting an adequate supply from your diet. In fact, drinking 8 glasses of water per day is a misconception. This number was originally reported by the National Academy of Sciences of the United States Food and Nutrition Board. They also mentioned, however, in the same report, that the majority of water people need comes from food. (4)

The recommendation for a healthy individual is to drink one cup of water or juice with every meal. (ibid)

It's also important to keep in mind that the human body is made up of 60-70% water. All our organs consist of a lot of water. Blood is mainly composed of water. So it makes sense to ensure that you're always getting an adequate supply. Here are some functions of water:

- regulates your body temperature - transports nutrients to your organs - transports vital oxygen to your cells - removes waste from your body - protects all your organs and joints

6. Exercise

As you know, exercise participation is an important factor in weight loss and weight loss maintenance. In addition to weight reduction here are 20 important health benefits of physical activity.

1. Increases thermogenesis (increase in body temperature to burn calories). 2. Raises basal metabolic rate increasing calorie expenditure even during periods of rest or sleep. 3. Releases natural stimulants in the body helping to improve overall psychological condition. In other words it may alter your mood to a more positive state. (5) 4. Relieves stress and reduces the risk of stress related chronic diseases. (ibid) 5. Improves sex function 6. Lowers High Blood pressure levels. 7. May increase levels of good cholesterol (HDL) 8. Lowers elevated blood cholesterol levels. 9. Improves blood circulation. 10. Increases the level of oxygen uptake (VO2 max) and improves endurance. Vo2 max varies directly with the level of physical fitness. 11. Increases lean body mass (muscle) while reducing body fat - improving body composition and therefore improving physical appearance. 12. Improves self esteem. 13. Causes a natural tendency to be more conscious about eating healthier and therefore may improve a person's diet. 14. Strengthens the musculoskeletal system protecting the body from unexpected physical shock. 15. Strengthens the body's immune system and therefore slows down the aging process. 16. Strengthens bones and fights against osteoporosis - especially important for post - menopausal women. (6) 17. Strengthens the body's immune system and therefore slows down the aging process. 18. Helps to fight against chronic diseases including many forms of cancers and heart disease. (7) (8) 19. When combined with stretching it may help to reduce lower back pain. 20. Improves physical condition in pregnant women making it easier to cope with the trials of childbirth: It increases energy levels; helps to reduce back pain; improves circulation and reduces swelling and development of varicose veins; tones muscles making it easier for the body to return to pre-pregnancy condition. You should check with your doctor, however, before you begin exercising during pregnancy. (9)

How Much exercise is Necessary for Weight Loss?

It depends on your goals and your body condition. Here are some questions you should ask yourself:

- How much weight do you want to lose? - What's Your Age - How much do you weigh? - What is your physical condition? - What is your daily caloric intake? - Will you combine exercise with caloric restriction?

If you're overweight, by more than 20 pounds, you need to participate in a program that includes diet restriction (reduce total daily calories by 500 cal.) and regular exercise (6-7 days a week). You should exercise for at least 30 continuous minutes - for best results increase the duration (up to 60 minutes). Your target intensity should be between 65-75% of your maximum heart rate - in other words, a comfortably vigorous level of intensity. The American College of Sports Medicine recommends that a good weight loss program should consist of daily caloric expenditure of 300-500 calories from exercise. (10)

How do you calculate your heart rate? An easy formula for figuring out your maximum heart rate works by simply subtracting your age from 220. If you're 40 years old, for example, your maximum heart rate is 180 beats per minute (220-40). To train at 70% of your maximum heart rate, simply multiply 180 by 70 and divide by 100, which equals 126 beats per minute. Therefore in order to train at an intensity level of 70% of maximum heart rate your training heart rate should be 126 beats per minute. How do you calculate your heart rate during exercise? Simply take your pulse by counting the number of beats over a 10 second period. Multiply that figure by 6 and you have the number of beats for a 1 minute period - that's your training heart rate. Before you begin exercising, however, get clearance from your doctor, especially if you're a beginner.

7. Exercise for Weight Loss Maintenance

Once you reach a desirable body weight, you can switch your exercise routine to weight loss maintenance mode. That means you can reduce the frequency of your workouts to 3-4 times a week. The duration and the intensity should remain the same - 60 minutes at a comfortably vigorous level. You will notice as you reach higher levels of fitness, exercise intensity must be turned up a notch to keep the workout challenging and also to burn more calories.

What types of activities should you participate in? There are many forms of exercise that are efficient in producing adequate weight loss and fitness. Some of them include aerobics, step or boxing aerobics, cycling, spinning, step-climbing, training on elliptical machines, cross country skiing (real or machine version), in line skating, ice skating, swimming, jogging, skate boarding, and sports like basketball, hockey, and soccer. There are many more. The important thing is to choose one that you'll really enjoy. This way, your chances of sticking with it in the long run will be much higher.

Have fun, get in shape, lose those extra pounds and keep them off!



References:

1. http://www.sciencedaily.com, "Healthy diets need fat, according to new study", retrieved 22 June 2005 from http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/1998/04/980424031929.htm

2. http://www.ajcn.org, "Cereals, legumes, and chronic disease risk reduction: evidence from epidemiologic studies", retrieved 15 August 2005 from http://www.ajcn.org/cgi/content/abstract/70/3/451S

3. http://www.jacn.org, "Contribution of Meals and Snacks to Nutrient Intake of Male and Female Elite Figure Skaters During Peak Competitive Season", retrieved 19 May 2004 from http://www.jacn.org/cgi/content/full/21/2/114

4. http://www.drmirkin.com, "HOW MUCH WATER DO YOU NEED?", retrieved 30 August 2005 from http://www.drmirkin.com/nutrition/9942.html

5. http://www.issponline.org/documents/physactstatement.pdf, "Physical Activity and Psychological Benefits - an ISSP Position Stand", retrieved 22 August 2005 from http://www.issponline.org/documents/physactstatement.pdf

6. http://www.osteoporosis.ca, "Physical Activity: An Important Factor in Preventing Osteoporosis", retrieved 22 August 2005 from http://www.osteoporosis.ca/english/About%20Osteoporosis/Physical% 20Activity/default.asp?s=1

7. http://www.americanheart.org, "Physical Activity", retrieved 25 August 2005 from http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=4563

8. http://www.cancer.gov, "Questions and Answers: Physical Activity and Cancer", retrieved 25 August 2005 from http://www.cancer.gov/newscenter/pressreleases/PhysicalActivity

9. http://health.discovery.com, "The Benefits of Pregnancy Exercise", retrieved 26 August 2005 from http://health.discovery.com/centers/pregnancy/americanbaby/exerci sebenefits.html

10. http://www.findarticles.com, "Exercise, the cornerstone to weight loss - Tech Brief", retrieved 27 August 2005 from http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0675/is_5_20/ai_928402 06#continue

About the author:

John Tiniakos helps make weight loss easier through proven weight loss methods using information and analysis from the worlds leading scientists. To subscribe to his free monthly newsletter that includes valuable, up to date tips on diet, weight loss and health visit http://www.nulife-weightloss.com. For more information on his latest ebook "Nulife Natural Weight Loss Program" visit http://www.nulife-weightloss.com/natural.htm