Weight loss (some simple tips)

Allow me to veer from my normal ramblings.  As I have said and many of you know, one of my areas of interest is fitness and health.  I wanted to take some time to encourage you today in a new and different way.

As the "EATING" holidays approach, you may find you are in the midst of the tempting Halloween or Fall Festival candy.  Call it what you want, but I call it about 10 more pounds. 

I have  a few tips and suggestions for those of you that may want to begin to loose weight, begin again to loose weight, or perhaps you just want to make sure you maintain your current weight and not put on those extra pounds during these EATING  holidays.

Here are my personal suggestions:

1. When you eat out at restaurants, when ordering your meal, ALWAYS ask for a"TO GO" box.  When the food arrives, IMMEDIATELY divide your meal into perfect halves.  One half should go into the box and closed.  This portion will ride home with you, and be used for lunch the following day.  If after 3-4 days you have not eaten these left overs, PLEASE discard.
Now you are free to eat your food that remains.  Enjoy.  REMEMBER it is NOT necessary to eat everything on your plate. 

Little side note:  I know your mom probably told you all about the starving in Africa, mine did too, but if you cannot box up the excess and send it there, you still do not need to be sacrificing your hips for the sake of the hungry.  You DO NOT have to clean your plate.

2. Try to reduce your portions.  Things to consider, meat portions for women should be no more than 4 oz.  Most restaurants' smallest portions is 6 oz.  8 oz is the average.  If you want to eat more than that, order fish or a salad.    If you are a wine drinker, 4 oz is an amount that is healthy for the average woman's body and 8 oz for an average man's body, anything more than that becomes toxic in your body, and you loose all of the benefits of the wine. 

3. Determine what your goal weight is and multiply that by 10.  That gives you an estimated average number of calories you should consume for one day.   (example: your current weight is 150 and you want to weigh 130 --   130 X 10 = 1300   and 1300 is the total estimated calories to consume daily.)  So if you have an event coming up where you know you will go over this number, you simply cut back the day before and give those calories to the next day.  Plan ahead.  You can use the online calorie counter ( calorieking.com )  or a book you can buy at any bookstore.

4. Last but not least, get your heart rate up at least 4 times a week for 30 minutes each.  If you cannot do this, you can try to do 2 hours a week somewhere within the week to be broken into intervals that work for your schedule.  I suggest brisk walks.  I will write occasionally different workouts that can enhance your exercise.  Remember: be a body in motion!

Please let me know if this helps out.  I will be posting health tips on occasion, based on interest and response.  So let me know if you find it helpful.