5 tips to jump start your diet.

2015 might be the year you have resolved to change your eating habits, to alter your diet, and to realign your food and beverage intake. This might be for the sake of losing weight, toning up, or getting that slim, trim body that you have always longed for. To support you in this process 'ezinearticles' have provided this (http://EzineArticles.com/8866316) written by Jon Allo (http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jon_Allo), providing some sage advice once again.


Sometimes we all need a little extra help losing weight. The problem you find with some diets is that they do not deliver all of the nutritional goodness that your body needs and they can be difficult to maintain. These 5 easy weight loss tips will to help you to avoid weight gain and will help you to give your diet a kick start.

1. Change Your Diet Slowly.
Don't try and change your diet too quickly. If you do you may struggle to stick with the changes because you'll have to instantly replace all the foods you're used to eating for unfamiliar healthy foods. Try making one small improvement to your diet each week. This will allow you to slowly but surely improve the quality of your diet and will help you to lose weight on a consistent basis without severe eating changes that you cannot maintain.

2. Start Walking More.
If you're currently overweight or your fitness level is low walking is one of the best weight loss techniques you can do. It is not very strenuous and is can easily fit into your daily schedule. To get started, try walking for an additional 10 minutes each day. Doing this will allow you to burn off an extra 280 calories per week. Once you can do this easily, raise the amount of walking you do and you'll start burning more calories and body fat on a daily basis.

3. Don't Stop Eating Your Favourite Foods Completely.
Losing weight is all about balance and there's no reason for you to stop eating your favourite foods once and for all. Although you will need to make adjustments to your diet, you can still enjoy your favourite foods in moderation and lose weight. A good way to balance healthy eating with your favourite foods is to follow an 80/20 rule where 80% of the calories you eat come from healthy foods and then 20% of the calories you eat come from other foods of your choice.

4. Find Some Exercise You Like Doing.
Exercise is something many people dread when they are trying to lose weight. But there are hundreds of different exercise options available and by giving some of them a try, you're sure to find at least one that you enjoy. You can try outside activities like cycling, running or walking or indoor exercise classes like aerobic, yoga or Zumba classes. Once you've found some exercises that are fun for you, make them part of your weekly routine to ramp up the amount of fat you burn.

5. Get Enough Sleep.
Sleep increases the amount of growth hormone in your body which supports fat burning and increases the amount of calories your body naturally burns. If you've not had enough sleep, your appetite is increased and you're much more likely to overeat. Sleep also affects your physical activity levels. If you've had a good night's sleep, you'll feel much more energized and be likely to move around more and burn extra calories.

WhyWeight - don't hesitate, participate, before it's too late!

-Steve, at WhyWeight-

11 Tips to get you more active.

There are plenty of things we can all do during our normal daily lives that will help us get more active, shed some weight, get fitter and become more healthy. You don't have to visit a gym, you don't have to engage a Personal Trainer, and you don't have to join a fitness class, practice yoga, or starve yourself. There are things that you can do as you go about your work life, home life and social life that will all help the cause and supplement a more structured programme if you have one. On 'ezinearticles' I came across this list of handy tips and hints (http://EzineArticles.com/8742080) that may just give you some food for thought and create a little change to further boost your exercise regime. Written by Huy Pham (http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Huy_Pham) - it's worth a quick read if it gives you some inspiration and motivation.



Life can get hectic at times so it may be difficult to get a full blown workout in every single day but there are plenty of little ways you can stay active in everyday life. Even if you are not breaking a sweat, there are still great benefits to getting some extra movement in.

1. Workout at work

• Working out at work can be a great way to help energize yourself throughout the work day. Even these micro-workouts can elevate the heart-rate a bit and serve as minor cardio. Besides the exercises we've detailed in that post there are many other ways you can get some exercise during your 8 hour day.
• Take the stairs as often as you can
• Instead of driving to lunch, take a walk with some coworkers and maybe even have some quality bonding time.
• If you find yourself constantly using your phone to page your coworkers, try walking to their physical offices instead. Unless the matter is extremely time sensitive, then you should probably stick with using the phone.
• Encourage social sporting outings after work and maybe even form a team. Or have sporting competitions between departments.
• If your commute is short enough, you can even ride a bike to work. On that note . . .

2. Ride your bike

• If you do not have a bicycle, it is well worth it to invest in one. Try to ride is everywhere whenever possible.

3. Let the remote collect dust

• Even during your relaxation time, you can find a way to get a little more movement by getting off the couch and manually changing the channels. This also prevents soreness and dangerous conditions which may arise from sitting still for an extended period of time.

4. Clean the house

• This piece of advice offers you two great benefits. First, you can easily work up a sweat cleaning up your house by intensely vacuuming or taking mopping to the extreme. The second benefit is that your house will be clean.

5. Find an active hobby

• It doesn't have to be a sport, but sports are a great and fun way to get into shape and stay active. Other active hobbies include carpentry, gardening, wood chopping, biking and many more.

6. Find someone who is active and tag along with them (or make someone active)

• Workout partners are the best. Being active is always more fun when you have someone to socialize with and you can hold each other accountable. You can also take your dogs for walks. Dogs are generally always up to be more active.

7. Stand up at work or just whenever possible

• As stated before, sitting down can negatively impact health, so if possible, standing at work can help you feel better and more energized throughout the day. There has also been an increase in popularity recently for the desk treadmills. While the technology isn't quite there yet, standing at work can still help you be a little more active.

8. Dance

• Whether it's at a club or just in your living room, dancing can be an awesome way to burn a few calories. If you have a significant other, take them out to swing dancing or salsa or any of the other festive dances out there. If you don't have a significant other, there is no shame in dancing alone. Everyone does it.

9. Go shopping

• Not online shopping, that doesn't count. Walking around the mall at a brisk pace can also be a way to move around in a fun environment. Malls are especially great during hot days since they're air conditioned. Just make sure to keep your credit card at home so you don't get too tempted by all the goodies.

10. Park far away

• When you're at the mall or anywhere else, try to park a good distance away in order to squeeze in a little more fitness time. Avoid parking a great distance away at night though. That may be harmful!

11. Exercise while doing other stuff
Multitasking is highly recommended if you're too ridiculously busy to work out all the time.

• Do wall-sits while brushing your teeth.
• Work while sitting on an exercise ball. Trying to stabilize yourself will work out your core muscles.
• Ride a stationary bike while reading.
• Ride a stationary bike while watching television.
• Ride a stationary bike while contemplating the true meaning of life.
• Do calf-lifts while standing in line.

The possibilities are endless. There are always ways to make everything a little more active. You just have to get creative!

WhyWeight - don't hesitate, participate, before it's too late!

-Steve, at WhyWeight-

You don't need to take big steps to get fit!

If you been reading these regular Posts on WhyWeight, firstly, a big thanks! Secondly, if you are worried that taking the first step is a bit daunting and you feel anxious about gyms, Personal Trainers, Group Classes and getting out and about with what may have so been advocated, fear not! I assure you that you are not alone! In 'ezineartcles' I came across these few paragraphs (http://EzineArticles.com/8769146) from Raman Kuppuswamy (http://EzineArticles.com/expert=Raman_Kuppuswamy) that makes a lot of sense and will help you ease your way into a routine that you can manage easily, quietly and still successfully.



Who does not want to lead a fit and healthy life? But not many may be willing to take big steps like doing strenuous exercises, etc. for maintaining their fitness. If you also belong to this group, you can make a few small changes to your lifestyle and routine and can derive immense health benefits.

Unnecessary Calories
Fitness experts point out that when we experience a feeling of hunger, it may not really be hunger but it may be thirst. According to them, thirst can give the feeling of hunger. So, we should drink water first and see if the feeling of hunger subsides. Only if the feeling does not subside, we should eat our food. If you commit the mistake of eating when you have to really drink water, you will be adding unnecessary calories.

Reduce your intake of beverages
Beverages surreptitiously add to the calories you consume. Further, beverages like coffee and tea are diuretic also and they may dehydrate your system. You can argue that this dehydration is mild but even this may sap your energy and you may soon become tired. Instead of beverages, you must ensure to drink plenty of water that will improve your health phenomenally by keeping you hydrated always.

Occasional fasting helps
It is true that starving on a regular basis is dangerous. But it may not harm if you skip your meal once in a while. Researches also reveal that such occasional skipping of meals bestows some good health benefits to the human body.

Make sure to consume antioxidants
Antioxidants help us a lot by countering the ill-effects of free radicals. Thanks to the increase in the pollution levels, free radicals are everywhere and when they enter our body, it may lead to several ailments. But if you ensure to add foods that contain a good amount of antioxidants, you need not have any fear about free radicals. Some of the foods that contain antioxidants are leafy vegetables, fresh and colorful fruits, some types of meats, fish, poultry, etc.

Never forego your sleep
You can achieve big health gains if you have a good sleep during nights. It is a proven fact that it is only during sleep that your body carries out the repairing tasks and remedies even the damages caused due to strenuous workouts or stress. Sleeping for 7 to 8 hours a day is very vital for keeping good health. Those who forego sleep regularly may lose their emotional balance also.

Be mindful of what you eat
In addition to avoiding eating like a glutton, you must watch what you eat also. If you eat slowly, chances of over-eating come down. Likewise, distractions like TV viewing, etc. may result in over-eating. You must consciously choose nutritious foods in order to maintain good health.

Occasional sprinting
Fitness experts advise that every one of us should sprint occasionally. Even sprinting twice a week may bestow excellent cardiovascular benefits. You need not run long distances. Short sprinting is enough to give a boost to your fitness levels.

Shun desserts
Instead of desserts, you can opt for fresh fruits that are healthier. The calories desserts contain are 'empty calories'. By avoiding them, you are preventing energy fluxes. This step may not only increase your energy but will help you in reducing your waistline.

Walk, Walk and Walk
Never be afraid of walking. The more you walk, the more healthy you will be. In fact, walking is the easiest of exercises and can bestow enormous health benefits on a long-term basis. Whenever you go for a walk, make it a point to walk some extra steps. You will see its benefits in the long run.

WhyWeight - don't hesitate, participate, before it's too late!

-Steve, at WhyWeight-

Four ways to squeeze in an intense workout.

Hey Fitness Fiends - while scrawling through 'ezinearitcles.com' I came across this from Matt James Young (http://EzineArticles.com/8551679) that reinforces what you can do simply and effectively on a daily basis to supplement your structured workout and diet programme. Have a read - it makes sense!

1. Take the Stairs
Taking the stairs is one of the best things you can do for squeezing in a cheeky workout. However that's only because it works. Opting for the stairs instead of an elevator will help to burn those calories and increase your blood flow and energy in no time! Try to take 2 steps at a time as a scientific study has confirmed that 2 steps at a time instead of 1 ensures more calories are burnt. Also if you live in a house then how about just walking up and down it a few times? Anything you can do will help and help to get that perfect body in no time.

2. Don't Drive
How about instead of driving or taking a bus or train or any other forms of public transport, consider walking or biking to work, to the grocery store, to a friend's house. Anywhere that you go on a regular basis that's reasonably close is a perfect opportunity for a little or lot of exercise. As well as getting much needed fresh air and sunshine and you'll even save money on petrol. And who couldn't use a little extra change this time of year? It saves you money as well as burning of the calories. It's a win win situation!

3. Workout while watching TV
Just for a second think how much time you spend sitting in front of the TV doing absolutely nothing? How about still watching TV but at the same time doing an intense home workout? Crunches, squats, planks, lunges, push ups, yoga poses, anything your can think of can be done while watching TV. Keep some dumbbells or resistance bands in the living room and workout while you're watching your favourite show. Or at least squeeze in some activity during the commercials! Anything you do will help to achieve your goals.

4. Manage your time
The best way of fitting in a workout into your day is to make time for it! And the easiest way off doing this in the morning is simply to set your alarm clock 10 minutes earlier. By doing this it gives you 10 minutes more in the morning so use your time wisely! Do crunches, Push Ups, Tricep Dips, Sit Ups, Star Jumps, Squats, anything pretty much to get the heart rate going and to freshen up and get ready for the day ahead.

Sound advice, and something else to think about to help you shed those extra kilo's . . . quickly!

WhyWeight - don't hesitate, participate, before it's too late!

-Steve, at WhyWeight-