Diet Exercise Program

Here's four diet exercise program principles that have helped me. They are simple, yet effective in helping you determine the best diet exercise program for you.

Small changes create big results - over time

We burn about 100 calories an hour just bumming around: working at a computer, T.V., cooking - regular life activities. That's a little over 2000 calories a day. Now, add a few small additions to your daily lifestyle:

Walk a city block - that's 60 calories. Do it every working day, and that's about 12,000 calories a year, or about 3 1/2 pounds of flab.
Climb 5 flights of stairs - about 50 calories. Do it 200 times a year - nearly three pounds of fat.
Go for a walk at lunch: 30 minutes - that's at least 150 calories. Now we're talking a whopping 8 1/2 pounds a fat per year.
Speaking of whopping and Whopper Burgers - trade in your Whopper Burger for a BigMac and save 30% of the calories. (And you know in your heart of hearts the fries are better at Mickey D's anyway!)

And while we're on fast food - don't treat it like food. It's a treat, not food. Do it once a week unless your in serious training. For you serious trainer types it's once a month!

Get the idea? Small lifestyle habits add up, or subtract off, over time. Like coffee? Drink it black. Can't do that? Use skim. Can't stand skim milk? Hmm... Drink it black. Life is simple!

Stopping or starting a habit is harder than maintaining a habit

Quitting smoking is hard, not smoking is easier. When I was in college I tried to start the smoking habit. Too hard. I gave it up, and not for any health-benefit reason!

On the positive side: you order pizza. Make it a "Margarita" pizza: Tomato & Cheese. Make it a habit, and skip all the other fattier stuff like pepperoni and sausage. Be lazy in your pizza ordering habits, and weigh less in the long run! Make eating habits a daily part of your diet exercise program!

You take the stairs at work, and if you really want to be different take the stairs to another floor when you want to use the bathroom. (OK, that's a bit far fetched, but it's worth considering! Possibly...)

Work out twice a week after work. Tell your friends and family you've got to do it! Make it a priority, and it becomes a priority. Other things move aside. Make it your habit and pretty soon everybody you know - including YOU - knows that you're the one that works out Tuesdays and Thursday evenings. And you know what? It's not a problem.

Know your goal, see your goal

Now we're getting to the core. Look, you have to set your own goals. (That's point one!) And, no, you can't do everything (point two!).

You can have lots of goals: how much to you want to earn in five years, do you want your own business in three years, I want to loose twenty pounds, I want to run a 10 minute mile for 20 miles. More time with your partner, the kids - or grandkids - life is all about setting goals.

Set your own diet exercise program and fitness goals. Make them "measurable". 10 minute miles. 35 pounds. 2,600 calories per week working out. Three hours a week at the YMCA.

Make a goal, see yourself accomplishing that goal, and then just do it!

Enjoy the Journey

Your life is - your life. We have - you and I - only one life, and that's the life we're living. Are you going to be content sputtering along the road of life in a body that's the equivalent of a 1987 Lada or do you want something better? What we're doing here is - in a way - simpler than buying a new car. No money down, easy credit. There's only one investment required and that's your imagination, motivation and enthusiasm.

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