It’s Spring. You’re finally going to be able to go outside and get moving again. You should be walking regularly already, but you also can get exercise when you work outside instead of just working out. So first, turn off the TV and go outside. Start a garden. Turning the soil, raking and hoeing are great exercise for many muscle groups. Mow the lawn, you’ll get lots of walking in that way. Just get active and do some outdoor chores. You’ll know you’ve exercised the next day! Of course you can minimize that by doing some stretching and warm-ups before you work. Don’t overdo it. There will always be more outdoor chores to do.
I’ve mentioned having two $1 double cheeseburgers and a $1 side salad from McDonald’s as a quick low cost, low carb meal. It’s quite a value, they add lettuce instead of buns and put them in a container. Years ago when the Atkins diet was first on the scene I ordered the burgers without a bun and they actually did them with all the condiments and wrapped them in paper like a regular burger.
The other day I tried Burger King to see what the same money would buy. They have Whopper Juniors for $1 but no inexpensive salad. But since the Whopper comes with lettuce and tomato I decided to order three without the buns. Well instead of the 4 patties at McDonald’s I only had three. Though they put all the salad stuff in a container it was a bit smaller in total size.
Though the char grilled flavor of the meat was a nice change, but the $3 meal at Burger King was far less filling. Because we sometimes need a quick meal on the go, the challenge will continue to other fast food establishments.
TODAY: TRY A DIFFERENT LOW COST, LOW CARB, LO CALORIE MEAL PLACE.
You always hear the advice to eat more fiber. I’ve touted Fiber One cereal as a great snack. Fiber is added to things like bread, cereal and other whole grain foods, which actually have fiber naturally. (Hence the WHOLE grain name.) You can also get more fiber by leaving the skin on fruit, eating the potato peel and by taking diet supplements. But what does it do? Well, to be frank, it cleans you out. When you digest food, some of it gets stuck or lingers in your colon. As a result you have some nasty things going on in there. Fiber acts like a magnet or a broom and takes away the… crap… that doesn’t want to move out. The fiber also absorbs water that can moisten things up and break up hard stuff. (okay… crap) So eat more fiber. It will both fill you up and empty you out.
TODAY: ADD SOME FIBER TO YOUR DAILY DIET.
Don’t deprive yourself of your favorites just because you’re dieting. You can eat anything you want. Just do it every now and then rather than all the time. Keep the portions reasonable too. No huge bowls of ice cream with chocolate sauce every night! A scoop or so every now and then is okay. If you deny yourself all the time you’ll end up resenting your healthier lifestyle. Just continue to eat les and exercise more and it will all work out. So go ahead, have a treat this weekend, and even during the week sometimes. Make sure you enjoy it. You may find it better than you remember when you were having it all the time.
TODAY: DO JUST A LITTLE MORE WALKING THAN YESTERDAY.
Just saying the word “diet” can sound daunting. It may be what’s holding you back from changing your bad eating habits. So don’t go on a “diet”. Change just one little thing at a time so you can feel like you’re accomplishing something. What you will find is that you will actually accomplish something. Just use the tips I send you each day as a starting point. Each of those little goals will work a little. That’s the idea. They aren’t meant to be the single think you do to improve your health. Give it a try. Hey… even deciding to do that is reaching a small goal.
TODAY: DRINK MORE WATER.
Remember the Tim Allen movie “The Santa Clause” when he was gaining all the weight and he went to a business meeting? His boss noticed how it appeared he was “letting himself go”. His advice was one hilarious line that has always stuck with me. “For God’s sake, eat a piece of fruit once in a while.” It’s true. When those carvings hit for something sweet, a piece of fruit instead of a donut, cookies or a candy bar is an excellent choice. Fruit can be a diet saver. It satisfies and levels out your blood sugars to knock out hunger for a longer period and also gives you valuable fiber.
So set out a fruit bowl for yourself instead of cookies and milk and stay on Santa’s “good” list for next Christmas.
TODAY: SHOP FOR SOME FRESH FRUIT
The next time you are in the grocery, head to the produce department and pick up a five pound sack of potatoes. Then carry it around the rest of the time you’re shopping. Don’t put it in the cart. Carry it. You’ll find that five pounds takes a surprising amount of effort to carry for a while. Now imagine that you’re carrying that around from the time you get up until you go to bed at night. That’s what you are doing when you are just five pounds overweight.
The point is that with just a little effort, you should be able to drop five pounds in a couple of weeks. Eat a litle less, skip the snacks and high calorie deserts and go walk a little. It will come off. You will be amazed at the extra energy you will have by dropping just five pounds. So make the first step dropping the potatoes. The ones you eat. Then take the next step out the door. Believe me. It’s not a half-baked idea.
TODAY: SET A GOAL TO LOSE FIVE POUNDS IN THE NEXT TWO WEEKS.
Daily Nag, Exercise | Diet Nag | 
April 5, 2011 6:21 am | 
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