We Need To Exercise

You probably wonder why exercise is so important to our body after all my father never exercised or his father either. Well, they came from a different generation. They lived a more physical life. I remember my grandparents; they worked sun up to sun down on a small farm raising chickens, and taking care of their garden and orchard. And my parents didn't have it that hard but without all the conveniences we have today they stayed busy all day between their jobs and shopping and keeping up the house. Today the average adult spends about 16 hours a day either sitting or lying down. When the body is sitting for more than 20 minutes it can go into hibernation mode just like when you're lying down. Several hours in hibernation mode will slow down body functions and will actually cause health problems.

Exercise comes in many types. Playing sports like soccer or swimming or walking, jogging, using hand weights are just a few way to exercise.

More people than ever are starting to exercise. People are realizing the benefits. I don't want to minimize the diet part but exercise has benefits for everyone even if you don't want to lose weight. Exercise will make you feel better and be a happier person with more energy. Of course, the diet part of losing weight will give you the energy you need to exercise. Overweight people generally are tired most of the day. They use up their energy in the morning and slow down after that. Yes, it can be because they're heavy but mostly lack of energy is because of the food you're eating. If your food isn't giving you energy for the whole day, maybe you're eating the wrong food.

Getting started with exercise

What should I wear?

You should wear comfortable, moisture wicking clothing and a good pair of athletic shoes (or barefoot for yoga!). PS: Always have a water bottle nearby to stay hydrated!

How often and how intense should I be working out?

The CDC recommends 150 minutes of cardio a week and two strength training sessions a week. You decide how, when, and where! The options are endless. Just get moving!

How do I know if I’m doing it right?

Good form equals good results. Read the instructions we provide, but more importantly, listen to your body. Muscle fatigue means “Wow! I’m working hard, I can barely do another repetition.” Muscle pain means ”Ow! Something doesn’t feel right.” Work to muscle fatigue. Never work through muscle pain.

Help! What’s a set?

Here’s some help decoding fitness jargon:

• Rep: Short for repetition. The number of times you perform an exercise.
• Set: The number of rounds of repetitions.
• Cardio: It’s heart-pumping exercise that gets you breathing through your mouth, not your nose. The difference between “window shopping and mall walking.”
• Strength Training: Working your muscles. You could be lifting weights, using a resistance band, or doing bodyweight exercises.
• Flexibility: Stretching your muscles and mind-body exercises like yoga

This post comes from MyFitnessPal and gives the beginner some great tips on exercising. 

Send me an email if you have any questions but we all need to start some sort of exercise program that you can stay with.

If you really want to lose your body fat than look for my e-books at the websites listed below. You'll get information on Healthy eating, exercise, and diet. Instead of spending hours on the internet reading dozens of posts, you can save time by picking up one of my e-books. 

There are two e-books. “How Bad Do You Want To Lose Weight?” is available at all the online bookstores selling for $1.99. Go to any of the websites below and search the title to find my e-book. This book gives you all you need to lose weight without spending money on gym memberships, diet plans or meal plans. Look for my book. at Amazon.com, B&N.com, iBooks, Kobo.com, Scribd.com, or Gardner Books in the U.K.

My new e-book is available on Smashwords.com, just type “getting to a Healthy Weight” in the search box at the top of the home page. 

How Do People Stay Thin?

It's not the mystery of the Century. I wondered the same think before I lost my body fat. Losing your body fat is key to the mystery. In order to lose fat you must learn how to eat and what to eat so your body burns that excess fat. The mistake I made for many years was thinking that I could burn the fat by exercising.

Exercise is part of losing body fat but exercise itself won't burn fat, it helps your body to function better. You increase the oxygen in your blood stream and increase your strength and balance. You also strengthen your heart which is key to good circulation. It's better circulation and a strong heart that give you energy along with eating the right foods.

So how do people stay thin? Once I lost most of my fat, my BMI was 21 at that time, I was already in the habit of eating fresh food. I follow the suggestions on the food pyramid. This is referred to as the Mediterranean diet. It was voted the best way to eat for the past three years. Following the suggestions from the food pyramid is the healthiest way to eat. There won't be any calories to count and you won't starve, there are plenty of choices, just stick to the pyramid and don't cheat.




At first it might look like a lot of carbs, but they're good carbs, no processed foods here, they're all fresh foods. I know it has "sweets" listed on the pyramid and I do eat dark chocolate occasionally. I know that many of you don't see things on the pyramid that you like to eat, but that was the challenge for me. I had to stop eating desserts and drinking calories. Half of my daily calories came from the liquids I consumed.

Calories are your enemy when you're trying to lose fat. The good part for my was that I could stop counting calories. When I picked food from the pyramid I had no problem overeating. I would eat five small meals a day before six pm and nothing after. The 5 meals during the day kept me full and evens out blood sugar levels so you don't have food cravings.

At first you might gain a pound or two but after a few weeks your body will become accustom to your new meal plan and your appetite will decrease.

Along with daily exercise you can reach your goal. It's a long term plan but changing the food you eat is "life changing". You will regain the energy you thought you lost forever.

If you really want to lose your body fat than look for my e-books at the websites listed below. You'll get information on Healthy eating, exercise, and diet. Instead of spending hours on the internet reading dozens of posts, you can save time by picking up one of my e-books.

There are two e-books. “How Bad Do You Want To Lose Weight?” is available at all the online bookstores selling for $1.99. Go to any of the websites below and search the title to find my e-book. This book gives you all you need to lose weight without spending money on gym memberships, diet plans or meal plans. Look for my book. at Amazon.com, barnesandnoble.com, iBooks, Kobo.com, Scribd.com, or Gardner Books in the U.K.

My new e-book is available on Smashwords.com, just type “getting to a Healthy Weight” in the search box at the top of the home page.

Why Do We Eat?

Food provides our bodies with fuel, but that isn't the only reason you might eat. For many people, emotions play a strong role. For example, you might eat because you are:
          
Out with the kids and they want pizza; or sometimes you're out with your friends and they want coffee and something sweet; or maybe eating can bring you pleasure or at least, you think it might. Eating for emotional reasons often leads to overeating, since you weren't hungry in the first place. An occasional binge isn’t a serious problem. If it happens all the time, you might have Binge Eating Disorder. You can talk to your Doctor about that, but the real reason we need to eat is "that your body needs nutrition to function properly. We cause our own disease and cancer because we are the ones that control our diet.

Signs That You’re Eating Because of Emotions

Something stressful happens, and you immediately want to eat.True hunger isn't affected by things like getting into a fight with your spouse or having a bad day at work.

An overwhelming urge to eat comes on suddenly. Real, physical hunger builds up slowly. You shouldn't go from "fine" to "starving" in an instant. That's a food craving and that's more of an addiction.

You only desire one particular food. When you're hungry, you might have a preference (you're in the mood for a burger, for example) but you know other options would be OK. If you'd only be satisfied by chips or ice cream, assume the urge to eat is emotional.

Still not sure if your desire to soothe your feelings with food has crossed a dangerous line? Here are some misconceptions about emotional eating and binge eating disorder.

Myth No. 1: Eating because you're upset or anxious means you have binge eating disorder.

It's true that people who binge often do so to numb emotions such as upsetting, painful, or sad feelings. But most people who turn to food because of how they're feeling do not have binge eating disorder. "We all have our comfort foods," says Randy Flanery, PhD, program director for Webster Wellness Professionals in St. Louis, MO.

If you binge, you eat much more than others would in similar situations. Those with this disorder also feel like they have no control over their eating during a binge. They usually feel very upset, guilty, or shameful about their eating. If that sounds like you, see a mental health expert for proper diagnosis and treatment.

Myth No. 2: Eating a lot of food in one sitting means you have binge eating disorder.

Eating a significant amount of food in a short amount of time is, indeed, defined as a binge. But you can binge from time to time and not have a disorder. "A lot of people -- some estimates say 80% of people -- binge occasionally. Just think about Thanksgiving," says Russell Marx, MD, chief science officer for the National Eating Disorders Association. Everyone indulges every now and then, especially at the holidays. But if you do it all the time, especially if you eat alone because you’re embarrassed about it, see a doctor. These are signs of binge eating disorder.

Myth No. 3: People with binge eating disorder overeat because they're too focused on food.

Actually, it's often the reverse: People who binge tend to not focus enough on what they're eating. They don't realize how much they've eaten until after they've finished. "Many times they're eating almost automatically without paying much attention," Flanery says. "Then later, they stop and say, 'Oh my gosh, what am I doing?'"

If you’re worried about your eating habits, keep a journal. Write down in detail how you feel before, during, and after a meal. Note what you eat and how much you ate. This can help you become more mindful about your eating.

Another tip: "Don't watch TV or read a book while you're eating. Instead, prepare your food, sit at a table, and really savor the flavors and aromas," Flanery says.

Myth No. 4: You should wait until you feel your stomach growling to eat.

Belly growling is a sign of physical hunger. But for a lot of people, the body doesn’t signal it is time to eat until many, many hours after the last meal. "A rumbling stomach can mean that it's been too long since you last ate, which makes you more vulnerable to overeating," Flanery says. It also makes you more likely to choose unhealthy foods, like those with a lot of sugar, fat, and salt.

If you are prone to binges, eating healthy food at regular mealtimes (scheduled every 3 to 4 hours) is usually a good idea. Following a schedule removes some of the decision-making (Am I really hungry?) that can be stressful, Flanery says.

Yes, bingeing is a serious problem and can be the cause of your weight problems, but I define Bing Eating Disorder as an addiction similar to alcoholism. Overeating with friends or relatives like Sunday Dinner isn't Binging and isn't a disorder, but when a person is alone and depressed and then thinks by stuffing themselves, food can make them feel better; and then hating yourself for doing it. That generally starts a cycle of bingeing and then starving yourself for a time until you binge again.

The best way to eat would be to eat several small meals a day and don't let yourself get hungry.

If you really want to lose your body fat than look for my e-books at the websites listed below. You'll get information on Healthy eating, exercise, and diet. Instead of spending hours on the internet reading dozens of posts, you can save time by picking up one of my e-books. 

There are two e-books. “How Bad Do You Want To Lose Weight?” is available at all the online bookstores selling for $1.99. Go to any of the websites below and search the title to find my e-book. This book gives you all you need to lose weight without spending money on gym memberships, diet plans or meal plans. Look for my book. at Amazon.com, B&N.com, iBooks, Kobo.com, Scribd.com, or Gardner Books in the U.K.

My new e-book is available on Smashwords.com, just type “getting to a Healthy Weight” in the search box at the top of the home page. 

Eating 5 Meals A Day

I understand the concept: Five small meals a day takes the edge off your appetite, evens out blood sugar levels, and keeps your energy steady. But I confess: Who has time to eat this way?

Although my fitness trainer encourages me to eat healthy food every few hours, my meals usually look like this: coffee, a bit more coffee, lunch at 3 p.m., dinner at 9 p.m. I start over again the next morning.

When I decided to change this habit, and the routine of eating the way you eat is just a habit that you can change, I found that doing these five things helped:

1. Plan ahead. Five meals a day equals breakfast, lunch, dinner, and two snacks. To do this right, you need to plan what you’ll eat every day for each “meal.” And you need to schedule eating every 2 to 3 hours.The trick is to even out the calories so you eat 300 calories each time your eat. All five meals should be the same size. Larger meals will elevate your blood sugars or glucose level and cause food cravings later. So whether it's a meal or a snack it needs to be the same size, the same amount of calories. 
2. Stock up. Face it: You’re going to grab whatever food is closest. So stock up on veggies, fruit, healthy carbs like whole grains, lean proteins, and low-fat dairy products such as milk, yogurt, and cottage cheese.
3. Go for taste. Choose snack foods that will sustain you and taste good. Remember, healthy food can be satisfying. Mixed nuts are my favorite but for a morning snack fruit or greek yogurt is better.
4. Whip up a smoothie. Blend fruit, milk, yogurt, powdered protein and a little honey for a sweet taste. It's a filling snack packed with vitamins, fiber, protein, and calcium. It  might sound crazy but I put peanut butter in and I don't use fruit, I use vegetables like spinach leaves and if I don't want milk, I'll put water. There's dozens of ways to make a protein shake, you can find recipes on the internet.
5. Combine carbs and protein to stay full longer. Try whole wheat toast with peanut butter or a hard-boiled egg; whole-grain pasta with olive oil and cheese; or oatmeal with fruit, milk, and honey. Or make yourself a big pot of soup that includes pasta, beans and chicken to heat up for lunches or snacks.

If your someone who starts the day very early you might want to do 6 meals a day. Make that first meal the first hour your up and finish eating 3 hours before bed. If you have to push the meals closer together, remember to cut the calories a little like 250 each instead of 300.

If you really want to lose the extra flab you can get help, I write 4 blogs and I’ve written two E-books. Read some of my other blog posts.

Gettingtoahealthyweight.wordpress.com

idropped40pounds.wordpress.com

howbaddoyouwanttoloseweight.blogspot.com

blogonweight.blogspot.com

E-books are the easiest and cheapest way to learn about any subject without groping through hundreds of websites looking for the material you want.

My first e-book is “HowBadDoYouWantToLoseWeight” and it sells for $2.99 on most online bookstores like Amazon.com, BN.com, iBook, Kobo.com, Scribd.com, and Gardner books in the U.K.

My second e-book is available in the same stores. And on smashwords.com. If you use the Smashwords promotional code You can get my second book for $1.99 (TL96R). Just type in the search line “getting to a healthy weight”.

"Clean Eating"

Some of us don't even know what that means, too sum it up: Clean eating means choosing real food and eating that food as close as you can to it's natural form. We know what healthy food looks like (or at least have some idea), so why is it challenging to eat healthy on a regular basis? Between a busy career, school, a significant other and kids—life happens, and suddenly our good intention to be healthier falls to the wayside. 

Deep down we still want to develop sustainable, clean eating habits because we know our diet, or the culmination of foods we consistently choose over time, impacts the duration and quality of our life. The leading causes of death—heart disease, cancer and stroke—in the U.S. are nutritionally related, and the rest of the developed world is not lagging far behind. Our health, weight, energy level, mood and even sleep are influenced by diet. And why is our country the leader in diseases that are food related? Because in this country more people or a greater percentage of the population has access to processed foods.

When it comes to food, nutrition and which diet really works best, there’s not much that all of us agree on. And with good reason! Nutrition is not one-size-fits-all, largely because our bodies all function a little bit differently. While a lower-carbohydrate diet may work exceptionally well for one individual trying to lose weight, it may not work for the next. On the other end of the spectrum, carb-loading may help one athlete more than others.

But when it comes to achieving good health, and yes, even weight loss, there’s one common ingredient among all diets that have stood the test of time (such as lower-carbohydrate, vegetarian, vegan, Mediterranean and the newer Paleo diets). They all borrow on some or all of these clean eating strategies:

• Eat minimally processed foods, or foods made from minimally processed ingredients.
• Eat mostly plants and plant-based foods.
• Eat animals and animal products that eat mostly plants.

No standard definition for “healthy” food actually exists, just like there’s no cookie-cutter definition for what it means to be healthy, but it shouldn’t stop us from defining what that means to us. “Real food” has no official definition but embodies what a general healthy eating pattern could look like without using airy terms like “balanced,” “honest” and “genuine” to describe it (because who really knows what they mean?). 

Real food is simple.

It hasn’t gone through a ton of processing to get from the ground to your plate. Here’s what that looks like: fruits, vegetables, meats, dairy, seafood, nuts, seeds, whole grains and beans are all real food. Natural sweeteners, coffee, chocolate and wine count, too—just enjoy them in moderation!

Real food is not processed food.

Another way to think of it is this: Real food is not processed food. According to Dr. Robert Lustig, MD, founder of the Institute for Responsible Nutrition, processed food meets these seven criteria:

Remember some of the simplest foods are processed like Peanut Butter.

1. mass-produced
2. consistent batch to batch
3. consistent country to country
4. specialized ingredients from specialized companies
5. nearly all macronutrients are pre frozen (which means that the fiber is usually removed)
6. emulsified (fat and water don’t separate)
7. long shelf or freezer life

At this point, you’re probably thinking, “Wait a minute, processed foods don’t sound so bad!” True; processed foods can be one of the safest foods on the planet in terms of germs, and that’s great for the short-term. Eating processed foods now and then won’t kill you, but you should really focus on eating mostly real foods if you’re concerned about your long-term health.

Eat “healthier” without thinking about it. It’s useful to think of food as nutrients (macro- and micronutrients) so we can better understand our body. When it comes to healthy eating, it’s more useful to think of food simply as food. Choosing “real” foods lets you eat healthier from a nutrient perspective without thinking too much about nutrients.

Get the most nutrients out of the foods you’re eating. Processing foods usually removes or destroys valuable nutrients. The two exceptions are fortified foods (think: orange juice with added vitamin D) and preserved foods (think: canned and frozen). Choosing mostly real foods helps you maximize the nutrients you get from the foods you eat.

Live a longer, healthier life. “You are what you eat” is a simple mantra capturing the impact that diet quality has on your quality of life. Eating mostly real foods will decrease your chances of getting a debilitating chronic disease like heart disease, stroke, diabetes or cancer. After all, the goal of being physically healthy is to live a long life whilst avoiding these pitfalls. 

Home-cooking is at the heart of healthy eating, especially if it involves real food. Here are a few tips to get you started:

Save and organize your favorite recipes. Gather recipes from your favorite cookbooks, food bloggers or the internet at large. Rotate through the recipes as you plan your weekly or monthly meal calendar. If you’re not the planning type, having these recipes on hand will help inspire your cooking adventures.

Choose recipes that use healthy cooking techniques. Delicious food doesn’t have to be complicated; if you’re a beginner cook, choose recipes with 10 ingredients or less. To make your home-cooking even healthier, be mindful about how much sugar, sodium and cooking oil you’re adding to your foods. Here’s a list of common additions you should use mindfully to keep your home-cooked meal healthy:

ADDED SUGAR	ADDED SODIUM	ADDED FAT
- Granulated sugar - Brown sugar -Honey - Maple syrup - Agave syrup	- Salt - Baking powder - Baking soda - Condiments (hot sauce, mustard, barbecue sauce)	- Canola oil - Olive oil - Vegetable oil - Peanut oil

Keep honing your cooking skills! No one is born an amazing cook, so if you fail at your cooking ploys, remember to learn from them. If you’re a beginner, do a web search to learn more on how to plan and prep your meals: meal planning, meal prep

Stocking up on real foods is a good first step, especially if you plan to eat more of it. Check out these pointers to help you shop real at the grocery store:

Skim the perimeter of the grocery store. It’s where real food lives. We suggest you prioritize the following aisles: fresh produce, whole grains and breads, milk and dairy, meat and seafood. After you’ve loaded your cart, you can proceed to the center aisle for other necessities, just be sure to keep your eye on ingredient lists. Less is more! 

Go to the store with a grocery list. Grocery-shopping with a list is your plan for success, because you’ll know exactly what to grab and be less inclined to buy processed convenience food. Ideally, your list should reflect the recipes you intend to prep for the week. 

Pick up some handy, real food snacks that require minimal prepping and no recipes. Here are some ideas for you:

NO PREP SNACKS	MINIMAL PREP SNACKS
- Fresh fruit - Unsweetened dried fruit - Roasted nuts - Dark chocolate - Trail mix - Popcorn - Mozzarella sticks - Baby carrots - Cherry tomatoes - Whole-grain crackers - Yogurt	- Celery sticks - Bell pepper sticks - Hard-boiled eggs

Think outside the grocery store! If you live near a local farmer’s market, go check it out! Farmer’s markets are a good place for you to buy and support local produce, sometimes at a fraction of what you’d pay in a brand-name grocery store.

If you really want to lose your body fat than look for my e-books at the websites listed below. You'll get information on Healthy eating, exercise, and diet. Instead of spending hours on the internet reading dozens of posts, you can save time by picking up one of my e-books. 

There are two e-books. “How Bad Do You Want To Lose Weight?” is available at all the online bookstores selling for $1.99. Go to any of the websites below and search the title to find my e-book. This book gives you all you need to lose weight without spending money on gym memberships, diet plans or meal plans. Look for my book. at Amazon.com, B&N.com, iBooks, Kobo.com, Scribd.com, or Gardner Books in the U.K.

My new e-book is available on Smashwords.com, just type “getting to a Healthy Weight” in the search box at the top of the home page. 

Can I Skip Breakfast And Lose Weight?

Is skipping breakfast really a big deal? What's the difference? 

If you're trying to lose weight, I think that breakfast is important. It all goes back to the basic reasons for eating. If you want to stay healthy, you eat for the sake of your body. In other words, I eat the first thing or the first hour I’m up to give my body the fuel I need to concentrate, to give me strength to work out or to get to work and to be productive.

When I was younger, I didn’t think about those things. When I was younger I still had the stored up nutrition that all of us are born with, but as you age you use up that nutrition and you start to lose your edge. You're not as sharp, you're not as quick. Some people think it's because they're getting older, but that's not it. It's because of the food you're eating. 

It happens over many years and most people don’t realize it until they’re in their 40’s. By that time, they caulk it up to aging or the fact that they're out of shape, but the truth is they have spent their adult life eating wrong and not replacing that nutrition (vitamins and minerals) that they use up every day. 

We get in the habit of eating when we’re hungry, instead of eating to avoid getting hungry. This is why I eat breakfast. Some people who aren't eating breakfast ate too much at night and the food is still sitting there like a lump in your stomach and you are full and can't think about eating. Don't eat the last 4 hours before bed. You want your food to digest before bed, give it some time. If you're hungry at night think about the food your eating for dinner and those snacks you ate in the afternoon. If you're filling up on carbs and not real food you'll get hungry quicker and want to eat more often. 

 I usually eat a large bowl of oatmeal with fruit or Greek Yogurt with berries if I’m in a rush. Greek Yogurt is my go-to snack when I need something small and filling. 

So after I changed the way I was eating, that’s when I started to make changes in my body. Now I eat to avoid hunger. Yes, you have to get custom to eating more often, but now when I eat a meal I fill up very quickly. I never eat those big meals anymore. And I don’t get hungry or have cravings. 

I got used to listening to my body. I only eat what my body needs. I don’t eat processed foods, I don’t eat food from a can, I don’t eat already prepared foods like carry-out. 

Of course, I eat in restaurants but during the months I was trying to lose body fat, I tried to avoid eating out and if I had to I only ate salads with olive oil and lemon juice that I added. 

You can bend the rules a little after you lose that fat, but you can never return to your old diet. The weight will come right back. 

When you eat several small meals a day, you want to space them about 3 hours apart. Remember to eat your first meal early, no matter how small, eat something nutritious. Something that will hold you for 3 hours. Your body needs some protein the first hour your up. 

Try never to eat empty calories. And at first, you’ll have to count your calories. When you're not used to eating like this it’s easy to overdo it. Even if you’re active, 1500 to 1800 calories a day is all you need. So be picky about the things you eat. 

When I first started to eat this way, I did some research, put on paper the things I wanted to eat and the number of calories, don’t forget to count the drinks, and I had all my choices of food and drink written down, in a small notebook that I kept with me. 

I basically ate the same things over and over until I had time to research more food choices. Over a period of weeks, my menu started to broaden.

The food pyramid will give you the choices you need. Stick to the pyramid; I did add black coffee and ice tea black in moderation. You can find examples of the "Food Pyramid" chart on the internet.

Look for my podcast by searching “How Bad Do You Want To Lose Weight” on the podcast app that you use. You’ll see a piece of my book cover.

If you really want to lose your body fat look for my e-books at the websites listed below. You'll get information on Healthy eating, exercise, and diet. Instead of spending hours on the internet reading dozens of posts, you can save time by picking up one of my e-books. 

There are two e-books. “How Bad Do You Want To Lose Weight?” is available at all the online bookstores selling for $3.99. Go to any of the websites below and search the title to find my e-book. This book gives you all you need to lose weight without spending money on gym memberships, diet plans, or meal plans. Look for my book. at Amazon.com, bn.com, iBooks, Kobo.com, Scribd.com, or Gardner Books in the U.K.

My new e-book is available on Smashwords.com and other online bookstores. Just type “getting to a Healthy Weight” in the search box at the top of the home page. 

 

The Basics Of A Healthy Diet

Eating a healthy balanced diet can help you keep slim and trim and give you lots of energy. You want to eat a diet with the right number of calories, lots of good foods, and a whole lot less of foods that are bad for you.

OK, that seems a little too simplistic. In reality, it takes a bit of work to eat a healthy balanced diet, so I'll walk you through the process. If you're unsure of what your diet says about you & your lifestyle, this quiz is here to help!

How Many Calories Do You Need?

On average, an adult will need somewhere in the neighborhood of 2,000 to 2,500 calories per day to maintain his or her current weight. The number of calories you need depends on your natural size (that's the size you should be), muscle mass, activity level, age, and gender. There are calorie tables and calculators that will help you estimate your daily calorie need. But keep in mind these really are estimates—since you may have differences in your metabolism, you may need a few more or a few less calories than what the calculators show. Over time, you will know to adjust your overall calorie intake up or down by monitoring your weight. The less you weight, the less calories you need. I think that 2000 to 2500 is okay for an active person that is working out everyday and weighs over 160 pounds. The average person doesn't need 2000 calories a day if they have a small frame and if your trying to lose weight 2000 might be too many calories.

Keep a Food Diary

If you need to lose weight, gain weight, watch your fat, protein, or sodium intake, you'll have an easier time if you use a food diary. You can use a notebook, or you can use a web-based diet program, to keep track of your diet online.

Start by just writing down everything you eat for 3 or 4 days before you start a diet so you can see how many calories you're currently consuming.

Look at how many healthy foods you eat now and how many unhealthy foods you choose as well.

Once you understand your current diet, you will learn which healthy foods you need to eat more of and which ones you need to eat less of. Eating the right foods will help you lose weight.

Choose the Right Foods

Once you know how many calories you need, your next step is to choose foods that will offer lots of good nutrition for the calories you take in. What that means is that for every calorie you consume, look for the nutrition you'll get out of those calories. Avoid calories that aren't giving you any nutrition like sugar. Sometimes you can burn more body fat, not by cutting calories, but by changing the foods you eat. Empty calories won't create any energy and you need energy to burn body fat.

For example, at snack time, you could choose a healthy food such as a cup of blueberries for about 85 calories or a small glazed doughnut for 100 calories. Although there is only 15 calories difference between the two, the blueberries make a much better choice for a healthy diet. The blueberries are packed with vitamins, antioxidants and very low in fat. The glazed doughnut has very little nutritional value and a lot of unhealthy fats and sugars for such a small treat. Eating snacks with protein like a cup of Greek yogurt will create energy for your body to burn body fat. Try and eat some protein at every meal. But only eat meat once a day. 

Here's another example. Think about selecting fish for a meal—either 6 ounces of salmon or 5 fish sticks. Both the salmon and the fish sticks would offer roughly about the same number of calories, but the salmon would be a better choice because it's a great source of protein, B vitamins, and omega-3 essential fatty acids, while the fish sticks contain loads of unhealthy fats and sodium from the breading. Don't get confused, seafood is not meat, and it's a great substitute. Poultry is also a good substitute for meat. The trouble with meat is the animal fat you consume with the meat. You can talk to your doctor about that.

In general healthy foods are foods that are not covered in sauces, not baked into desserts, not deep-fried, heavily refined or processed.

By this I mean:

An apple is healthy; a piece of apple pie is not.
A lean piece of broiled steak is better than a greasy chicken-fried steak.
Turkey or chicken is lower in saturated fats than red meats.
Whole grain bread and cereals offer more fiber than white, refined bread and cereals.
Whole grain plain breakfast cereals are a better choice than sugar frosted breakfast cereals.
Eating a healthy balanced diet also means eating a variety of foods. Choose foods from each of the food groups to make sure you are getting all of the nutrients that you need. And pick healthy foods, not junk foods.

If you're not sure of the nutritional content of any packaged food, be sure to read the Nutrition Facts food labels to understand the nutritional content for the amount of calories per serving.

Dairy and Calcium Sources

Choose two or three servings from the dairy and calcium group each day. If you don’t like, or can't eat dairy products, look for deep green leafy vegetables or calcium-fortified orange juice and other foods.

1 cup of low- or non-fat milk
2 slices of cheese
1 cup of yogurt
1/3 cup of shredded cheese
1 cup cooked spinach
1 cup cooked or fresh broccoli
Whole Grains and Cereals

The United States Department of Agriculture suggests that you eat from six to eleven servings of grains and cereals each day, and at least half of those servings should be from whole grains.

Whole grains and cereals are great ways to get enough fiber in your diet and to add beneficial vitamins and minerals.

1 slice of whole wheat bread.
1/2 cup brown rice.
1/2 cup cooked quinoa.
1 cup of whole grain cereal.
1/2 cup oatmeal.
4 or 5 whole grain crackers.
2 cups air-popped popcorn
More Fruits and Vegetables

Fruits and vegetables provide lots of vitamins, minerals, phytochemicals and fiber, and you probably need 2 or 3 cups, or more, of vegetables per day, plus some fruit. It's difficult to imagine being healthy without eating lots of fruits and vegetables. Good fruit and vegetable serving choices include:

1/2 cup of sweet corn
1 piece of fresh fruit such as an apple, a pear or a peach
1/2 cup fruit cocktail
1/2 cup berries like strawberries or raspberries
1/2 half cup of black beans or pinto beans
1 small baked potato
1 cup of green beans
1 cup of broccoli
Healthy Protein Sources

You can easily get all the protein you need from plant sources such as dry beans and nuts, but most people prefer meat, fish and eggs as their main protein sources. You need 2 or 3 servings of protein each day.

3 ounces of cooked lean beefsteak.

3 ounces of lean cooked pork chop.

I cup of non-fat Greek Yogurt

One small baked chicken breast.

6 ounces of cooked oily ocean fish such as salmon or tuna.

1/2 cup of dry beans such as pinto beans or navy beans.

1 ounce of nuts, about 25 almonds, 13 cashews or 9 walnuts.

Healthy Fats and Oils ( plant based )

Olive and canola oil are good fats. So are the omega-3 fatty acids found in fish, walnuts, pumpkin seeds, flax seeds, and soy.

Trans fats are bad and eating too much saturated fat—like the fat in red meat—isn't recommended. You don’t need to add a lot of extra oil to your diet, just make healthy food and cooking choices, and you'll do just fine. The Mediterranean diet (recommended by most doctors) will only recommend red meat twice a month. Poultry and seafood are the best meat choices. The fats in seafood and poultry aren"t the same as animal fat and your body can process these fats. 

Also, don't drink calories and don't drink anything containing fat. Your dairy should be non-fat and your drinks no-calorie. The best is filtrated water.

If you really want to lose your body fat than look for my Ebooks at the websites listed below. You'll get information on Healthy eating, exercise, and diet.

There’s two ebooks. “How Bad Do You Want To Lose Weight?” is available at all the online bookstores selling for $1.99. Go to any of the websites below and search the title to find my Ebook. This book gives you all you need to lose weight without spending money on gym memberships, diet plans or meal plans. Look for my book. at Amazon.com, B&N.com, iBooks, Kobo.com, Scribd.com, or Gardner Books in the U.K.

My new ebook is available on Smashwords.com, just type “getting to a Healthy Weight” in the search box at the top of the home page.