Here’s how to do it
To achieve a healthy weight, and maintain it for the rest of your life, don’t think about losing weight fast. Do it slowly and steadily.
You won’t have to make intricate calculations about how many calories you should eat, then write down the value of every morsel you consume. And you won’t have to buy a diet book that calls for recipe ingredients you’ve never heard of.
Instead, reduce calories by making better food and drink choices.
Drinks: Rather than drinking a latte with 500 calories, have a cup of black coffee. Instead of drinking sugary soda pop, choose diet pop or water.
Planning: Plan your meals and snacks for a week. Make a shopping list that includes low-fat meat, fish, chicken, vegetables, fruits and whole grain bread.
Snacks: If you want to snack on chips, nuts, crackers or candy, put the amount you intend to eat in a bowl. Stash the bag away so you won’t eat more without thinking about it.
Prepare foods wisely: Broil or bake your chicken, fish and red meats. Frying adds calories. Battering and deep frying can double the number of calories.
Skip the butter when you make mashed potatoes. You won’t notice it’s missing after you add low-fat gravy.
Salads: Use fat-free or low-fat salad dressing. Two tablespoons of blue cheese dressing have 150 calories. You might use three or four tablespoons, depending on the size of the salad.
When to eat: At three meals: breakfast, lunch and dinner, plus an evening snack. Studies show that people who eat breakfast will eat less the rest of the day. Include protein, like cheese or an egg, fruit, and whole grain bread. Drink a glass of water before each meal.
How much to eat: At home and at restaurants, eat a reasonable portion of food. Relax and take your time. If you eat fast, you’ll eat more.
You may not want to do all of these things, but doing some of them will result in weight loss.
You can lose weight without going hungry
Can you tell a $1 from a $5 without looking?
A judge has ruled that U.S. bills discriminate against blind people. It means that the government may be forced to change the nation’s paper currency so everyone can easily distinguish one denominaton from another.
Throughout most of the world, countries produce bills in different sizes so blind people can measure one bill against another to determine each one’s value. Other options include imprinting money with Braille or adding textures.
U.S. District Judge James Robertson says the government has failed to prove that the financial burden of the change outweighs the need to make money more accessible to blind people, whose rights are protected by law. He noted that the U.S. is the only country that does not make its currency easily recognizable by those with vision problems.
Vending machine operators are against the change, saying that it would cost a great deal to have each machine altered.
Right now, some blind people fold the different denominations in different ways, but the system causes delays when they have to process change in stores.
Money troubles? Deal with creditors yourself.
It sounds easy. Debt resolution companies offer to get creditors to settle for far less than you owe. All you have to do is give them a couple of thousand dollars up front and make a reasonable monthly payment after that.
But this is what could happen:
* They make no payments on credit cards and other loans for several months, if ever. Your credit card and loan balances explode with late-payment and interest charges.
* You could be plagued with calls from creditors and collection agencies. You could be sued and your wages could be garnished.
* Your credit score plunges. Even if they manage to make a settlement for less money than you owe on an account, the arrangement makes your credit score fall even more.
* By the time you realize they have not kept their promises, you could owe thousands of dollars more than when you signed on to the plan, and they still have your up-front money.
* If you take them to court, you discover that the debt resolution company has no assets. There is no way to recover any of the money you have paid them.
Some non-profit companies do help, but a recent IRS investigation shows that many are not non-profit at all. They send their profits to an associated for-profit debt resolution company. When circumstances have put you into a difficult financial situation, you are far better off to contact creditors personally and try to make a payment schedule you can afford.
Exercise takes the edge off of chronic pain
Doctors at the Mayo Clinic say that when you are in pain, exercise is probably the last thing on your mind. But it could be more important than you think.
Regular exercise is a versatile weapon in the fight against chronic pain. It may seem difficult to start, but your body will thank you, say the Mayo people. What exercise can do:
* It increases endorphins, which are the body’s natural pain relievers.
* Exercise builds strength, which takes the load off bones and cartilage.
* It increases flexibility when you exercise. That means joints are able to move through their full range of motion and are less likely to ache or be painful.
* It increases your energy level and gives you the strength to cope with life and with pain.
* It helps you maintain a healthy weight and contributes to better sleep.
* It enhances your mood and gives a sense of well-being. You look better and have the confidence to continue.
* Exercise protects the heart.
Exercise: Sneak it in or have fun with it
Small changes in your life can have a big impact on your health.
Take exercise. Doing it for half an hour or 45 minutes is very effective for burning calories and improving your fitness level. But sneaking a little more exercise into your life has its benefits.
Sneaking could include parking farther away from the supermarket or your workplace. Using the stairs instead of the elevator if only for a few floors adds quite a bit of exercise to your day. You could take a walk during your lunch break. Or you could pace in place or ride your exercise bike while watching television. A little added to a little more adds up to a lot.
Burning calories through these activities counts just as much for weight loss as limiting calories. A new study by Pennington Biomedical Research Center at Louisiana State shows there is no difference in calorie use between exercise and diet. Calories are calories no matter how you choose to reduce them in your life.
If you want to have more fun while burning calories, think about things you like to do. Half an hour of planting vegetables in a garden burns 150 calories. An even better burn comes from dancing.
Experts say the key to getting exercise every day lies in adding exercise to activities that you do all the time. That’s a program you are likely to stick to.