If you’re new to dieting or, perhaps you’ve lost weight in the past and have now gained it back, your first step is to look in the mirror. Literally, when you look in the mirror you may not like what you see. Take an honest inventory of your current habits asking questions like:

1. Do I exercise? If so, how regularly?
2. What foods am I eating? Processed foods and foods high in fat and sugar, or natural foods?
3. How often am I eating? 3 meals a day? More? Less?
4. Do I eat even when I’m not hungry? Am I an emotional eater?
5. Do I consume most of my calories at night? Remember, calories are also found in beverages.

Your eating habits and your physical activity level (or lack thereof) will likely give you a good starting point as far as what needs to change.

On the surface, losing weight is simple. Basically, you need to consume fewer calories than your body burns. Your body uses calories from food for energy. Every metabolic process in your body requires energy. Some foods have more calories than others and foods that are high in fat and sugar are also usually high in calories. If you take in more calories than you burn off, your body will store those extra calories as fat.

It is easiest for your body to burn carbohydrates for energy. If your diet contains foods lower in carbohydrates (low glycemic index foods), your body will begin to burn stored fat for energy, a process called ketosis. You can build on these principles as you teach yourself how to eat properly, whether you’re at home or dining out.

• When eating starches, go for the whole grains instead of refined and processed foods.
• When selecting proteins, choose lean cuts that are lower in saturated fat.
• As for fruits, choose berries and citrus and avoid canned fruits and fruit juices, which are higher in sugar.
• Green vegetables are a good bet. You can’t go wrong with salad greens and spinach (just don’t overdo it with the dressing!).
• When selecting fats, choose healthy oils like olive and canola oils instead of hydrogenated oils and butter.
• Water is also essential to any healthy diet as it provides proper functioning of organs and removes wastes and toxins from your body. Drink twice the amount of water you think you need and then double that – seriously!

There is nothing magic about nutrition and while claims of miracle drugs and miracle diets come and go they are usually unsustainable and/or dangerous long term. You need to find a diet that works for you and stick with it and make sure your diet includes a wide variety of foods that you enjoy. If you limit yourself, you’re less likely to stick with it. Eat foods that you’re going to be able to eat for the rest of your life. Remember, a good diet requires a long term commitment. People who lose weight and tend to keep it off generally eat a low fat, high fiber diet. Foods with higher fiber content also help you feel full, so you’re less likely to overeat.

Exercise is usually recommended to those who are physically able. If you cut back on calories, you can still lose weight without doing a lot of exercise. However, you do need to exercise if you plan to keep the weight off. Exercise is a necessary part of improving metabolism and maintaining weight loss.

Exercise is also a good outlet for stress. After all, you’re better off hitting a treadmill at the end of a bad day than grabbing a gallon of ice cream. So called, emotional eating, which is eating to satisfy your feelings instead of your hunger, can wreak havoc on your diet plan and your waistline. We all feed our emotions sometimes, but problems arise when a person uses eating as the only way to manage his or her feelings. You’re more likely to overeat if you’re eating for reasons other than hunger and you’re also likely giving your body calories it doesn’t need.

When doing your self-assessment, if you find that you are guilty of emotional eating, there are ways to manage it. Look for healthy alternatives for comfort foods. Or, if you must indulge, do so in moderation by eating smaller portions. You can also choose another activity to keep your mind off the craving. Try exercising, calling a friend, or even exercising with a friend. The key is to recognize the triggers and arm yourself with healthy options so when those emotional cravings come calling, you’re ready and able to stay on track.

Nathan Joynt works with a leading health and wellness media company streaming on-demand health videos and weight loss videos online.

Like many women Patsy maintained a healthy and slim figure for many years without really having to try too hard. But when she turned 30 all this changed. It was as if a switch inside her had been flipped and her fat burning body was suddenly transformed into a fat absorbing one.

Patsy’s Exercise Workouts

Patsy stays in shape now by working out on a regular basis. She also loves to go walking or jogging and can often been seen running through the streets of Hampstead where she lives.

Also in 2010 Patsy appeared on Strictly Come Dancing and soon learned to burn off a few more calories by practising dance routines all day long. She admitted that she lost around 6 pounds within a few weeks of starting on Strictly Come Dancing, and this change gave her more confidence and she felt physically stronger and more agile at the same time.

Organic and Gluten Free Diet

Patsy now eats a lot of fresh, organic food and is also on a gluten free diet. Gluten is found in wheat and similar grasses such as barley and rye. So she no longer eats any wheat products, which includes bread, pasta, cakes and biscuits. Gluten is often found in other processed products such as ice-cream and tomato sauce as it is used as a stabiliser.

In addition to her organic veg and gluten free diet she also is a great fan of aloe vera juice. She drinks aloe vera every day before she eats her main meals. She says that the main reason for drinking it is to keep her bowels regular, something which helps to improve health and possibly weight too.

Patsy is now involved in helping others to get fit. She has been working with Play England on a campaign to improve child activity areas and playgrounds in public parks to encourage more families to get outside for active play.

Patsy Kensit is a great example to other mums. She is now in her early forties and has had 2 children. She manages to stay in great shape with a healthy diet that is not too restrictive, combined with regular exercise which is not too intensive. She is just living a healthy lifestyle, exactly as all people should follow.

Best workout for your lower body

In my search for the perfect thighs and bum I’ve tried cycling, aerobic classes, squats, pretty much everything there is, I think. The first thing I can honestly say made a visible difference is the Air Climber. I got mine in an online store called WeightWorld, generally good if you’re trying to lose weight. The Air Climber is made by the aerobics champion Brenda Dygraf (the same woman who made the Lateral Thigh Trainer). She says that the Air Climber was especially developed to shape the lower body and to give you a fun, effective workout. Having tried the Air Climber, I must agree.

Work those thighs!

The reason why Air Climber is so good at working your thighs and buttocks is because of its climbing motion. It feels a bit like walking up the stairs but the movement is much softer and more pleasant. That’s because what you’re actually stepping on is a cushion of air. Every time you put one foot down, the other one is lifted, forcing your body to move constantly. It looks difficult to keep your balance so I put it in my living room doorway the first time I tried it. Not necessary, as it turned out. I got the grasp of it almost instantly, bouncing up and down on my Air Climber for about 20 minutes. Judging from the aches in my thighs and buttocks on the next day, my workout was effective!

Air Climber exercises

There’s a whole range of routines you can do with Air Climber, varying in pace, difficulty and muscle groups involved. The machine comes with two workout DVDs by Brenda Dygraf so you can follow her advice or just try one of these:

• Simple stepper – Step on the machine with both feet and push one of them, pressing down on the climber. Step up and down quickly with both feet and pick up the pace to burn more calories and shape your lower body.
• Ab turn – stepping up and down on your stepper, bend your arms to the level of your waist. Turn your whole body to one side and then to the other. Air Climber will add extra resistance to your movement, shaping your stomach muscles
• Bicep Curls – You need to use your body cords for this, but they’re also included in the box. Hold both cords in your hands, arms fully extended, palms facing upwards. Bend your arms in the elbows, pulling your hands towards your shoulders. Repeat, while climbing rhythmically on the Air climber.
• Upright scrunches – hold the cords at the level of your shoulders, elbows bent. Once you’re steady on the Air Climber, lean your upper body forward and try lifting up again. You’ll be surprised how much better this works for your abs than normal scrunches on the floor.

So, to get your bum and thighs in shape before it’s time to show them off in summer shorts, get working out now. Trust me, you’ll be having so much fun you won’t even notice the time fly!

You can order your Air Climber here, hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

This is a sponsored post from Weightworld.co.uk

In a study of 95,396 women there were 4782 cases of invasive breast cancer during 20 years from 1986 to 2006. Breast cancer risk was lower in women who did more exercise.

What Sort of Moderate Activity is Best?

Unfortunately at the moment there is no data on the type of exercise that works best to reduce breast cancer risk.

“Although greater activity has been related to lower postmenopausal breast cancer risk, important details remain unclear, including type, intensity, and timing of activity.”

The researchers did report that 5 hours of brisk walking per week was “sufficient to reduce the risk of breast cancer“. This is within the Governments current guidelines for exercise.

The report admits that there are limitations to the accuracy of the information as the subjects of the study carried out a self assessment of their activity levels.

However, other research carried out on the effectiveness of vary fitness activities and weight loss has shown that it really does not matter what type of exercise you do so long as you are active and fit. As other studies have linked breast cancer with weight problems and obesity it stands to reason that the real key is simply to lose weight by exercising.

Being fit is an important part of health. Many people think that being healthy is just about being slim and this gives rise to many weight related disorders as well as malnutrition. It is always better to manage your weight and your health by being active and eating well. A balanced diet provides a range of nutrients, vitamins and antioxidants which help to combat disease and cancer while exercise keeps the body and the immune system strong.

If you have not exercised for a long time and are unsure where to start then a walking plan is a good option. Start by walking at least 30 minutes everyday. Maintain a brisk pace. After a week increase this to 45 minutes and then 2 weeks after that increase to 60 minutes. Be disciplined and walk every day. You can split your exercise into two sessions, so two 30 minutes walks each day will burn just as many calories and get you as fit as one 60 minute walk.

As you improve on your fitness consider jogging, swimming, cycling (either on an indoor stationary bike or a real bike) or some other activities. It is never too late to start a new healthy hobby and regular exercise will improve the quality of your life.

Reference:

“Moderate Physical Activity May Reduce Postmenopausal Breast Cancer Risk” by Eliassen AH, Hankinson SE, Rosner B, Holmes MD, Willett WC. Published in Arch Intern Med. Arch Intern Med. 2010;170:1758-1764. Abstract