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There are many factors that cause us to increase body weight, yet three stand out from the rest.

Our genetic make up: Every cell in our body has a central control panel, that is a nucleus that contains our genes and chromosomes. This is the instruction manual for your body and this is inherited from your parents. It is this instruction manual that is largely responsible for how your body, and even your mind, behaves.

The environment in which we live: Our personal environment may also contribute or cue you to adopt poor eating or exercise habits. This is especially true in today's society, which is dominated by speed and convenience. For example, escalators, elevators and remote-control appliances make us less physically active. Also, greater availability and the constant marketing of foods that are high in calories, fat and added sugars, and larger portion sizes promote unhealthy eating behaviors.

There may also be personal reasons why you are consuming too many kilojoules from food and drinks, or not being physically active enough. For example, when feeling down or bored you may eat more than you need, or if you are feeling depressed it is more difficult to get active.

Knowing the reason why you may be consuming excess kilojoules or not participating in physical activity, is an important first step in changing your lifestyle habits to help you reach a healthy weight.

Our lifestyle: What we eat and drink and how active we are. This is the gradual gain in weight as a result of eating food and not exercising enough.

The extent to which we can affect our genetic make up and our environment are limited. However, lifestyle is the area in which we can significantly manage and if need be, improve our body weight to ensure we maintain a healthy weight for our height, age and gender. This is why learning a healthy nutritious eating pattern and adopting it for life, that is, lifestyle changes has a significant impact on our ability to reach and maintain a healthy weight.

Gaining and losing weight works according to some a simple biological principle. When you consume more energy in the form of food and drinks that your body uses each day you will gain weight. When you consume less energy in the form of food and drinks that your body requires each day you will lose weight.

Despite what some advertisers would have use believe, weight loss does not occur as a result of any of the following:

* Supplements that will melt the fat while you sleep or while you wash

* Exercises that dont take any effort and cause no sweat

* Unique food combinations that will allow you to eat what you want and still lose weight

In order to lose weight you will need to know approximately your Resting Metabolic Rate (RMR). Your RMR is the number of calories your body burns at rest in a 24 hour period. When your body gets about 500 less calories than it needs each day as a result of eating less or exercising more, you will lose one pound of weight per week. To illustrate how efficient the human body is in motion, the average female would need to go for a brisk walk for 1.5 to 2.0 hours in order to burn 500 calories.

When you consume 500 calories a day more than your bodys requirements, you will gain approximately one pound a week! To illustrate how easy it is to gain weight, one 7oz bag of corn chips has approximately 1000 calories. If you ate a bag of corn chips every day in addition to three square meals its possible you could gain 2 pounds in a week!

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Once a week, indulge in a high-calorie-tasting, but low-calorie, treat. This should help keep you from feeling deprived and binging on higher-calorie foods.

Treat high-calorie foods as jewels in the crown. Make a spoonful of ice cream the jewel and a bowl of fruit the crown. Cut down on the chips by pairing each bite with lots of chunky, filling fresh salsa

After breakfast, make water your primary drink. At breakfast, go ahead and drink orange juice. But throughout the rest of the day, focus on water instead of juice or soda.

Carry a palm-size notebook everywhere you go for one week. Write down every single morsel that enters your lips -- even water. Studies have found that people who maintain food diaries wind up eating about 15 percent less food than those who don't.

Eat five or six small meals or snacks a day instead of three large meals. A 1999 South African study found that when men ate parts of their morning meal at intervals over five hours, they consumed almost 30 percent fewer calories at lunch than when they ate a single breakfast. Other studies show that even if you eat the same number of calories distributed this way, your body releases less insulin, which keeps blood sugar steady and helps control hunger.

Downsize your dinner plates. Studies find that the less food put in front of you, the less food you'll eat. Conversely, the more food in front of you, the more you'll eat.

If you follow these simple weight loss tips you should start to lose weight.

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If you have not went to a gym previously, consult a doctor before proceeding with your exercise routine. Start slow with 15 mins of exercise at the gym twice a week, and gradually increase both the time and the frequency of your exercise routines.

Remember not to overexert yourself and always know when to stop when necessary. If you feel more comfortable, it is better if you exercise with a friend.

Focus on cardio intensive exercises such as jogging, cycling, and leave out the weights training for now. Focus on losing weight first, before actually building on your muscle mass. Discipline is needed for this regime to sustain itself, and constant motivation from your parents, friends and mentors will prove especially useful at this point.

Do not be disappointed if you don't see any immediate results, the results will not be instant. Instead, when coupled with a proper food program, results will be achieved gradually, over the period of a few months.

Also, when possible try to walk or cycle to your work place or school. Walk whenever possible and soon you will find that you can establish a quality weight loss program to quickly and effectively burn fats. Walking to your work place is one of the most convenient exercise opportunities. Simply wake up a bit earlier to leave, and bring along spare office clothes if you need to change.

An alternative way to be to store a week's worth of clothing in your office space or school locker, and change into it every morning and night.

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Another diet program that is making the rounds in the American dieting circles is the cabbage soup diet.

If you have been trying to lose weight for a long time, you may have come across the Cabbage Soup Diet. This easy to follow diet is a radical weight loss diet which claims that the more low-calorie cabbage soup you take over a period of 7 days, the more weight you will lose. In fact, this diet claims that you will see drastic weight loss of about 10 pounds within 7 days.

The Cabbage Soup Diet Plan, or Mayo Clinic diet as it is also known, is a 7 day diet that is based on eating cabbage soup.

The plan calls for eating any amounts of cabbage soup you would like throughout the day. Why? Because there are not many calories in a bowl of cabbage soup.

Things to Avoid

1. All meals should be broiled, baked or boiled. No fried meals for the duration of the diet.

2. Avoid alcohol, bread and other carbonated drinks that hasten weight gain.

Things to be kept in mind

The Cabbage Soup Diet is full nutritious vegetables and fruit, and is extremely low in fat, but to stress again: This diet is for one week only.

The cabbage soup diet is too low in complex carbohydrates, protein, vitamins and minerals to continue for a long period of time. You need to resume normal eating patterns for at least two weeks before trying it again.

1. Follow the diet EXACTLY - if you don't, then it wont work

2. Drink at least 4 - 6 glasses of water per day

3. Keep motivated! - Keep in mind that it's only for seven days

4. Complement the diet with a multivitamin and mineral tablet

5. Eat plenty of soup - as much as you want! If you hate the soup use over the counter pills

The cabbage soup diet is one of the most effective ways to kick start a weight loss program.

It provides quick results and although not easy, dieters know they only need to do it for seven days and can have a break before resuming if necessary.

Finally, it provides plenty of motivation to keep losing weight, once quick weight loss has been achieved.

Conclusion

Will it work? Absolutely. If your daily intake is limited to cabbage soup and some fruit, rice, etc, you will lose weight. And thats the appeal here. It's a quick weight loss plan for the short term.

Of course, it is always advisable for you to consult your doctor before following this diet. Personally I believe that this diet can be counter productive. Since the diet would force your body to go into slower metabolism, it would then encourage your body to hold on to your fat reserves. In the end, you may be only delaying your weight loss plan.

Because of this, dieters often use the cabbage soup diet if they need to lose weight fast. In fact, most people use the program to get into shape before they enroll in a long term diet program. Some get into the cabbage soup diet program when they need to lose extra pounds for a special occasion.

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Our body weight affects us in many ways. Many of us search for tips about weight loss quickly because being overweight affects our overall quality of life. There is a large body of research which supports the fact that being overweight can lower self-esteem, can lead to increased instances of depression and other health risks, and can limit our abilities to perform normal physical functions as simple as bending over to tie our shoes.

The good news is that weight loss, even gradual weight loss, can result in many positive changes which affect our overall quality of life. Again, these positive changes are well-documented leading many of us to search for methods of how to lose weight effectively.

It is generally recommended that an overweight person should visit with a doctor prior to beginning a regimen which involves weight loss quickly. After performing an examination or assessment, the doctor will make a recommendation about how to lose weight effectively. This recommendation will generally address several issues including what to eat, when to eat, and appropriate activity levels.

After visiting with a doctor, many people have found that combining the following tips with their doctor's advice about how to lose weight effectively has resulted in a plan that allowed for weight loss quickly.

A weight loss plan that combines the appropriate amounts of mindset, exercise, and nutrition generally results in success. Once a person decides they WILL lose weight, an exercise plan must be developed. This can be as simple as committing to walking, running, swimming, and/or dancing for at least fifteen minutes each day.

Next, an appropriate diet must be developed and maintained. The word "diet" does not necessarily mean eating bland food in small quantities. "Diet" simply means the manner in which you nourish your body. An appropriate diet might consist of small quantities of carbohydrates and proteins consumed every 2-3 hours throughout the day.

Our bodies speak to us. Our body might tell us now is the time to start getting rid of some of the fat we have accumulated. Our body might warn us to cut back from walking 3 miles to walking only 1 mile until we are able to work up to 3 miles. We need to listen to our bodies.

Fiber slows the rate at which our bodies digest food. One result of increasing our intake of fiber is that we feel full for a longer period of time. In addition, fiber causes fat to move more quickly through our digestive systems. Plus, many types of fiber cause our insulin levels to spike by increasing our blood sugar levels, resulting in energizing our bodies.

We all know that fried foods contain alot of fat. We all know also that most fat is not particularly good for our bodies. Grilled food is generally a better choice than fried food. Choose grilled good over fried whenever possible.

Water hydrates and refreshes our body while eliminating toxins. Our bodies must remain hydrated. Drink at least six to eight glasses of water each day.

Many of us want to know how to lose weight effectively. We realize that a disciplined and consistent effort on our part is required. And, we appreciate the fact most methods to achieve weight loss quickly are doomed to failure. We simply need to educate ourselves, adopt a structured plan for weight loss, then stick to our plan in order to achieve weight loss quickly.

Weight loss quickly can be achieved with proper discipline and consistency. If you want more ideas about how to lose weight effectively, Click Here. Get started today . . . you can do it!

How To Get A Six Pack

Everyday and everywhere we look, we see photos of super thin models and perfectly proportioned actresses. So, it's easy to lose perspective on what our bodies should look like. For starters, most of us are not built to be that thin, nor should we be. But the majority of us are looking for an easy weight loss plan that works.

Most of those models and actresses are well below a healthy weight. And you have to remember that those professionals get paid to look that good. It's part of their job. I don't know about you but I certainly don't want to spend the majority of my life worried about how I look.

But if you want to be healthy and in shape, that's completely reasonable. And if you're wondering how to lose weight at home , we have the answer here..... Below are four simple steps to get you on your way to looking your personal best. Use these steps and you will see results over time. There is no real quick fix to losing weight. Making changes you can stick to is the best way to lose weight and keep it off.

Step 1: Try making small changes instead of overhauling your life all at once. It can be overwhelming to change too much too quickly. A lot of times you'll end up eating everything in your cabinet and then punishing yourself or just quitting altogether. So start out by trying baby steps. You can switch to diet soda, use mustard instead of mayo on sandwiches, and take the stairs instead of the elevator at work. Doing anything, no matter how small, is better than nothing.

Step 2: Keep a journal of everything you eat for an entire week. Also write down the amount of calories in the food. This can be a huge eye opener. We usually tend to underestimate the amount we eat. After a week you can get a good idea of your eating habits. Some people barely eat all day then eat a huge dinner. Others tend to snack their way through the day. Figure out what you're doing and then see where you can improve.

Step 3: Get a good amount of activity every day. A goal to work up to is 60 to 90 minutes a day. This doesn't mean you have to spend that time in the gym. You can count walking through the grocery store, taking the stairs, or even playing with your dog at the park. Those little things add up during the day. You can always start out small and then add more every day or even week. The most important thing is just to get up and move.

Step 4: Readjust your portion sizes at meals. There are quite a few of us that have been taught to eat everything on our plate. Unfortunately, this habit is hard to break. But you can make it healthier. The best change to make is using smaller plates, bowls, glasses, and utensils. This will literally trick your eye into thinking you have more food. Another way to get the right portions is to use your plate as a guide. Half of your plate should be used for vegetables, one-quarter for whole grains, and one-quarter for protein. This makes eating healthier a snap.

Portion control is the one item that needs to be mastered when you want to reduce your weight. A good way to do this without any extra temptations is try try a meal system. Diet-to-Go and Bistro MD both offer fantastic meal plans that are delivered right to your door. And they give you everything you need without the extra calories. These programs are a great support when you're trying to change your eating habits.

The trick is just getting started. Start doing each of the above steps each day even if you just do a bit. Once you see some results or start to feel better it will be easier and easier to change your life...one day at a time.

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Antique watches generally refer to mechanical watches that were made more than fifty years ago or more. Antique watches are not very useful in keeping accurate track of time, and instead make good gifts or a nice piece of decoration.

The antique watch business is a multi-billion dollar business. However there are a lot of fakes out there so buying an antique watch requires careful research.

A Brief History of Time

Some knowledge of mechanical watches will help a lot in judging the approximate date of manufacture of the antique watch:

1500s Peter Henlein of Germany created the first pocket watch

1660s Christian Huygens invented the remontoire

1680s Repeating mechanism for bells and sounds patented

1700s Rubies used in watch movements

1750s Enamel used on watch dials

1760s Lever escapement invented

1800s First self winding watch invented

1840s First watch to have winding and setting through crown

1914 World War I popularizes the wristwatch

1914 First wristwatch with alarm

1926 First water proof wristwatch

1956 First watch to display day and date

1960 First watch to have scratch-proof dial

Sources of Antique Watch

Antique watches of many established companies are available such as Rolex, Omega, Universal Geneve, Angelus, Vacheron & Constantin, Seiko, Benrus, Breitling, Gruen, Zodiac, IWC, Movado, TAG Heuer, Hamilton, Ingersoll, Shakosha (Citizen watch company of Japan) Gallet, Wittnauer, Bulova etc. There are a lot of sources on the internet selling watches online. Good buys can be found at auctions and second hand markets but the authenticity of these antique watches are doubtful.

Maintenance of Antique Watch

Maintenance of an antique watch is very difficult. The parts are not easily available and antique watches cannot be repaired at all watch shops. So do make sure that the seller also guarantees their repair if the need arises. Most antique watch sellers also provide maintenance and care manuals for the antique watch. Be sure to follow the instructions.

Cost of Antique Watch

Antique watches are available anywhere between $300 to millions of dollars depending upon the make, the date of manufacture, the history of the watch and the jewels in the antique watch. The market price of the antique watch is determined by its snob appeal and social acceptance.

Antique watches make wonderful gifts and give the wearer a distinct and artistic look. Antique watches combine artistic appeal and nostalgic charm. However, antique watches are costly in general and need a lot of maintenance and care.

For more on Antiques visit Susan's site at antique-trove.info. Susan also enjoys writing on a wide range of topics at home-and-family-hub.info.

I hear it over and over again through my job as a Tustin Personal Trainer: people just don't have the time to eat right, so they eat fast food on the fly. Some even tell me that they gained a lot of weight over time because they schedule was so hectic, all they really had time to eat was drive through greasy burgers and onion rings.

It's a real shame that these people think that greasy, fat laden food is all that there is available to eat at fast food restaurants. The truth of the matter is that if you are smart enough about your selections, you can easily grab food on the run and still stick to your diet. Here are is the advice I usually give through my Tustin Personal Trainer business to my clients who want go to burger joints guilt free.

Research Beforehand - If there is a particular fast food place you usually visit, make sure you visit their website and look at the nutritional information on all their food before you order. You may be really surprised at just how many calories and how much saturated fat go into your typical fast food meal. If you are stepping into a fast food place for the first time, you can usually request a nutritional information pamphlet that you can quickly peruse before making your order.

Choose Grilled Over Deep Fried - If you see a "grilled" chicken sandwich over a "crispy" chicken sandwich, go for the grilled one every time. "Crispy" means that the sandwich is deep fried, which means that it is swimming in tons of saturated fat.

Order Double Veggies - Ordering extra tomatoes, onions, and lettuce on a burger or sandwich is usually free, plus might give you some extra fiber and some essential nutrients in your meal.

Consider Ordering Kid's Portions - If you think all the items on the regular menu are too bad to consider eating, try taking a look at the options on the kid's menu. A kid's size burger is smaller than a regular burger, which means fewer calories.

Never Order French Fries - In any given fast food menu, the worst thing on it is usually French fries. Unless it is for your weekly "cheat meal," you should never eat French fries. It is like the double whammy of foods that are bad for you. It is deep fried, which means it contains a lot of bad fats (and usually extra-bad trans fats, depending upon where you order.) And it also contains a lot of starchy carbs, which

Ask to Hold the Sauce - A lot of burgers and sandwiches at fast food places are slathered with "special sauce" and mayonnaise. This usually adds a lot more calories, sugar, and fat, so asking the cashier to take it off might help your diet significantly,

For example, if you ask to hold the sauce for the tender roast chicken sandwich at KFC, you take 80 calories and 8.5 grams of fat off of the meal. Asking to hold the mayo for the Chicken McGrill at McDonald's makes also makes the sandwich a lot healthier.

Don't Think All Salads Are Healthy - As a Tustin Personal Trainer, I notice many people make the mistake of thinking that salads at fast food places are always healthy. Sometimes, ordering a salad at a fast food place can just as bad for you as ordering a burger or sandwich. They often contain strips of fried chicken, fried tortilla strips, fatty croutons, and creamy salad dressings, which by themselves can have as many calories and as much saturated fat as a chocolate chip cookie. Make sure you take a look a the nutritional information of salads before you order.

Christopher William McCombs is a well knowpersonal trainer in Tustin. At one time Chris was extremely overweight, but today Chis owns his own fitness business Positively Fit Inc. which services personal training in Tustin and the rest of Orange County. Visit http://www.socalworkout.com/

Obesity is quickly becoming an epidemic with 65% of Americans being overweight. Men and women alike have tried to various diets with some degree of success, only to gain it all back or more. With the increase of our body fat is the increase in health risk from diabetes, high cholesterol, to heart disease.

With obesity on the rise people are taken notice, along with health gurus with new diets or pharmaceutical companies with a new pill to aid in weight loss. Let's not forget all the infomercials with the latest exercise equipment either. None of these are needed. You just need 3 things for natural fast weight loss: change in the food you eat, cardio and exercise.

First of all, this isn't a diet. It is a lifestyle change. As said before, most diets tend to fail because, once you are off of the diet, you think you can go back to how you lived and everything will be ok. Wrong. Unless you change things in your life and maintain it, it will all creep back and the diet was nothing but a waste of time.

So getting started the best thing to do is keep a diary of you daily intake of food. By doing so, you will see everything you eat and how it all adds up. Second, when you shop for food, try to stick to the outside of the grocery. All the processed food is usually contained in the middle of the grocery and along the outside, you'll usually find fruits, vegetables and breads. Of course, you may have to venture in for spices and other things of the like. If you do buy any, be careful of the processed foods you buy. As they are processed, they tend to lose nutritional value.

When keeping a diary, keep track mainly of the calories. It doesn't matter how it is added up, 3500 calories equals one pound added to the body. The more you put in the more you need to burn off. Sure to eat less helps, but eventually the body will take over thinking it is being starved and stores more of your intake as fat to preserve itself. The correct way to do it is to slowly decrease your intake and find ways to burn extra calories throughout the day.

This is where cardio comes in. Yes, most people hate to do it but it is necessary to burn extra calories to lose the excess weight. There are many options here you can choose. Running, bike ride, aerobics or a treadmill just to name a few. If you can find something you like then cardio will be easier for you, but you will need to do something if you want to lose the excess weight.

Lastly is exercise, and no cardio is not exercise. Here you must be careful depending on how you wanna look when you wanna loose the weight. Most men wouldn't mind wanting to add a little more muscle to their frame, but not most women. Adding muscle isn't necessarily a bad thing. Yes, muscle weighs more than fat, but burns more fat by increasing the bodies metabolism rate. For those who don't mind some added muscle, you could always try some kind of weight training program. For those just looking to tone up their body you can go with weights but keep the weight low and your reps high. Or you can try various band or cable exercises.

When keeping weight loss in mind, it isn't always the scale that is your judge. The mirror is a better tale of your weight loss. Losing the weight is one thing but looking good when it is gone is another.

Kathryn Soloff is the mother of 8 children and a natural foods cook for over 30 years. She is co-publisher of http://www.natural-remedy-dot-com.com/ where she provides additional advice, tips and hard to find information on Home Fitness.

Losing weight is a very common goal for most people, and it can also be one of the hardest goals to achieve. Whether you are just trying to tone up or you are trying to redesign your entire lifestyle, a lot of time and effort is required to effectively and permanently lose the weight. So many products on the market today claim to be the new 'cure-all wonder pill,' but most often than not it's the simple things that can help you reach your goals.

BABY STEPS!

Weight loss is hard, and learning new routines is even harder. Most people who start a new diet or exercise regime believe that they will see drastic results in their first week. Then, when they don't see the results they had hoped for they are disappointed and then quit. The most important thing to do when starting a new weight loss plan is to set small, reasonable goals. Don't keep thinking about how many pounds you need to lose to be completely satisfied - instead, focus on losing 1 pound, 5 pounds, 10 pounds, et cetera. Start small and work from there. Also, if you don't reach a goal do not be disgruntled that you didn't lose x amount of weight.

DIETING

Most people cringe at the word 'diet,' and with good reason. Popular culture teaches us to believe that dieting is painful and difficult when it really doesn't have to be. Slowly integrating healthy choices in your diet is the best way to transition into a healthier lifestyle. Most people who drastically change their eating habits in one quick event usually aren't able to stick with it.

Start by purchasing low fat products like 'I Can't Believe It's Not Butter' instead of normal butter, or purchasing low fat salad dressings instead of regular. Some low fat products do take some time to get used to, but when you're finally used to the flavor, it will all seem second nature to you. After that, integrate more fruits and vegetables into your diet. Also, substitution is a great way to cut unnecessary calories and fat. Using olive, grape seed, or flax oil instead of butter when you cook will greatly cut down on fats, and substituting whole grain breads and pastas for white breads and pastas will reduce the amount of processed ingredients you're in-taking and increase the amount of fiber you get.

It is also very important to eat slowly. It takes your body 20 minutes from the time you eat until your stomach tells your brain that you're full; and 20 minutes is certainly enough time to pack in that extra bit of food that you could easily spare. The basic equation for weight loss is this: to lose weight you must intake fewer calories than you're burning each day. When you gain weight you are in-taking more calories than you burn each day. If you eat lean, nutritious meals routinely, you will find the pounds flying off easier than ever!

EXERCISE

You don't need to hit the gym every day to be active and burn calories. Simple every day adjustments are often enough to give you that edge that you need. Walking an extra couple blocks each day or taking the stairs instead of the elevator can help you burn an extra few hundred calories!

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If you want to get back into shape it does not have to be all gym, gym, gym, why don't you lose weight by doing activities you enjoy. Most types of sports evolve some type of physical activity and is a great way to shed some pounds. If you want to lose weight you must burn off more energy than you consume on a day to day basis. This is why doing sports is good for losing some weight as it uses a lot of energy. Tennis, football, rugby, hockey, or any type of sport where you can burn off some energy and work up a sweat is all good for weight loss. It is important to enjoy the sport because if you do not enjoy it you are unlikely to keep doing it. You must do the sport at least 3 -4 times a week for a hour or two per session. It may take a month or so before you start seeing the benefits of it, but if you are enjoying yourself the time will fly by.

Obviously it is important to eat the right foods, doing 2 hours of physical activity then going home and pigging out on bad foods is not going to help you much. Try to set yourself a program each week where you might do 2 hours on a Monday, Wednesday and Friday and have a break on Saturday and Sunday. Try to make time for this and fit it around your lifestyle.

Swimming is another energy burning way to lose weight. Its great as it works all the muscles in your body at the same time, i bet you have never seen an overweight swimmer. However it is not considered the best form of weight loss as it increases your appetite more than other methods. Experts are not sure why but put it down to the cool water people swim in. As their research seems to indicate, by swimming in cold water people consume more calories afterwards than by swimming in natural water.

The bottom line is any type of exercise, be it swimming, walking, sports activities, or any other method where you can burn off some energy is all good for you. As long as you enjoy yourself and feel better about yourself , that is the most important thing.

Ian Bennett operates http://www.megaweightlossplan.com, a blog about weight loss. He loves giving away stuff and right now when you sign up you will get a great Newsletter. and its all FREE!

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You no longer need to go to the gym to get that rock hard body, you need to look no farther then using our own bodyweight as resistance.

Building a rock hard chest is easier than you think and you don't or never did have to spend an hour in the gym; all you need is one simple exercise, the exercise is the pushup.

Despite what most people think- the pushup will not only build a big hard chest but will also strengthen the whole body and this means you will get better results in a shorter period of time.

If you didn't know just the act of holding the pushup position works the chest and the entire body and you don't even have to move, that's how great the pushup is.

If you are training hard in the gym and are not getting the results try the simple pushup for a little change and get the rewards of a hard fit body.

There are more different kinds of pushups then there is bench presses so this means you can work more muscles in a short period of time and the results will be great- and you will never look at the pushup the same way.

The pushup is not going anywhere anytime, an exercise that has been around as long as the pushup it means it works and always has worked that's why we still do it yet most prefer the bench press.

Show me someone who does alot of different pushups and I will show you someone with a strong core; find me someone who benches 300 to 400lbs and I will show you someone with a weak core.

A pushup that has been used for years and has been done by almost all fitness icons is the Atlas pushup and this is a great exercise for building strength and endurance.

What if you were to do the Atlas pushup a little different; Charles Atlas shows himself doing pushups using 2 chairs with his feet on the ground if you do enough of these you know they will build a nice chest.

This is a great exercise but to make this exercise even greater try it with your hands on chairs and your feet on a swiss ball now you will get a strength building workout as well as an unbelievable core workout.

Want to make it even harder put your hands on 2 basketballs and put your feet on a swiss ball and do pushups; if you are weak in any area these types of exercises will show you.

Try different types of pushups and build a big heaving chest using your own bodyweight as your tool.

John Grube is an expert on the subject of bodyweight training He has over 25 years of training experience and is the author of The Wildman Training Program manual , The New Expanded version The Wildman Training Course and The Super Strength Playground Training Manual.For more info http://www.wildmantraining.com

AND SAVE MONEY IN THE PROCESS. The secret is simple and basic. Just three little words --- DON'T BUY IT! If you don't buy it, you won't eat it. If you don't eat it, you won't get fat. So your problem starts at the store or restaurant.

Since your diet starts at the store, were you ever taught how to shop for food? Probably not. The grocery store can destroy your diet and get into your pocketbook . First you need to check the layout of the store, ---where everything is. Leave the produce for last, so it will be as fresh as you can get it.

REMEMBER: 70% of the products are there just to take your money. Notice how many rows they have of soda, cereal, and snacks. Look what they've done to the potato--instant potatoes, mashed potatoes, french fries, tater tots, shoe string, chips, twice baked. Notice the shelves along the aisles. Everything is conveniently displayed close to your reach--a ploy by the store to buy those products. On the lower shelves are products aimed at kids. Look lower or higher, and you will find the same products--for less. If nature didn't make it, you don't need it. Stay away from processed and imitation foods. Try to stay away from canned food (you never know what's in the can). Stick with the fresh & frozen foods.

Check out the PACKAGES carefully. That box or package may not be full. 1 -Solids are measured by weight-- ounces, pounds. . 2 -Liquids are measured by volume-- gallon, quart, pint. 3- Price -5% of the price for the product is for the product it itself. 95% of the price is for; packaging, manufacturing, transportation, middlemen, salaries, insurance, utilities, etc. Let's say a gallon of milk cost $2.00. The milk is 10 cents, the rest is $1.90.

According to the FDA, LABELS must be specific and truthful. If the label says "Kraft Pasteurized Processed Cheese Food," it is not cheese. If it says "Breakfast Orange Drink"--it is not juice. Check out the nutritional values, particularly fat---stay away from saturated fat. INGREDIENTS must be listed in dominance order. If sugar or water is listed first, it is mostly sugar or water. The last ingredient is least significant. Anything after salt is of little use. Do you know what those ingredients are? Can you pronounce them? And you want to feed this to your family?

COUPONS are a gimmick to get you to buy something you don't need in the first place. Save 50 cents on chips, when you can save $3 if you didn't buy it. Do you ever find coupons for REAL food? Marketers know you need the basics. Nature didn't make snickers, it made nuts. Nature didn't make chips, it made potatoes. Nature didn't make soda pop, it made water and juice. Nature didn't make wieners, it made fish. Nature didn't make Snickers, it made raisins. Nature didn't make fritoes, it made corn. Our society is food oriented. On every corner there is a restaurant, fast food, and everything in between. You are bombarded with ads from the media. Your body knows what it needs. It knows when to stop eating apples, not candy. Once you start eating Mother Nature's diet you can lose weight, and feel much better about yourself Listen to your body.

Add exercise to your lifestyle, and you can add years to your life. Do something every day, even if its walking, climbing stairs, playing with the kids. A good exercise program should include aerobics (running, swimming, jump rope, fast dancing), endurance (working with weights), and flexibility ( calisthenics, yoga). Your body was meant to be used, not abused. You deserve it.

About The Author

Kathy Thompson, Writer, Speaker, Coach with 25 years of researching health and fitness. "The Secret to Permanent Weight Loss" Program is now available to help you live a happier, healthier, and longer life. http://www.words4-u.com/newu.html

To Contact Kathy: healthyu@words4-u.com

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is an umbrella term covering disorders of the heart and blood vessels. It includes coronary artery disease, atherosclerosis, and hypertension (high blood pressure). Overweight, lack of exercise, stress, and a high-fat diet are major contributing factors to all CVD.

Coronary artery disease: In order to supply the rest of the body with blood, the heart muscle needs oxygenated blood itself. It gets it from the coronary arteries located on the outside wall of the heart. When one or more of these arteries are narrowed, blood flow is restricted or may be halted altogether. The result is coronary artery disease, the major underlying cause of heart attack.

One sign that the heart muscle is not getting enough oxygen are the chest pains of angina. This type of chest pain usually occurs during activity and is relieved by rest.

Atherosclerosis: This is a condition in which fatty deposits build up on the inside of arterial walls. As the arteries narrow, they cannot carry sufficient blood to the tissues. To compensate, the heart pumps harder, blood pressure increases, and many parts of the body are damaged as a result. Everything from poor circulation in the limbs to heart attack and stroke can be blamed on atherosclerosis.

Some people are more prone to atherosclerosis than others, but there is no question that a highfat diet is a major contributor. People who are overweight, lead a sedentary lifestyle, and have high cholesterol levels are at much increased risk for developing atherosclerosis.

High blood pressure: Also called hypertension, high blood pressure is a condition in which the pressure exerted by blood as it is pumped through the arteries is consistently higher than normal. Normally, blood pressure at rest should not be greater than 120/80. Blood pressure is considered high if it is repeatedly and persistently higher than 140/90.

High blood pressure can damage the arteries, heart, and other organs, including the kidneys and the eyes. It increases the risk for heart attack, coronary artery disease, a stroke, kidney failure, and loss of sight due to damage to the retina. Hypertension is more common in men than women, and the incidence increases with age.

Being overweight is one of the most important risk factors for high blood pressure. People who are 20 percent overweight are eight times more likely to have high blood pressure than people of normal weight.

When your blood pressure is taken, the compression cuff on your arm causes a column of mercury to rise in a metered column. Two measurements are taken: the systolic reading is blood pressure at its highest, when the heart muscle contracts; the diastolic reading is blood pressure at its low point, when the heart muscle relaxes. In a blood pressure reading of 120/80, for example, the higher number (120) is systolic, the lower (80) is diastolic. Cardiovascular disease

Read more on How to lose weight. Check out for daily diet plans and diet supplements.

One of my favorite success quotes talks about having a single, overriding objective and making everything else in life bend towards helping you to attain that objective.

Well I've got a challenge for you.

I am literally daring you to make your weight loss goals the single, overriding objective to which you will make other things bend this month.

Am I asking you to put your weight loss absolutely first? Before Family? Before Work?

Certainly not!

Of course there will always be things in your life that will be more important to you than this.

However, I do believe that the list of things more important than your own weight loss and fitness is a short one. I also believe that even many things that are more important can be modified to help accommodate this part of your life.

There's also a point to be made that without your health, nothing else matters anyway.

I mean think about it. Obesity is either a root cause or an aid in almost every major deadly disease and condition. I think that calls for your fitness and weight loss program to be just a bit of a top priority.

Wouldn't you agree?

I thought so.

Now if you haven't been prioritizing your program I don't want you to go beating up on yourself. That's not what this is about.

Instead of dwelling on what you may not have done, put in some extra effort this month to find ways to make SURE that you are making the time and resources available to yourself that you need to stay in shape.

1. Schedule Your Exercising, Keeping it Simple and Easy

   This sounds oh, so simple. But you wouldn't believe how many people I talk to who "try" to get a workout in "if they can get around to it", and never do.

   Look, the reality is that most busy people these days will not be able to get to the gym or even be able to workout at home every day. And the good news is that you don't have to.

   Get out your planner and really take a hard look at your schedule. If nothing else, you will need to find 3 to 5 days in a week that you can set aside at least 30 minutes for some cardio. Of course you will get better results with 5 days, but it is more important that you are doing something than doing a lot.

   Try to plan activities that are easily accessible and even fun if you can. A cardio funk class at a gym that's near by. Jogging while you walk the dog around the neighborhood. Sticking your favorite cardio DVD into the player and "working it out".

   Do whatever is easy, simple, and hopefully fun. You want to set yourself up for success, so don't try and complicate the issue.

2. Plan Your Grocery Shopping for Weight Loss

   Create a "master list" of all of the healthy foods that you'll need to get through the week eating healthy. Go and get them all at once and them stock them at home.

   This way, you will always have healthy food options that will help you in your weight loss goals.

   You also won't be caught off guard with the "munchies" and nothing to snack on in the house but your children's (or significant other's!) junk food. You can also plan to take certain snacks to work with you that can help you stay away from the temptations of doughnut-and-pizza-peddling co-workers.

3. Take Advantage of Weekend Time

   The fact of the matter is that for most people, the weekend is the only time when they have complete control over what they do during the day. Why not take advantage of this time to make sure you get in a little jog or some aerobics or even biking in the morning or afternoon when you are having some down time?

   Look at it this way: you'll be knocking out 2 days of workouts before the week even begins. Then, based on your personal program, you will only have to worry about doing it again 1,2, or 3 days.

   This will go a long way to take some pressure off of you so that you won't feel like you failed just because you got busy for a day or two and truly just could not get around to doing anything for your body.

   Using this tactics will go along way in making sure that you are able to stick with your program and not quit---even during times when your schedule is hectic and keeping up is rough.

4. One Day at a Time

   Most people won't tell you this, but having the discipline to stay in shape---especially in the eating department---is something that usually is gradual and takes some time.

   And I know this from personal experience.

   It actually took me a year or two before I could really stick to a diet and exercise plan without fouling it all up. And to be honest, it is still a challenge even for me.

   Therefore, there is absolutely no reason why should feel defeated if you mess up on any given day. Just get back on the horse and commit to yourself that you'll get it the right the next; and then the next; and then the next. And when you slip up again. Get over it quickly and do better the next day.

I know this all sounds pretty simplistic. That's because it really is simple.

What makes it so challenging is that ugly four-syllabal word called C-O-N-S-I-S-T-E-N-C-Y. Its what separate people who achieve from those who don't in virtually any endeavor.

But the bottom line of it all is that if the days that you do the right things far out way the days you do the wrong things, you will be truly successful in the end.

And yes, it really is that simple.

To YourBestBody,

Lawrence Cole
Your Lifestyle and Fitness Coach

Read this Weight Loss Article at YourBestBodyNOW.com.

Lawrence Cole is a Lifestyle and Fitness Consultant based out of Los Angeles, CA. He has over 10 years of health and fitness experience and designing simple, effective nutritional strategies to help individuals achieve their personal best internal health and physical conditioning.