Have You Given Up on Weight Loss?

Have You Given Up on Weight Loss?

by Greg Landry, M.S

I receive several email messages every day

from people who have given up on weight loss.

They are at wits end and they don't know

what to do. They've "tried it all" and they

believe it's impossible for them to lose

weight.

Many of them have lost weight and gained it

all back, and more. Some of them have struggled

with losing weight all their lives and have

never been successful with it. One lady from

Alabama wrote to me last spring, "I have been

trying to lose about sixty pounds for over 23

years. I quit! I'm resolved to the fact that

I will be fat for the rest of my life"

How saddening that comment is. but I'm happy

to tell you this lady, with a little

guidance, is now 65 pounds lighter than she

was one year ago.. and she has some muscle

tone. Needless to say, she no longer believes

that she'll be fat for the rest of her life.

I tell you this simply to illustrate the fact

that you don't have to give up on weight loss.

YOU can lose weight, but you have to be

willing to do what it takes.. and here's what

it takes!

If we look at people who have been successful

at weight loss *and* maintaining that loss,

a couple of things are very apparent. These two

factors are present in the lives of most of

them..

1. They do some form of aerobic exercise 5 to

7 days per week. These people aren't

exercise wimps! They know how critically

important this is to their weight loss/

maintenance and they get out and do it!

They average 45 minutes per day with the

range being 30 to 90 minutes per day.

This not only burns lots of calories,

but, perhaps more importantly, it elevates

their basal metabolic rate.

2. They do some type of weight training 2 to

3 days per week. This has a tremendous

affect on basal metabolic rate and

muscle tone. Success at maintaining a

weight loss is much higher in people

who have weight trained while they were

losing weight versus those who haven't.

Now, obviously, healthy eating habits are also

very important. However, most of these people

say that their exercise habits seem to dictate

their eating habits.. meaning that if they

can be consistent with exercise, their eating

habits seem to fall into place.

I've had many clients tell me that their daily

exercise puts them in a "healthy" frame of

mind and helps them to make better food choices.

Bottom line; when they are exercising

consistently, their eating habits are better.

I firmly believe that a major factor in most

peoples frustration with weight loss is that

they haven't been told the truth about

exercise. You see, twenty minutes, three days

per week isn't going to cut it for weight

loss. If you're serious about weight loss,

then you have to get serious about exercise.

-It's all about changing your basal metabolism

through exercise.

-It's about looking at exercise as a part of your

daily routine, just like brushing your teeth.

-It's about viewing exercise as something you're

doing to get healthy and feel great!

"If you *vigorously* pursue fitness and health,

weight loss will happen"(tm)

copyright 2004 by Greg Landry, M.S.

Author and exercise physiologist, Greg Landry,

offers free weight loss and fitness success stories

and targeted, highly affective weight loss programs

for women, men, type 2 diabetics, and people with

slow metabolisms and hypothyroidism..

http://www.Landry.com

Stressed Out? It May Be Your Job

"I'm stressed out."

If you find yourself thinking--or saying--this on a regular basis, you might have a real problem on your hands. Job and career related stress has been on the rise in recent years, as occupations become more complex, and workers are taking on more and more responsibility. In fact, workplace stress is now considered an occupational illness. Many employees undergo stress as a normal part of their jobs, but some experience it more severely than others, to the point that they need time away from work.

According to a survey by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, extreme occupational stress is classified as a "neurotic reaction to stress." The survey found that thousands of such cases are reported every year. The median absence from work for these cases was 23 days, more than four times the level of all nonfatal occupational injuries and illnesses. And more than two-fifths of the cases resulted in 31 or more lost workdays, compared to one-fifth for all injury and illness cases.

Not surprisingly, the level of workplace stress seems to be tied directly to the worker's occupation. In fact, just four industries accounted for the bulk of occupational stress cases: Services (35 percent), manufacturing (21 percent), retail trade (14 percent), and finance, insurance, and real estate (12 percent).

In general, white-collar occupations had a higher proportion of stress cases than both blue-collar and service occupations combined. Managerial and professional occupations, with 16 percent of the cases, and technical, sales, and administrative support occupations with 48 percent, the highest proportions of occupational stress cases.

If you're stressed out, you need to look at ways to reduce that stress before it has a negative effect on your health. High levels of stress, over time, can lead to sleeping disorders, high blood pressure, and other physical problems. If you think your work environment is too stressful, bring the subject up with your boss or supervisor. See if there isn't some way of reducing your workload, or taking away a few responsibilities so that you don't feel overwhelmed on the job. If you feel yourself getting stressed out at work, try relaxing and breathing slowly and deeply for a few minutes and see if this doesn't calm you down.

Away from work, exercise is a great stress reducer. For many people, a brisk walk in the evening is enough to unwind them after a tough day on the job. I've found that yoga works wonders for me after a tense work day. After a half an hour doing yoga poses and breathing exercises, I feel refreshed, and I sleep much better at night. Other people relax by playing sports, or socializing with friends, or playing with their kids.

No matter how you relieve stress, just do it. You'll feel a lot better, both physically and mentally. And if you can't find a way to manage your stress levels at work, you might need to think about finding another job.

Kent Johnson - author, publisher, career coach. "Helping people realize their dreams one career at a time." Your Dream Career.com - your source for career tips and info ==> http://your-dream-career.com

Guide to Getting Linked

Getting links from other websites pointing to your site can sometimes seem very hard and time consuming. There are several ways to get people interested in your site, you've just got to be creative with it and think more in terms of putting yourself in the other webmaster's shoes- figure out what the advantages are for them to be linked to you!

One thing that you often hear is that to attain a high Page Rank thru Google, (which, let's face it, is the Big Daddy of Search Engines) that you have to link to other high PR sites. This is not necessarily true. No one is 100% on the relevance of PR rank affecting a link exchange. Link to as many non-link farm sites that are similar to your site as you possibly can, because the more inbound links pointing to your site that you have, the more search engines will look at your site as an important site in the business or opportunity that you are promoting or selling. So don't look down on sites that have low a low PR, everyone at one point or another has a zero PR, doesn't mean that they don't get traffic, you just never know. Just because someone has a low PR doesn't mean that they don't get monster traffic to their site, whether it's through pay-per-click advertising, or other means, so no one should turn their nose up at anyone who doesn't have a great PR.

If you are a new webmaster and have just started a new website, sell the fact that you're new, and that you're going to be focusing on putting quality CONTENT on your site. Because, A Number 1 as far as Google is concerned is to have relevant content on your site relating to your business or opportunities. Making a business grow and succeed is based solely on the ability of a webmaster to make his/or her site relevant to search engine spiders, whom look every day for great content.

Another idea is to promote what you are advertising to a webmaster, showing that the product/or opportunity is viable and is something that makes your website worth linking to. Either by having testimonials, or by having them sign up as an affiliate to see results for themselves, showing how much you believe in your opportunity might show a webmaster that you are committed to making your site everything it can possibly be, and thus, possibly giving their website more exposure.

Even with the hassles that go along with linking to other sites it really is a great way to show that your site does have importance. Being partners through links with others in your online business makes for long lasting business relationships, and support for others that are getting started. There's room for everyone to succeed online, and helping others along the way is as important to the growth of online business as anything else. Here's to your success!!

Erich Winnecke, Jr. is a webmaster who authors articles and his website is geared for people who are interested in finding an online work at home opportunity or starting a low cost or free Home Based Business, if you have any questions visit his website at: http://www.business4me.net

Important Facts For Home Buyers

If you are considering buying a home or have spent many years saving in preparation of buying a home, the questions and process involved in buying a home can be extremely stressful. As exciting as it is to begin looking for your new home, there are many unexpected costs and details to be considered before contacting a real estate agent. Home buyers should be aware of every aspect involved in purchasing a home before they take that big step towards home ownership.

You will want to get the most value possible for your money. You should be aware of every detail in regard to the home you wish to purchase. Home inspections can reveal many hidden flaws and problems that could cost you thousands of dollars in repairs. Be aware of your right to a home inspection and contact a professional, licensed home inspector.

Compare the mortgage terms and interest rates offered by various mortgage lenders. Even a slight difference in your interest rate can add up to thousands of dollars over the length of your mortgage. A pre-approval from the lender of your choice will not only give you added confidence when shopping for a new home, but could give you added leverage when bargaining with the seller. A pre-approval will let you know the exact amount you are approved for and will save you time after your offer has been accepted by the seller.

Using a buyer agent is an excellent way to help protect your interests when shopping for a home. A buyer agent will be responsible for helping you get the best deal possible on your new home. While shopping for a home, be aware that certain features can adversely affect the resale value of the home. Detached garages and swimming pools can actually lessen the value of the property. Protect your investment by educating yourself on the home buying process and the way property is appraised.

You can make the home buying process fast and painless if you take some precautions along the way. Choose your lender carefully. Interest rates and closing costs vary from lender to lender and the difference could mean thousands of dollars over time. There are numerous flexible loan programs available. Finding the loan that will best suit your long term needs will be of great value to you when it is time to sell the home. Just a half point difference in your interest rate will translate into a lot of money over the years.

Keep in mind that there are additional costs involved in purchasing a home. Homeowners association fees, furniture, annual heating and cooling costs, and homeowners insurance need to be considered when planning to purchase a new home. Buying a new home does not have to be stressful and frustrating. Make sure you know the facts and your home buying experience will be quick and painless.

Cedrick Reese is the webmaster of http://www.eclectic-info.com, Start an easy Home-Based Business through Affiliate Marketing and Adsense. Other sites include http://www.Your-RealEstateCourses.com and http://www.PremeirHosting.com

Correcting Cats Bad Behaviour: How To Discipline Your Cat; Youll Be Happy; Your Cat Will Be Too!

At some time or another even the sweetest cat "misbehaves." Ironically, a cat's bad act is usually quite normal behavior for her, but may have a result humans don't like or want. Screaming at the cat or physically punishing her won't alter negative behavior. The best way to change undesirable behavior is to eliminate the opportunity and/or distract the cat to an acceptable alternative.

Immediacy is vital: even seconds late may be ineffective. You must do it as soon as the cat starts misbehaving.

Distracting a cat away from an act is not very difficult. A loud, unfamiliar noise will quickly get her attention. Some cat owners use a low growling sound, others imitate the grating sound of a game show buzzer. Keeping the sound low-toned and harsh is important, because you want to save high-pitched sounds for praise and reinforcement of positive behaviors.

One well-known way to distract a misbehaving cat is to give her a blast with a spray bottle. While this works, it has some drawbacks. First, you must have the bottle in your hand at the exact moment the cat is about to act in a way you want to discourage. Unless you follow your cat around all day with a spray bottle in your hand, this is unlikely to happen. The second problem is that this technique seems to lose effectiveness after a while with some cats.

The best way to extinguish negative behaviors is to remove the opportunity. If your cat obsessively scratches the side of your couch, place a loose blanket or hard acrylic panel against it. Both techniques remove her access to the satisfying feel of the fabric. If she climbs your curtains, shredding them as she goes, fold or pin them out of her reach unless you are around to stop her. If she has accidents only when you are not home, only give her free run of the house when you are there. When you go out, close her in a room with food, water, litter box, scratching post and a couple of toys.

Avoid, at all times, any form of physical punishment. It doesn't matter if your vet or the "cat expert" down the street suggests it; physically punishing your cat will do more harm than good. Some people feel that a "little" tap on the cat's nose with your finger is an acceptable form of punishment because you are only using one finger. Humane group experts point out, however, that if you look at that finger in proportion to a cat's nose - a very sensitive body part - it would be like someone hitting you on the nose with a rolling pin.

You can try gently pushing the palm of your hand into the face of the cat. This is best used when discouraging something like biting. Don't hit the cat, simply push its face back gently.

Inflicting pain has a negative affect on your relationship with your cat. Even the most outgoing cat will back away from your hands, even if they are only reaching out to pet her. If your cat is shy to begin with, physical punishment can have even more deeply negative results.

Keep in mind, too, what you are communicating when you swat your cat. Swatting is one of the main ways cats fight with one another. When you swing your hand at your cat, she very well may take it as a challenge to fight. Constantly provoking her can create a serious aggression problem.

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Trackdays - Get the Maximum Enjoyment from Your Time on the Track

Many motorcyclists want to take their bikes onto the track and trackdays are the ideal environment. If you have never been on a track before the experience can feel daunting so here are a number of tips to help make your trackday enjoyable. Use a van or a trailer to get your bike to the track

This has a number of advantages. If the worst happens and the bike gets damaged you can get it home without waiting for a recovery service. You can prepare the bike the night before by removing anything that can be damaged in a spill. Removal is far better than taping something up. If cost is an issue hire a van with a friend or two. One advantage that is often overlooked is what happens after a trackday. You've been out on the track for 8 sessions, you're tired (trust me, you will be!!), your leathers are soaked with sweat, your tyres are way past their best, you have to ride home and your perception of speed is screwed up. It's a recipe for disaster. With a van or trailer you can get changed into fresh clothes load the bike up and unwind with some good sounds. If it's a hot track day you can change out of your leathers between sessions.

Food

Don't eat junk food and drink Coke or other fizzy drinks: the sugar levels dull your concentration. If you don't believe me have a look at the first session after lunch at your next trackday. Drink bottled water and eat fruit or pasta.

The 3 Sessions to be aware of!!

There are 3 sessions you have to take extra care in. I would advise you to run at 75% in these sessions for various reasons:

1. The first session of the day

You are new to the track. Even if you have been around it before and it's dry, the grip levels will be different from last time and heavy rain might have washed some of the rubber deposits away. The track will be colder than before and other riders may not have ridden the track before. If you have done any work on your bike you will surely discover that you failed to tighten a caliper bolt in the first few laps.

2. The first session after lunch

Tyres have cooled, concentration levels are lower. Use this session to get back into the groove and gradually build your speed up again.

3. The last session of the day

Simple bit of advice here, don't go out in the last session: confidence is up and will invariably exceed ability, tiredness will start to play a part and tyres wil be nearing the end of their life. It's just not worth it. Pack up when you are ahead.

Find someone slightly faster than you

Once you have settled into a rhythm, know the track and are confident with your bike's handling and braking, find someone who is about 5-10 % quicker than you. Follow their lines, use their braking points and soon you will find that extra bit of speed.

Pick your group wisely

Fast Group: lots of fast road riders and racers, this is probably the safest group of the lot as fast riders know what they are doing. If you aren't sure whether you should go intermediate or fast, pick the fast group: you can always ask to go down a group later.

Intermediate Group: Try to avoid this group like the plague, its got fast guys who don't like to finish mid pack, slow guys who don't want to go in the slow group. The broad spread of riders is a recipe for disaster.

Slow Group: this is the ideal group for Novices and people who want to build their confidence. You won't be the slowest rider here, you are not expected to ride like a GP god and apart form a few intermediate riders who like to lap people and so choose this group you will be given lots of room. Once you have lapped 3/4 of the field and are confident of your ability then its time to move up. Take some lap time of riders in the other groups from the front, middle and back of the group, compare them with your lap times and if you can make it in the fast group, do it!

Mark Thompson has spent the past 20 years racing motorcycles and managing race teams and riders. He now runs the Trackbikes website.

Determining Visitor Types

The trade show floor is full of different types of people with different agendas. Some people have specific goals for attending the show; others do not. As an exhibitor your observation and questioning skills will be your key to determining who may be a viable sales prospect. Familiarize yourself with the various visitor types likely to frequent the tradeshow floor.

1. Definites. If you have done a thorough job of preshow marketing, definite prospects and customers will visit your booth. 2. Demonstration Junkies. Watch out for passers-by who are attracted to your booth by a demonstration or other activity. These could be valuable prospects or time wasters. Ask a few short, open-ended questions to find out. 3. Curiosity Cats. These types could be curious about anything ? what exactly your company does, a graphic, who designed your booth, and so on. Do not spend too much time with someone who is just interested in the design and construction of your booth or intricate details about your graphics. 4. Paper Lovers. Some people love to collect literature or just take any piece of paper no matter what it is. Are they attending the show to research the market for a boss? If so, they may be an influencer worth pursuing. 5. Eyeballers. These types are usually extremely friendly; they smile and their whole body language says, "please talk to me." Questioning will determine whether or not they are prospects worth pursuing. 6. Jeopardy Gigolos. Winning contests is their passion. They are always ready, willing and able to drop a business card into a fishbowl for any kind of drawing. Contests that require more than just a business card to enter will help deter these types from finding their way onto your follow-up lists. 7. Keepsakers. Any kind of giveaway attracts these types. They may even want more than one for family, friends and colleagues. Keen questioning will ascertain if this visitor has potential. 8. The Disinterested. Some people in the crowd will simply not be interested in what your organization has to offer. They often let you know in no uncertain terms through their body language; for example, walking by purposely avoiding eye contact or chatting with a colleague. Waylaying these types will only upset them. 9. Hawks. These people attend shows for the sole purpose of selling you their products or services. Publication advertising representatives are a prime example. They are unlikely to be prospects, but you never know. If floor traffic is slow, it may be worth asking a few questions, if only to find out who they could refer you to. 10. Job Seekers. Trade shows are an excellent place to network and look for organizations who may have present or future job openings. As with Hawks, you may want to spend time with them during slow, unproductive periods. 11. Nonentities. These types could be underlings in their organization sent to do some specific research. Never underestimate them. They may be extremely strong influencers. In addition, they probably know whom in their organization you need to contact. Time spent with them could be invaluable. 12. Snoops. Beware of the competition! These types often give themselves away by knowing too much or asking precise questions. Make sure that you do more questioning than talking so that you lessen the chances of giving away valuable information.

Written by Susan A. Friedmann,CSP, The Tradeshow Coach, Lake Placid, NY, author: "Meeting & Event Planning for Dummies," working with companies to improve their meeting and event success through coaching, consulting and training. Go to http://www.thetradeshowcoach.com to sign up for a free copy of ExhibitSmart Tips of the Week.