More Activity = Less Body Fat

From a Reuters story comes some great news for the girls of America (of which I used to be one), and further incentive to be physically active.

"An additional 11 minutes of brisk walking or similar activity as girls age from the sixth to eighth grade appears to attenuate increased body fat," lead author Dr. June Stevens told Reuters Health. "This provides strong evidence that active girls are healthier."

I know it can be hard to keep the physical activity up with all the distractions of modern life, but this evidence is very compelling. I know I spent hundreds of hours on the phone talking about boys and drill team, so I am aware of how time can slip by. Thankfully I had an outlet for physical activity that I really enjoyed (and included cool costumes and tons of make-up). So to all the youngsters out there I say find something you like and spend an extra few minutes a day at it, your body will thank you.

Fighting Not to be a Fall Fatty - Say That Three Times in a Row!

So yeah, summer’s almost over and that means goodbye to bathing suits and hello to thick winter jackets. Even those that despise the winter weather are likely to be free from the scantily clad days of summer. I know I sure am.

Every year around this time I notice my jeans getting a little tighter and my face looking a little fuller. I use the Fall season to enjoy all of the foods I wouldn’t dare consume during the summer – cream-based soups, tons of chocolate, steak – you get the point.

This Fall I’m determined to maintain a sleek figure and not go on an all-out food binge. Plus, my 25th birthday is coming up in October and I want to look good. Here are some very sensible tips I found. I’m going to try and incorporate them into my daily routine. For those of you also looking to maintain your figure, I hope these tips help you as well.


Make sure you eat a good breakfast. It keeps your energy levels stable and keeps your metabolism high.

Fill your plate with veggies and eat them first. If you split your plate into 4 sections two of them, or half the plate, should be veggies. That leaves 1/4 for a meat item and 1/4 for a starch.

Remove liquids with calories from your diet plan. This includes soda's and juices. Switching from regular soda to diet soda saves you 150 calories from a 12 ounce can. That's 54,750 calories a year or almost 16 pounds.

Switch from whole milk to 1 percent or skim milk.

Drink at least 64 ounces of water a day.

If you're feeling hungry have a glass of water first. Often we think we are hungry when in reality we are thirsty. Even if it is true hunger the water will fill you up a little and you'll be less likely to overeat.

Have a healthy snack at 3PM when your energy is low. Vegetables with low-calorie dip, rice cakes and sugar-free jam, low fat yogurt or a small handful of almonds are all good choices.

Keep your portions reasonable. Portions should be the size of your fist or the size of a deck of cards. Stay away from "supersize" portions

Eat at a slower pace. It can take 15 minutes for our brains to register that we are full so if you're eating fast you're probably eating too much.

Eat more soup. They are filling and good for you. Stick with the non-cream soups that are low in calories and often high in fiber.

Eat every 3 hours to keep your metabolism high, hunger at bay and your blood sugar levels stable.

Use low calories condiments like mustard instead of fatty ones like mayonnaise.

Keep a food journal, especially if you're just starting to diet. There are lots of them available online. CaloriesCount.com has a great food diary.

If you're eating out get a doggie bag and put half your meal into it for later or even better for someone else. A typical meal out will have 1000+ calories, not including bread, appetizers, drinks etc.

When eating out skip the dessert. If you simply have to have that triple fudge chocolate layer cake share it with someone.

Treat yourself once a week. Even the strongest of us have weak moments. If you know that you'll get a break once a week it's much easier to stick with your diet for the other 6 days.

Exercise regularly. Even if you just walk 20-30 minutes a day the benefits are amazing. You'll lose not just from the calories you burn during exercise, but also from the boost in metabolism.

Find an exercise partner. It helps to know that someone is counting on you to show up at the gym. And it makes it more like an appointment and thus harder to skip out on.

Limit the amount of alcohol you drink. Try to drink only on weekends and limit yourself to one or two glasses.