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Break Up Your Hour-Long Workout Fancy a break during your daily workout? It may do your weight-loss efforts some good: Doing two 30-minute workouts with a 20-minute rest break between them burns more fat than exercising for 60 minutes straight, according to research published in the Journal of Applied Physiology. Related Reading: How to Exercise for Weight Loss Break Up Your Hour-Long Workout originally appeared on About.com Weight Loss on Monday, September 6th, 2010 at 23:55:10.Permalink | Comment | Email this Go On, Treat Yourself! Going cold turkey on your favorite foods may not be the ideal way to squelch cravings. According to research, a little bit of something you're craving can go a long way in preventing you from overindulging: Jennifer Temple, PhD, of the University of Buffalo found eating a controlled (around 200-calorie) portion of a favorite food daily significantly decreases your cravings for it. If you indulge (just a little, that is!), you'll feel less deprived and thereby be less likely to overeat. Related Reading: 5 Easy Ways to Prevent OvereatingGo On, Treat Yourself! originally appeared on About.com Weight Loss on Sunday, September 5th, 2010 at 23:30:14.Permalink | Comment | Email this "Click This!": Walking Wisdom from Wendy The weather is so nice this time of year, you might assume it's the right time to take your walk outside. But, if you stop to consider a few factors such as speed and safety, treadmill walking may seem like the best choice no matter how bright the day or how many birds are singing. So, how do you make the choice between outdoors or indoors walking? This article from About.com walking Guide Wendy can help you make the right decision."Click This!": Walking Wisdom from Wendy originally appeared on About.com Weight Loss on Saturday, September 4th, 2010 at 21:13:25.Permalink | Comment | Email this Saturday "Smart Swap!": Lunch Lighteners Looking to cut some calories from your usual lunch time staples? These simple changes can save you about 100 calories each! Order a veggie burger instead of a regular burger or a veggie dog instead of a hot dog. At McDonald's, order a hamburger Happy Meal instead of a Big Mac and fries. Top your baked potato with salsa instead of butter and sour cream. More: Cut Lunch Calories with Simple Switches Saturday "Smart Swap!": Lunch Lighteners originally appeared on About.com Weight Loss on Saturday, September 4th, 2010 at 21:09:19.Permalink | Comment | Email this Cup of Joe = Calories Cut? Your morning cup of coffee can do more than get you awake and raring to go: The caffeine in two cups of coffee boosts your metabolism for an hour and a half (or more!) according to research at Skidmore College. But to get this java jolt, you better take it black -- adding cream or sugar lessens the metabolism-boosing effect, according to researcher Paul J. Arciero.Cup of Joe = Calories Cut? originally appeared on About.com Weight Loss on Friday, September 3rd, 2010 at 21:01:21.Permalink | Comment | Email this Master the Menu A little knowledge on menu lingo can go a long way in helping you diet while dining out. Look for buzz words that indicate extra calories, such as creamed, fried, crispy, pan-fried, stuffed, sauteed, scalloped, Alfredo, tempura, battered, batter-dipped, breaded, au gratin, phyllo-wrapped, in puff pastry or en croute. Same goes for bearnaise, bechamel, beurre blanc and creme fraiche. You'll know what not to eat once you've learned these, but what about the good stuff? Choose loin, round, flank, and other lower-fat cuts of meat. Skinless poultry, fish and seafood are also good choices. Choose broiled, grilled, baked, boiled, poached, roasted and steamed. Related: Eating Out Quick TipsMaster the Menu originally appeared on About.com Weight Loss on Sunday, August 29th, 2010 at 21:25:09.Permalink | Comment | Email this Saturday "Smart Swap:!": Sandwich Savings Sandwiches make lunch time breaks simple and fast. What could be easier than ordering up your favorite at the nearest sandwich or sub shop? Making a simple swap that can save a meal's worth of calories, that's what! Switch from Panera Bread's Sierra Turkey at 840 calories to a Subway 6-inch turkey sub with provolone at 330 calories to save 510 calories. In fact, ordering healthy choices at the sub shop isn't all that difficult: Choose any six-inch sub, small round sub, or split half of a foot-long sub on whole-wheat or oat-bran bread. Choose turkey or ham as your protein and add all the veggies you like. (The more the better!) If you must have cheese be sure to request only one slice. (Doing without saves 50-100 calories per slice.) Ask for a "light" amount of oil and vinegar or use regular or spicy mustard as condiments. Do you have favorite ways to cut calories in sub or sandwich shops? Post it in comments!Saturday "Smart Swap:!": Sandwich Savings originally appeared on About.com Weight Loss on Saturday, August 28th, 2010 at 23:12:01.Permalink | Comment | Email this "Spotlight on Success": August In this month's "Spotlight on Success" we meet a woman named Becky who lost an amazing 95 pounds in seven months. Losing weight has been a major change in her life, as she shared here: My life has completely changed! I went from being winded when I walked up the stairs, to being mad if I couldn't make time in my day to get to the gym (I love working out!). If you're on the fence about losing weight, here's some inspiration: You just can't even imagine how amazing your life could be! You could be active and fit and healthy -- if you only took that first step, you'd get a taste of how good healthy feels. As part of our user success stories, Becky shares more of her story, divulges her top tips and provides more sage advice: "You'll find [losing weight] is hard work you can look forward to." Congrats, Becky, and thanks for sharing your story! Want to share your story? Just fill out this form!"Spotlight on Success": August originally appeared on About.com Weight Loss on Tuesday, August 24th, 2010 at 23:56:01.Permalink | Comment | Email this How I Busted a Common Weight-Loss Excuse In the 15 or so years that I have been struggling with my weight issues, one of the most difficult things I have had to deal with is learning how to distinguish between true physical hunger and emotional hunger. One of my most common excuses for not losing weight was claiming that I was always hungry every time I tried to diet, no matter what I ate or how often I ate. It was only later that I learned that women in particular often eat to assuage (or distract themselves from) uncomfortable emotions, such as anger. When I would feel angry after something happened that I didn't get a chance to react to appropriately -- say, I felt passed over at work -- I would reach for food. And we're not talking carrot sticks. It was usually something sweet or high-fat, or preferably, a combination of the two (donuts, anyone?). Once I started addressing some of my emotional issues such as learning to be more assertive, and gaining a sense of control over my own life, I began tapering off on eating in response to my feelings and I found other ways to cope. Feeling more in control over how I reacted to things that happened in my life was truly the key to fighting emotional eating for me. Of course, learning to eat better helped, too. When I eat balanced meals including healthy carbs, protein and some fat and drink plenty of water, I tend to not get overly-hungry. This not only prevents overeating, but it actually stops me from reaching for food when I need to stop and think, "Has my old emotional eating habit returned? Am I eating because I am sad, angry (fill in the appropriate emotion)?" and often, if I am experiencing pesky little urges to eat something, it's feelings that are to blame. What has been your biggest weight-loss excuse? Have you found a helpful way to cope? Help others who are dealing with the same issue: Visit our User Answers page to express yourself! Related Reading: Weight Loss Excuses ... Busted! How did You Bust Your Big Excuse? Bust Your Exercise ExcusesHow I Busted a Common Weight-Loss Excuse originally appeared on About.com Weight Loss on Sunday, August 22nd, 2010 at 23:47:45.Permalink | Comment | Email this Saturday "Smart Swap!": Wendy's "Smart Swaps!" are simple ways for you to make switches among the foods you already enjoy -- and at restaurants you already visit -- to cut major calories. Today's swap takes us to Wendy's: The Frescata sandwiches at Wendy's just "sound" healthy, don't they? But, a quick look at how the Roasted Turkey & Swiss Frescata meal's calorie count adds up and you'll be thinking twice: The sandwich, medium fries and a medium regular soda totes up to 1,100 calories, which could easily amount to half if not two-thirds of one person's daily calorie needs. Make a few simple subs by enjoying a different meal, and you'll cut your calorie intake in half: Simply choose an Ultimate Grill Chicken Sandiwch, which just happens to be the healthiest sandwich available on the Wendy's menu, instead and you've already reduced some serious calorie-spending. Swap those fries for a side salad with reduced fat ranch dressing and sip an iced tea instead of a soda. The calorie count? Just 540 calories for your entire meal! Now, that's a great calorie-budgeting deal! More: Wendy's Quick GuideSaturday "Smart Swap!": Wendy's originally appeared on About.com Weight Loss on Saturday, August 21st, 2010 at 04:11:57.Permalink | Comment | Email this |
