Lose Weight and Stay Well

How to carry out My Free Weight Loss Program the Healthy Way

When you embark on a Weight Loss Program, you have a slimming goal. At first that goal may be simply to lose weight fast, perhaps to look good in a bikini or to fit into your summer clothes.

If you stick with any dieting plan and combine it with exercises to burn calories and tone your body, you will lose weight. When you have that slim, toned figure you will feel good about yourself. If you eat sensibly and make sure you get regular exercise, you will be able to stay slim and fit for life.

But sometimes, with all that enthusiasm over losing weight and getting fit, you can get carried away.

I want everyone who follows My Free Weight Loss Program to do well and lose weight and keep that weight off. But I also want you to be strong and healthy.

Which is why I am posting a few 'things to watch out for', so that you recognize any signs of taking a diet and exercise plan too far.

Questions To Ask Yourself When On A Weight Loss Program:

• How much weight do I need to lose? Is this realistic?
• Look at your body shape. If you have large bones and broad shoulders, you will never be able to slim your body down to the same shape as Kate Moss. You will be slim and fit, but all the dieting and calorie counting in the world will not change your body's bone structure. So don't get carried away with your dieting.
  

• What type of slimming diet am I following?
• You may want to lose weight fast, but you still want to eat sufficient vitamins, minerals, proteins, carbohydrates and even fats to maintain your health. Don't cut out any of these completely to lose weight fast. If you do, you will be doing your body no favours.
  

• Am I getting obsessed with exercising?
• There are many different exercises you can use to keep fit and tone up your body. Most of them work if done correctly (although some, as I mentioned in my post on exercise to get rid of the tummy flab safely, must be done with great care if you are a woman). But exercising hard every day is not good for your body. It needs time to rest and recuperate. Even keep fit instructors and athletes take one or even two days off each week. This is important, our muscles need time to rest and for all that toning to take full effect.
  
• Over exercising will be counter-productive. Always remember that it takes more than a couple of days for muscles to lose their tone and those newly strengthened muscles will be burning up extra calories for us than before, and helping us to stay slim and fit, even when they are having a rest. So don't get carried away with over exercising.
  

Ok, you have reached your ideal weight loss goal. The diet has worked well and your sensible exercise plan has given you a new, slimmer, toned body. And you feel great! You can fit into those summer clothes and you can flaunt your flat tummy on the beach for all to see. You know you have reached your ideal weight. The slimming scales will tell you so.

• Look in the mirror and see a new, slim you. If you still see a fat person looking back at you, that is an illusion; a hangover from the days before you lost all your excess weight. Ignore it.
  

• Don't carry on dieting to lose more weight. There is nothing to fear about putting weight on again if you eat sensibly from now on. And don't carry on with a gruelling exercise plan. Good, healthy moderate exercise is what you need now.
  

• Don't carry on dieting and exercising to try to change your body's structural shape. It won't work. It could just make you ill.
  

• Love the shape you have been given and the one all that dieting and exercise has revealed. You are slim and fit now. Don't get carried away.

In other words, it is great to lose weight. It is fantastic to be slim, toned and full of energy. But don't take your new slim figure to extremes and go on dieting and exercising when you know, deep down, you have already achieved your weight loss goals.

Lose weight and tone up the healthy way. That is what My Free Weight Loss Program is about.

How to lose weight and exercise when the weather is hot

Maintaining your weight loss program when the temperatures soar:

I don't know what it is like where you live, but here the temperature is soaring. Some would say this is not the best time to work hard on a diet and exercise program. And it is true that doing keep fit exercises in the heat can make you feel exhausted.

High temperatures can also make you feel lethargic. All you want to do is sit back in the shade and sip a high calorie beer (or is that just me? :) ). Doing a regular weight loss and body toning exercise program at a time like this can appear hard to achieve.

Our metabolism can slow down in summer also. We no longer need the calories to keep us warm and we move slowly to conserve our flagging energy levels. Not good for anyone trying to stick to a slimming diet and exercise plan.

However, with a little bit of 'tweaking' of our weight loss program, we can still lose weight and tone up our bodies, so that we can have those flat stomachs and toned bottoms we all admire!

To follow a weight loss program when the weather is hot we need to:

• Drink lots of water. Low calorie squash and even diet sodas are fine in moderation, but what our bodies need the most is plenty of water.
  

• Do our keep fit and body toning exercises in the morning or late evening, to take advantage of lower temperatures.
  

• Take advantage of all the low calorie food available in the shops at this time of year. These can really help our slimming plans. A low calorie lettuce, cucumber or celery may not seem that great to eat in winter, but come summer, when all these slimming foods look fresh and appetising and you do not have to slave over a hot stove to cook them, well, what more could you ask for?
  

• Warming up before doing our slimming and toning exercises is still important, but at this time of the year it does not take as long, and stretching after an exercise workout can seem extra luxurious when it is hot.
  

• Go for a walk in the sunshine. Power walking to lose weight and tone our legs may be difficult in the heat and is certainly not to be recommended during the hottest part of the day. Power walking or jogging in the beating sun is not good for you - you do not want to get heat stroke. But walking in the shade in the early morning or evening is still a great way to get some fresh air and keep in shape. Just remember to take a bottle of water with you and rest whenever you feel tired.
  

• Go for a swim. Swimming is one of the best keep fit exercises and one of the best calorie burners, so you will lose weight as well as keep fit. Not only does it use up a large number of calories, it tones the muscles in your arms, legs and back and is great for toning up that flabby stomach too. Swimming is also a low impact exercise, so it is not hard on our bones. So swimming in cool water is fantastic exercise to cool you down as you lose weight and tone up on a hot day.
  

• If you do most of your weight loss and toning exercises indoors, this can be a problem when it is hot. If you have air conditioning then please turn it up a little before you start your exercise routine. If you do not, then either do your exercises early in the morning or later at night when the temperatures are a little cooler.
  

You could also alter your exercise routine:

At this time of the year, Yoga and Pilates could be the answer to both your weight loss and body toning needs. Both provide great exercises for toning all parts of your body, including toning up that belly fat and firming your bottom.

You can find books and videos on Yoga and Pilates at most local libraries, so this can still be part of a free weight loss program.

Yoga in particular was developed as a series of body toning exercises (and of course a spiritual practice) in countries where the temperatures can soar, so it adapts very well to exercising and toning your muscles in western countries during the summer months.

Power Yoga is particularly good for weight loss as well as toning your muscles and, despite its name, it is usually much less demanding on your body when the weather is hot than a full on intense aerobics routine.

The above are just a few suggestions on how you can adapt your weight loss and exercise program when the weather is hot. I'm sure, with a little thought, you can now think of several more.

Enjoy your diet and exercise and the good weather. And I'll see you again soon on My Free Weight Loss Program.

Losing Weight For Life

If you are newly arrived here at My Free Weight Loss Program than let me tell you a little about me.

I set up this slimming plan as a way to encourage myself to lose the weight I had put on with a sloppy diet and inactivity. I didn't have too many pounds to lose, but I knew that if I shared my diet and exercise plan online for anyone to see, then I would have to stick with it. And it worked. I have lost my excess fat. Admittedly I still have a way to go before I have a completely flat stomach, but I'm getting there too.

Nevertheless, I decided to keep My Free Weightloss Program going, because I have a load more dieting and exercising tips and tricks to share with you and the first one concerns:

Losing Weight For Life

Just think about it a moment. You have probably arrived here because you want to lose weight and you want to do it for free. You don't want to spend money on an expensive diet and exercise program, but you still want to lost weight and then stay slim and fit. Because once you lose weight, you never want to be fat again.

I would suggest that there are ways you can lose weight without having to spend out on expensive diet food or employing a keep fit coach or investing in gym membership.

It's simply about making small but effective changes to your lifestyle.

Here are a few things you can do to begin that slimming plan:

1. Cut out the sugar in your coffee (either with sweeteners or just cut it out)

2. Drink skimmed or semi-skimmed milk rather than full fat.

3. If you like cheese (which is high in calories) and don't want to cut it out, either buy packs of slim 'sandwich cheese' or packs of Edam or Gouda - both are much lower in calories than most other cheeses. You could also go for the 'low fat' alternative... but that's up to you.

4. Use low fat spread or no spread at all on sandwiches (you often don't need it).

5. Eat white meat rather than red meat (white is much lower in fat) and have a smaller portion.

6. If you must drink sodas, drink the diet alternative. Neither are great for your health, but at least with the no calorie ones you won't be adding to your weight.

7. Cut down on alchohol, but when you do have a drink keep to half pints and drink lagers, rather than heavy beers, and drink them slowly - they have to last or you will not lose weight!

8. Spirits are lower in calories than beer or wine, especially if you top them up with low calorie lemonada or diet coke, but again, make them last!

9. If you cannot do without something sweet then consider eating a small ice cream instead of a chocolate bar (ice lollies are even lower in calories, especially if you make them yourself with low calorie squash). But again, do this in moderation - one a day should be adequate to fulfill any sugar cravings you have while dieting.

10. Eat 'little and often' rather than having three meals a day. It will boost your metabolism so that you lose weight faster and also stop you wanting to snack between meals.

11. Only eat when you are hungry and even then ask yourself "Am I really hungry, or is this something else?" It could be that you just need a break in the fresh air or just a walk to stretch your legs. Tiredness can also make you feel hungry, so check all these things out before you eat. This is one way you can lose pounds and keep slim very easily.

And to help that weight loss along and to get (and keep) your body toned and slim, you need to:

1. Walk rather than drive.

2. Walk fast, don't dawdle.

3. Be the one who jumps up to answer the door or the telephone.

4. Be the one who exercises the dog.

5. Put on your favourite CD and dance to it!

6. In fact, in order to be fit and slim you need to move quickly not slowly and be a mover rather than a couch potato.

It also helps to have a weight loss goal. And here I don't mean things like sticking 'slim stickers' on your fridge or buying a dress for the 'new slimmer you'. These things will only upset you if you think that your weight loss plan is not moving along quickly enough.

What I mean are things like working towards being able to run for the bus without puffing, climbing loads of stairs without stopping to catch your breath. Little things like this when they are achieved will show you just how far you have got in your slimming and keep fit plan and will give you the enthusiasm to try out some more.

You will need to quicken up the way you move so that you use up more calories and it certainly helps to do some form of exercise. But do something you like. Losing weight and toning up doesn't have to be a chore. It should be an enjoyable part of your life.

That way, you will get slim and stay slim for life.

More soon from My Free Weight Loss Program

Weight Loss Achieved Now On To The Tummy Flab

I have actually lost the weight I wanted to lose (10 pounds) and the reason why is that, instead of sitting at my pc writing about my free weight loss program, I have actually gone out and exercised!

I found that once I got over the 'hump' when I felt a little run down and didn't feel like dieting or exercise, when I began keep fit and power walking again, it gave me the energy I needed to continue with the healthy diet (plus the choc ice, lol!) and I felt ok.

And now I have lost the weight I feel great! No more struggling to do up the zip on my jeans and no more puffing and panting when I run. I can look in the mirror now and see a slim person again (I had to breath in to do that before).

Nevertheless, although my weight loss program has worked well in terms of losing the fat, I am still a little flabby around my tummy. I said all along that the belly fat would be the hardest to shift (because of the damaged muscles) and I was certainly right!

So I have been doing my special exercises to try to tone up my stomach muscles. I'll tell you about them now.

Tummy Toning Exercises For Women:

When you are female, some of the exercises that work well for men when they are looking to tone their muscles, do not work as well for you and they can actually be harmful. In particular, 'stomach crunchies' can actually harm us if we are not very careful.

The reason for this is that we have wombs and our pelvic muscles are designed to keep them in place. If we do exercises to flatten our stomachs, like 'stomach crunchies' and we do them without a lot of care, we could end up damaging our pelvic floor muscles and could even end up, in middle age, with a prolapsed womb or other prolapses of our pelvic floor muscles.

The way around this when you want a flat tummy is to either do these exercises with great care or do another form of stomach exercise instead.

If you do decide to do 'stomach crunchies' (and I'll admit, these are very effective exercises for toning up a flabby tummy), then first make sure you have your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor. Then, take a deep breath before you begin, then pull in all of your pelvic floor muscles an dyour lower tummy muscles as you breath out and bring the upper part of your body forward into the 'crunchie'; breath in again while you are 'up there' and then breath out and make sure those muscles are still pulled in tight as you let your body back down. (In other words, keep that pelvic floor and lower stomach muscles pulled in tight all through the exercise but begin each movement on the out breath).

This may sound like the opposite of what you think about breathing and exercise, but if you do it this way, not only will you be adding benefit to the tummy flattening exercise, you will also be exercising your pelvic floor muscles too and protecting all those bits you want to keep in good repair!

If you feel you would rather not do stomach crunchies, but still want to exercise to get a flat stomach, then I would recommend first of all, getting to grips with the Pilates idea of 'zip up' before you do any exercise. This is basically the same idea, and strengthens your pelvic floor muscles as well as flattening that flabby tummy.

You can stand with your knees relaxed (not pushed back or rigid in other words) and then 'zip up'. You do this by imagining the inside of your body as an elevator. You take a breath and then breath out and pull up your pelvic muscles, feeling every one pull in and tighten as you go and then pull in the muscles of your lower stomach, followed by the rest of your abdomen - always in that order. The idea is that you feel all these muscles rising up as if they were inside an elevator. You can then take a breath, but try to maintain that 'zip' - the elevator is still at the top floor.

You can do this tummy exercise while you undertake most forms of aerobic exercise. You will forget now and again, but that's okay, just 'zip up' those muscles as soon as you remember and. most importantly, begin with the lower muscles first.

This may seem like a lot to remember, but after a while it does become second nature and it will do you, your flabby (now flat) tummy and your pelvic floor a whole lot of good. Honestly it does work!

Anyway, although I have lost the weight I was aiming for, I am still going to continue writing here at My Free Weight Loss Program as, now I have got rid of the fat, I can talk about more of the ways to lose weight, more dieting tips, and the exercises I do to help lose weight and keep slim and toned.

So I'll a see you again soon on my weight loss plan with some more tips for losing weight, keeping slim and keeping fit.

And wish me luck with those tummy exercises. With my flabby stomach muscles I am going to need it!