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by Anu Morgan

Just about everyone has some experience with the issue of weight loss.  We all know how easy it is to pack on the pounds, and how difficult it can be to get rid of them.  Today, there seems to be more pressure than ever to be thin, and more ways than ever to achieve this.  With all of the various fad diets, diet books, DVDs, and weight loss professionals offering their help with this process, there is actually one simple thing you can do to give yourself the best chance of achieving your goals.

A food log is one of the best ways to help you work toward your weight loss objectives.  This simple method is free, takes just minutes per day, and gets to the bottom of the number one problem when dieting: not knowing how much you really eat in a day.  The process of keeping a log forces you to stop what you are doing, assess what you are eating, and record it in a manner you can track.  You will be amazed at just how insightful this process can be.

It is estimated that the majority of dieters underestimate how much they really consume per day by as much as twenty-five percent.  For this reason alone, you should keep a food log.  Recording every single thing you put into your mouth allows for a truly accurate representation that you cannot avoid or dispute.  As well as “forgetting” or leaving out food items during the day, most dieters do not count meals they eat out toward their daily consumption.

The unsettling reality about this fact is that most dieters eat at least one meal out per day.  This means that the underestimation factor may really much higher than twenty-five percent and may actually be closer to thirty-eight percent.  Another dieting problem when calculating calories is that most people do not consider portion size either.  Portions, especially when eating out, are often very large.  One restaurant portion may actually be equivalent to three appropriate servings.  All of these factors need to be fully noted in your log in order to really assess your progress.

The process of recording your intake in a food log also encourages you to examine everything you eat, not just your main meals.  Everyone can tell you what they had for breakfast, lunch, or dinner, but almost no one can tell you all of their little nibbles here and there.  Most dieters think that the couple of chips they had while making their child’s lunch does not factor into their diet, and that cookie they grabbed in the break room between meetings does not count or matter.  However, these small little “tastes” really add up and can add several extra calories and fat grams to your day.

Keeping a food log allows you to confront your dieting mistakes head on.  Your log will expose all kinds of information, such as behavioral patterns and stressors.  You will begin to get a better idea of why you eat what you eat and when, and you will able to adjust your behavior.

Finally, when you truly make the commitment to use this system, food logs can yield wonderful results.  An honest log provides you with a clear picture of your overall diet success.  By monitoring this information you can better determine what changes in your life have worked, what else you could be doing, and what changes still need to be made.  Your log will become an an excellent source of self-encouragement.  This type of positive reinforcement is key to sticking with your weight loss goal and achieveing your desired results.

• 2 chopped carrots
• 3 chopped celery stalks
• 1/2 chopped medium onion
• 3 cloves crushed garlic
• 3-5 fresh basil leaves chopped
• 2 bay leaves
• 1/2 teaspoon sage
• coarse salt and ground pepper
• 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 1/2 cup skim milk
• 4 cup low sodium chicken broth

Directions:

1. Season chicken breasts with salt and pepper and bake in the oven at 350 degrees for 25 minutes. After chicken is cooked pull it apart/ shred it.
2. Slightly saute carrots, celery, and onion until slightly tender but crisp. Add the shredded chicken.
3. Add chicken broth and 2 cups of water.
4. Season with garlic, basil, sage, bay leaves, and salt and pepper to taste.
5. Simmer and cover soup for 1 hour. Add the milk and cook for another 10 – 15 minutes.

Anu Morgan, Author of Get Real About Weight Loss

The number one complaint from people who weight train, especially those just starting out, is muscle soreness.  While this issue can be annoying, painful, and discouraging, it is a normal part of beginning a new routine.

The level of soreness you can expect will vary a great deal from person to person.  Much of muscle soreness has to do with how fit you are to begin with.  People who are in better shape will probably find they are not terribly sore, but those who may not be in the best physical condition may find they are extremely sore.  It is important to remember that it is perfectly acceptable that you will be sore.  This is just a sign that your body is getting used to the new workout program.  It is also a sign that you are working your body fairly hard.  It usually takes a couple of weeks for your body to adapt to weight training.

Most people think that when they are sore following a workout that they need to cease all activity because it will do more harm than good to continue.  However, you might be surprised to know that you should actually keep moving.  You do not, and should not, go crazy with your workout, but you should get your muscles warm, and loosened up a bit.

Movement works to relieve soreness by burning off the lactic acid that is found in your muscles.  Lactic acid is the actual component that causes the feeling of soreness.  This component is responsible for that stiff feeling you get in the morning, or the soreness that comes after sitting for long periods of time.

You have probably found that when you get up and stretch and get moving you start to feel better.  The reason this happens is that the lactic acid was not being burned through movement when you were resting, so it builds up in your system causing discomfort.  Once you start to move it breaks down, leading to relief.

There are three types of muscle soreness that you should be aware of:  mild muscle soreness, delayed onset muscle soreness, and injury soreness.  Mild muscle soreness is the type of soreness you feel during your workout, or immediately following your workout.  This is not debilitating, it is just a little signal that your body has been working hard and could use a rest.

Delayed onset muscle soreness is the type of soreness that kind of sneaks up on you.  You may find that a day or two after you trained you are quite sore, and the soreness may last three to seven days.  This commonly occurs in those that were training, took some time off, and then went back to training as hard as they did when they left off.  This does not allow the body to adapt and sort of shocks your system.  You should always gradually increase your level of intensity, even when you are returning to your program.

Finally, injury soreness is the type of soreness you should not mess around with.  If you feel as though your level of pain seems a bit higher than usual, does not seem to be going away, or something just seems off you should consult with a physician or personal trainer.  Always give your body the fuel and time to heal that it needs.  Following a few basic principles will help you get the most out of your workout and help you to avoid getting hurt.