1) Always insure yourself at and early age
2) Insure all members of your Family
3) Always take a policy which gives money back option
4) Always take a Term Insurance for lower premium
5) Take insurance up to 15 times of your income
6) Always pay premium on time
7) Always spread your risk with different type of plan
8) when your policy matures there must be a company to pay you. Always buy insurance from a reputed Company as insurance is always for a longer period.
9) Check the companies claim settlement ratio.
10) Always nominate your nearest relative
P.S. Death is certain, so Insure today and get secure.
Friday, August 14, 2009
Insurance - Investment Tips
Tuesday, October 09, 2007
10 ways to improve your English
so u want to improve the way u speak English? would u like to neutralize your accent then read on....this is useful esp. for the non- native English speakers
i have worked in a call center/BPO so i know hows its done quite effectively .
It increases the confidence of a person and also makes him/ her comfortable to interact or communicate with other people in English
There are lots of jaw exercises thats needs to be done with lot of practice and the information of various sounds as well well as the common words that can be used as a practice for effective communication
i have worked in a call center/BPO so i know hows its done quite effectively .
It increases the confidence of a person and also makes him/ her comfortable to interact or communicate with other people in English
There are lots of jaw exercises thats needs to be done with lot of practice and the information of various sounds as well well as the common words that can be used as a practice for effective communication
i. Observe the mouth movements of those who speak English well and try to imitate them.
When you are watching television, observe the mouth movements of the speakers. Repeat what they are saying, while imitating the intonation and rhythm of their speech.
ii. Until you learn the correct intonation and rhythm of English, slow your speech down.
If you speak too quickly, and with the wrong intonation and rhythm, native speakers will have a hard time understanding you.
Don't worry about your listener getting impatient with your slow speech -- it is more important that everything you say be understood.
iii. Listen to the 'music' of English.
Do not use the 'music' of your native language when you speak English. Each language has its own way of 'singing'.
iv. Use the dictionary.
Try and familiarise yourself with the phonetic symbols of your dictionary. Look up the correct pronunciation of words that are hard for you to say.
v. Make a list of frequently used words that you find difficult to pronounce and ask someone who speaks the language well to pronounce them for you.
Record these words, listen to them and practice saying them. Listen and read at the same time.
vi. Buy books on tape.
Record yourself reading some sections of the book. Compare the sound of your English with that of the person reading the book on the tape.
vii. Pronounce the ending of each word.
Pay special attention to 'S' and 'ED' endings. This will help you strengthen the mouth muscles that you use when you speak English.
viii. Read aloud in English for 15-20 minutes every day.
Research has shown it takes about three months of daily practice to develop strong mouth muscles for speaking a new language.
ix. Record your own voice and listen for pronunciation mistakes.
Many people hate to hear the sound of their voice and avoid listening to themselves speak. However, this is a very important exercise because doing it will help you become conscious of the mistakes you are making.
x. Be patient.
You can change the way you speak but it won't happen overnight. People often expect instant results and give up too soon. You can change the way you sound if you are willing to put some effort into it.
Thursday, September 13, 2007
Easy Tips for Energy Saving
In order to save energy and water one can see if there are no leaking taps in the bathroom if there are any one should replace them as early as possible. Taking shorter showers is another great way to save energy and water. For warming up food one can use the microwave instead of a stove because a microwave consumes 50% less energy than a regular heating appliances.
Many people are also careless with their refrigerators and think that keeping the refrigerator door open doesn't mean wasting energy. However, the truth is that if a refrigerator door is kept open the cooling system of machine needs to use a lot of electricity in order to keep things cool and this certainly adds to extra consumption of energy. The refrigerator door should work like a complete seal and for this its rubber gasket should be in good condition.
In order to save energy and water one can see if there are no leaking taps in the bathroom if there are any one should replace them as early as possible. Taking shorter showers is another great way to save energy and water. For warming up food one can use the microwave instead of a stove because a microwave consumes 50% less energy than a regular heating appliances.
Many people are also careless with their refrigerators and think that keeping the refrigerator door open doesn't mean wasting energy. However, the truth is that if a refrigerator door is kept open the cooling system of machine needs to use a lot of electricity in order to keep things cool and this certainly adds to extra consumption of energy. The refrigerator door should work like a complete seal and for this its rubber gasket should be in good condition.
Friday, June 09, 2006
10 Ways to Reduce Your Fuel Costs
1. Use the Right Grade of Gasoline / Don't Top Off
2. Look for the Best Price / Limit Purchases When Prices are High
3. Use Carpooling / Public Transit / Non-Motorized Options
4. Take Advantage of Telecommuting / Telecommunications Technology
5. Don't Drive Aggressively / Drive at the Speed Limit
6. Reduce Air Conditioner Use / Close Windows
7. Eliminate Extra Wind Resistance and Weight
8. Minimize Vehicle Idling
9. Maintain Vehicle Efficiency
10. Drive or Purchase a Fuel-Efficient Vehicle
2. Look for the Best Price / Limit Purchases When Prices are High
3. Use Carpooling / Public Transit / Non-Motorized Options
4. Take Advantage of Telecommuting / Telecommunications Technology
5. Don't Drive Aggressively / Drive at the Speed Limit
6. Reduce Air Conditioner Use / Close Windows
7. Eliminate Extra Wind Resistance and Weight
8. Minimize Vehicle Idling
9. Maintain Vehicle Efficiency
10. Drive or Purchase a Fuel-Efficient Vehicle
Wednesday, March 29, 2006
Top Ten Reasons For Consolidating Your Student Loans
By Mike O'Brien
From saving money to improving your credit score, there are many benefits to consolidating student loans. Here are the top ten reasons why you should streamline these debts
1. Peace of mindHave you had sleepless nights? Do you find yourself awake at 3 am tossing and turning wondering how you are going to meet all your student loan payments this month? Worrying about whether or not you can afford to pay your bills? By consolidating your student loans, you can save up to 60% on monthly payments.
2. Lock in a low interest rateDon't procrastinate; by organising your Federal student loan consolidation before June 30th of this year, you can take advantage of the current low interest rate of 4.7 percent. As well, you will secure this interest rate for the life of the loan, so you won’t have to worry about a rate increase.
3. Streamline your paymentsHave you racked up multiple loans with varying amounts over the course of your time in school? Many of us have. It can be confusing to keep track of all of the bills. When you consolidate, you will simplify your life by only having to pay one amount to one lender.
4. Auto-payTo further simplify your bill paying, sign up for auto-pay at the time you do the loan consolidation, and you can save yourself the cost of a stamp and the time it takes to write a check. The lender will simply deduct the amount from your bank account on a regular schedule. Most lenders provide a discount for borrowers who sign up for auto-pay.
5. Improve your credit scoreWhen you do your student loan consolidation, the new lender will pay off your existing student loans. This process of loan payment, along with reducing the number of outstanding loans will improve your credit score. And, don’t worry if you don’t currently have stellar credit. Because your loans are guaranteed by the U.S. government, your credit score won’t be checked as part of the application process.
6. Help your parentsDid your parents borrow money to help pay for your education? They too can consolidate their PLUS loans and lock in the current interest rate.
7. “On Time” payment discountLike auto-pay, lenders reward borrowers with an interest rate discount for paying on time for a certain period (usually 36 months). Make sure to ask your lender about discounts when you apply to consolidate your student loans.
8. Forbear or defer Once you have completed your student loan consolidation, you will retain these Federal borrowing privileges.
9. Financial Savvy Maybe you weren’t a straight “A” student, but everyone will think that you’re a financial genius when you tell them what you are saving on your student loan consolidation.
10. Get out of default status You can stop the harassing phone calls or wage garnishments by consolidating loans that are in default and get back on track with your financial status.
Mike O'Brien offers advice and information about student loan consolidation. This is a quality web site with a choice of student loan consolidation and general debt consolidation information and the best way to deal with it.
http://wwwloanconsolidation.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Mike_O'Brien
From saving money to improving your credit score, there are many benefits to consolidating student loans. Here are the top ten reasons why you should streamline these debts
1. Peace of mindHave you had sleepless nights? Do you find yourself awake at 3 am tossing and turning wondering how you are going to meet all your student loan payments this month? Worrying about whether or not you can afford to pay your bills? By consolidating your student loans, you can save up to 60% on monthly payments.
2. Lock in a low interest rateDon't procrastinate; by organising your Federal student loan consolidation before June 30th of this year, you can take advantage of the current low interest rate of 4.7 percent. As well, you will secure this interest rate for the life of the loan, so you won’t have to worry about a rate increase.
3. Streamline your paymentsHave you racked up multiple loans with varying amounts over the course of your time in school? Many of us have. It can be confusing to keep track of all of the bills. When you consolidate, you will simplify your life by only having to pay one amount to one lender.
4. Auto-payTo further simplify your bill paying, sign up for auto-pay at the time you do the loan consolidation, and you can save yourself the cost of a stamp and the time it takes to write a check. The lender will simply deduct the amount from your bank account on a regular schedule. Most lenders provide a discount for borrowers who sign up for auto-pay.
5. Improve your credit scoreWhen you do your student loan consolidation, the new lender will pay off your existing student loans. This process of loan payment, along with reducing the number of outstanding loans will improve your credit score. And, don’t worry if you don’t currently have stellar credit. Because your loans are guaranteed by the U.S. government, your credit score won’t be checked as part of the application process.
6. Help your parentsDid your parents borrow money to help pay for your education? They too can consolidate their PLUS loans and lock in the current interest rate.
7. “On Time” payment discountLike auto-pay, lenders reward borrowers with an interest rate discount for paying on time for a certain period (usually 36 months). Make sure to ask your lender about discounts when you apply to consolidate your student loans.
8. Forbear or defer Once you have completed your student loan consolidation, you will retain these Federal borrowing privileges.
9. Financial Savvy Maybe you weren’t a straight “A” student, but everyone will think that you’re a financial genius when you tell them what you are saving on your student loan consolidation.
10. Get out of default status You can stop the harassing phone calls or wage garnishments by consolidating loans that are in default and get back on track with your financial status.
Mike O'Brien offers advice and information about student loan consolidation. This is a quality web site with a choice of student loan consolidation and general debt consolidation information and the best way to deal with it.
http://wwwloanconsolidation.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Mike_O'Brien
Saturday, March 25, 2006
Web Site Traffic - 5 Inexpensive Ways to Generate it!
By: Brian Hunter
It is quite obvious that even the best optimised site with the best copy written sales page will not make a dime without one very necessary addition. That 'addition' is Traffic.
Whilst there are many ways to generate traffic most of them cost money with no guarantees that a profit will be made once you have parted with your cash. However, there are also many ways to generate good targeted traffic which need not cost the earth and, in some cases, are even free. Here are five of the best ways to generate low cost traffic; they do involve some input but are well worth the effort.
1. Exchange Links
This is a proven way to generate traffic and a careful study of the top ranking sites on the search engines will show all of them with considerable numbers of links. It is to your advantage to ensure that all sites to which you link operate within a similar niche or theme as your own site. If you share a similar subject you will be more likely to get traffic as your site will be seen as a recommendation by the site they are on.
Another benefit to linking in this way is that your site will increase its chances of a higher ranking with the search engines. This, in turn, can help with eventually getting traffic from the search engines in addition to that from the linking site.
2. Writing Articles
There are many sites on the internet where you may submit articles (newsletters, directories, etc.) Many of these are free of cost so if cash is tight you can start submitting to these initially. If you want to save costs, you can write the articles yourself. There are many freelance writers who are willing to write for you for a small fee, but to save money, it is wise to do the articles yourself if you can.
You should write articles that closely match the theme of your site. Try to write about something you know well. Give tips and guidance learned from your own experiences. In this way you will come across as an 'expert' in your field and this, in turn, can encourage your readers to then visit your site. Always include a resource box at the end of your articles which should be a short bio about yourself and include the URL to your website.
3. Traffic Exchanges
This is a form of link exchange except that members of a traffic exchange view each others pages by surfing. Each time you view a page you gain a credit so the more pages you view the more credits you receive. Your own page is then shown to other members normally using one credit per show. Once you have exhausted your credits you may earn more by again surfing. You also have the option to purchase credits if you wish.
Traffic from exchanges is not generally well targeted and does not produce many sales but it can be used quite successfully to capture names for your subscriber list with the use of a 'squeeze' page.
4. Your Own Newsletter
Once you have subscribers (via the traffic exchanges or other means) will need to send out your newsletter on a regular basis either weekly, monthly etc. This may sound a little daunting in view of the fact that you will need to write many articles on a consistent basis. However, this should present no problem as there a many writers and sites that are more than willing to provide you with free articles so long as their resource box remains at the end of the article. Any promotions you make in your newsletter will inevitably bring traffic to that promoted site and as your list of subscriber grows so, too, will your traffic.
5. Forums
Online forums and communities abound in just about any subject you can imagine. Find several forums that relate to whatever site you wish to promote and, after joining, you should carefully study the topics under discussion and then submit your own offerings by way of answers to published questions or even a question of your own. Make sure that the forum allows you to append your resource box at the end of your posting as this is where your traffic will come from. It is important to know that you are not permitted to blatantly advertise on these forums and to do so will usually mean you will be barred.So it is important that you are allowed your bio at the foot of your posting. Do not bother with any forum where your resource box is not permitted.
Each of these methods can generate a great deal of traffic and, with the exception of the traffic exchanges, the traffic will be very targeted. The method of using articles can, over time, build traffic to really large numbers. However it is important to remember that there are no free lunches in this world. If you do not pay with money then you must substitute with time. The great thing about these five methods is that you will never waste your time - they all get results, proven time after time.
Brian Hunter has been active on the internet since 2002 and works from home promoting one of the largest traffic building information centers on the net at: www.clicksilo.com
It is quite obvious that even the best optimised site with the best copy written sales page will not make a dime without one very necessary addition. That 'addition' is Traffic.
Whilst there are many ways to generate traffic most of them cost money with no guarantees that a profit will be made once you have parted with your cash. However, there are also many ways to generate good targeted traffic which need not cost the earth and, in some cases, are even free. Here are five of the best ways to generate low cost traffic; they do involve some input but are well worth the effort.
1. Exchange Links
This is a proven way to generate traffic and a careful study of the top ranking sites on the search engines will show all of them with considerable numbers of links. It is to your advantage to ensure that all sites to which you link operate within a similar niche or theme as your own site. If you share a similar subject you will be more likely to get traffic as your site will be seen as a recommendation by the site they are on.
Another benefit to linking in this way is that your site will increase its chances of a higher ranking with the search engines. This, in turn, can help with eventually getting traffic from the search engines in addition to that from the linking site.
2. Writing Articles
There are many sites on the internet where you may submit articles (newsletters, directories, etc.) Many of these are free of cost so if cash is tight you can start submitting to these initially. If you want to save costs, you can write the articles yourself. There are many freelance writers who are willing to write for you for a small fee, but to save money, it is wise to do the articles yourself if you can.
You should write articles that closely match the theme of your site. Try to write about something you know well. Give tips and guidance learned from your own experiences. In this way you will come across as an 'expert' in your field and this, in turn, can encourage your readers to then visit your site. Always include a resource box at the end of your articles which should be a short bio about yourself and include the URL to your website.
3. Traffic Exchanges
This is a form of link exchange except that members of a traffic exchange view each others pages by surfing. Each time you view a page you gain a credit so the more pages you view the more credits you receive. Your own page is then shown to other members normally using one credit per show. Once you have exhausted your credits you may earn more by again surfing. You also have the option to purchase credits if you wish.
Traffic from exchanges is not generally well targeted and does not produce many sales but it can be used quite successfully to capture names for your subscriber list with the use of a 'squeeze' page.
4. Your Own Newsletter
Once you have subscribers (via the traffic exchanges or other means) will need to send out your newsletter on a regular basis either weekly, monthly etc. This may sound a little daunting in view of the fact that you will need to write many articles on a consistent basis. However, this should present no problem as there a many writers and sites that are more than willing to provide you with free articles so long as their resource box remains at the end of the article. Any promotions you make in your newsletter will inevitably bring traffic to that promoted site and as your list of subscriber grows so, too, will your traffic.
5. Forums
Online forums and communities abound in just about any subject you can imagine. Find several forums that relate to whatever site you wish to promote and, after joining, you should carefully study the topics under discussion and then submit your own offerings by way of answers to published questions or even a question of your own. Make sure that the forum allows you to append your resource box at the end of your posting as this is where your traffic will come from. It is important to know that you are not permitted to blatantly advertise on these forums and to do so will usually mean you will be barred.So it is important that you are allowed your bio at the foot of your posting. Do not bother with any forum where your resource box is not permitted.
Each of these methods can generate a great deal of traffic and, with the exception of the traffic exchanges, the traffic will be very targeted. The method of using articles can, over time, build traffic to really large numbers. However it is important to remember that there are no free lunches in this world. If you do not pay with money then you must substitute with time. The great thing about these five methods is that you will never waste your time - they all get results, proven time after time.
Brian Hunter has been active on the internet since 2002 and works from home promoting one of the largest traffic building information centers on the net at: www.clicksilo.com
Saturday, March 18, 2006
8 Ways To Create Balance To Achieve Lasting Weight Loss
By: Meri Raffetto
Need to lose weight? Dreading the thought of another diet program? You don’t have to follow diets to lose weight. There are many people discovering this for themselves and they are the ones who are finding long term weight loss apposed to short term fixes. The key to weight loss is finding the right balance of what you eat, what you think, and what activity you do. It is not about following a perfect plan. It is impossible to be perfect every day! Finding the right balance helps you to decrease your calorie intake, increase your metabolism and keeps the self-sabotage at bay. Here are 8 steps to bring more balance into all corners of your life so you too can find weight loss success.
1. Eat more frequently during the day-Skipping meals or waiting too long between meals can have a negative impact on your metabolism and results in overeating later in the day. It’s best to have 3 small meals and 1-2 snacks throughout the day. You will feel more satisfied and eat less. Plan to have a snack or meal every 4-5 hours
2. Watch portion sizes-Appropriate portion sizes are still quite misunderstood. Most Americans are eating 2-3 times the recommended portion sizes. Limit your grains, cereals, pastas, and rice to ½ - 1 cup serving sizes. Keep meat, poultry and fish to 4-ounce portion sizes. Restaurants are notorious for giving extremely large servings of food. Keep this in mind when eating out. Eat half of the food on your plate or take the rest home for lunch the next day. Studies show that when people are given large portion sizes, they eat up to 56% more calories without realizing it. To add insult to injury, our portion sizes are larger than they have ever been. Start to become more aware of the portions you are served wherever you are.
3. Eat the right fats-Yes some fat is important. Omega 3 fatty acids are an important strategy for weight loss success and yet most Americans are not eating enough of these healthy fats. Some reports show these fatty acids may be helpful in increasing your metabolism. They are also shown to be a wonderful mood supporter and people report significantly less food cravings and triggers to eat when they incorporate omega 3 fatty acids on a daily basis. This is especially important for any emotional eaters out there. Omega 3’s are found in fatty fish such as salmon, mackerel, cod; they are also found in canola oil, walnuts, and ground flax seeds.
4. Increase fruits and vegetables-Fruits and vegetables are not only packed with important vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, they are also loaded in fiber and low in calories. Include 5-8 fruits and vegetables every day. This is one of the most important diet changes you can make. When you fill your plate up with fruits and vegetables you eat less of the higher calorie foods. For example, let’s take a sample steak dinner.
Original meal:
8 ounce steak
Whole baked potato with fixings
½ cup steamed broccoli
Meal Makeover:4 ounce steak
½ baked potato with fixings
½ cup steamed broccoli
Side salad with mixed greens, tomatoes, and 1 tbsp light vinaigrette dressing
By changing the balance of this meal to include more vegetables while decreasing the steak and potato we saved approximately 350 calories. Saving 350 calories daily can result in almost a 1 pound weight loss per week. Small changes are the key.
5. Eat when you’re hungry, stop when you’re full-Our bodies have an innate weight management mechanism. It performs this task by making you feel full when it is time to stop eating. Every time you eat past full you are taking in more calories than your body needs which will result in weight gain. Start to become more aware of your internal cues for hunger and satiety (fullness). You will be amazed how many times you wait too long to eat and how often you eat past full and enter into stuffed. It’s common for all of us to do this from time to time. However, it’s time to check in with yourself and see how often you are falling into these food patterns. Listen to your body, it will tell you when you are physically ready for food and when you are ready to stop.
6. Exercise regularly-I know, this isn’t anything you haven’t heard before but it is a crucial part of weight management. It is important to engage in regular aerobic and weight bearing activity. The aerobic exercise helps you to burn the fat and weight bearing activity increases your metabolic rate. Muscle burns up to 90% more calories than fat. The more muscle mass you have, the more calories you will burn in a day. By adding three to five pounds of muscle you could actually burn 100 - 250 additional calories a day. This combination of aerobic and weight bearing activity is what really kicks weight loss into gear.
7. Limit sugar-Sugar becomes a major issue for many people wanting to lose weight. Not only does it add calories, it also causes insulin spikes leading you to store more calories as fat, it stimulates your appetite, and is a major food trigger for emotional eaters. However, it doesn’t mean you need to go all or nothing. When people try to omit all sugar from their diet they can become obsessed about sugary foods and end up in a binge. Find the right balance for sugar. Avoid daily use of sugar and instead have some guiltless treats once in awhile. A little cake at a birthday party or some ice-cream with friends is a good way to incorporate sugar once in awhile to avoid the negative outcomes.
8. Pamper yourself regularly-Who wants to argue with that?! The reality is many people eat for emotional reasons. Food makes us feel good on many levels. The problem occurs when eating becomes the only coping mechanism your subconscious knows of. This is why that pesky urge to emotionally eat is so strong. It is hard to reason your way out of it. For many people food is the only thing they know that makes them feel better. When you start to do other things that make you feel good on a regular basis such as taking a hot bath, going for a walk, having a hot cup of tea; then your subconscious starts to register these activities as coping mechanisms as well. Over time this will decrease the constant urge to use food. You can’t expect to have a bad day, go take a bath and not have an urge to eat. It is something you need to do regularly and something you truly enjoy so your subconscious starts to recognize it as a new choice
© 2005, Meri Raffetto
Owner of Real Living Nutrition Services, Meri Raffetto is a recognized professional in the area of nutrition and wellness. She specializes in weight management and offers online programs to help people reach their weight loss and health goals. For more information or to sign up for a free newsletter visit www.reallivingnutrition.com.
Need to lose weight? Dreading the thought of another diet program? You don’t have to follow diets to lose weight. There are many people discovering this for themselves and they are the ones who are finding long term weight loss apposed to short term fixes. The key to weight loss is finding the right balance of what you eat, what you think, and what activity you do. It is not about following a perfect plan. It is impossible to be perfect every day! Finding the right balance helps you to decrease your calorie intake, increase your metabolism and keeps the self-sabotage at bay. Here are 8 steps to bring more balance into all corners of your life so you too can find weight loss success.
1. Eat more frequently during the day-Skipping meals or waiting too long between meals can have a negative impact on your metabolism and results in overeating later in the day. It’s best to have 3 small meals and 1-2 snacks throughout the day. You will feel more satisfied and eat less. Plan to have a snack or meal every 4-5 hours
2. Watch portion sizes-Appropriate portion sizes are still quite misunderstood. Most Americans are eating 2-3 times the recommended portion sizes. Limit your grains, cereals, pastas, and rice to ½ - 1 cup serving sizes. Keep meat, poultry and fish to 4-ounce portion sizes. Restaurants are notorious for giving extremely large servings of food. Keep this in mind when eating out. Eat half of the food on your plate or take the rest home for lunch the next day. Studies show that when people are given large portion sizes, they eat up to 56% more calories without realizing it. To add insult to injury, our portion sizes are larger than they have ever been. Start to become more aware of the portions you are served wherever you are.
3. Eat the right fats-Yes some fat is important. Omega 3 fatty acids are an important strategy for weight loss success and yet most Americans are not eating enough of these healthy fats. Some reports show these fatty acids may be helpful in increasing your metabolism. They are also shown to be a wonderful mood supporter and people report significantly less food cravings and triggers to eat when they incorporate omega 3 fatty acids on a daily basis. This is especially important for any emotional eaters out there. Omega 3’s are found in fatty fish such as salmon, mackerel, cod; they are also found in canola oil, walnuts, and ground flax seeds.
4. Increase fruits and vegetables-Fruits and vegetables are not only packed with important vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, they are also loaded in fiber and low in calories. Include 5-8 fruits and vegetables every day. This is one of the most important diet changes you can make. When you fill your plate up with fruits and vegetables you eat less of the higher calorie foods. For example, let’s take a sample steak dinner.
Original meal:
8 ounce steak
Whole baked potato with fixings
½ cup steamed broccoli
Meal Makeover:4 ounce steak
½ baked potato with fixings
½ cup steamed broccoli
Side salad with mixed greens, tomatoes, and 1 tbsp light vinaigrette dressing
By changing the balance of this meal to include more vegetables while decreasing the steak and potato we saved approximately 350 calories. Saving 350 calories daily can result in almost a 1 pound weight loss per week. Small changes are the key.
5. Eat when you’re hungry, stop when you’re full-Our bodies have an innate weight management mechanism. It performs this task by making you feel full when it is time to stop eating. Every time you eat past full you are taking in more calories than your body needs which will result in weight gain. Start to become more aware of your internal cues for hunger and satiety (fullness). You will be amazed how many times you wait too long to eat and how often you eat past full and enter into stuffed. It’s common for all of us to do this from time to time. However, it’s time to check in with yourself and see how often you are falling into these food patterns. Listen to your body, it will tell you when you are physically ready for food and when you are ready to stop.
6. Exercise regularly-I know, this isn’t anything you haven’t heard before but it is a crucial part of weight management. It is important to engage in regular aerobic and weight bearing activity. The aerobic exercise helps you to burn the fat and weight bearing activity increases your metabolic rate. Muscle burns up to 90% more calories than fat. The more muscle mass you have, the more calories you will burn in a day. By adding three to five pounds of muscle you could actually burn 100 - 250 additional calories a day. This combination of aerobic and weight bearing activity is what really kicks weight loss into gear.
7. Limit sugar-Sugar becomes a major issue for many people wanting to lose weight. Not only does it add calories, it also causes insulin spikes leading you to store more calories as fat, it stimulates your appetite, and is a major food trigger for emotional eaters. However, it doesn’t mean you need to go all or nothing. When people try to omit all sugar from their diet they can become obsessed about sugary foods and end up in a binge. Find the right balance for sugar. Avoid daily use of sugar and instead have some guiltless treats once in awhile. A little cake at a birthday party or some ice-cream with friends is a good way to incorporate sugar once in awhile to avoid the negative outcomes.
8. Pamper yourself regularly-Who wants to argue with that?! The reality is many people eat for emotional reasons. Food makes us feel good on many levels. The problem occurs when eating becomes the only coping mechanism your subconscious knows of. This is why that pesky urge to emotionally eat is so strong. It is hard to reason your way out of it. For many people food is the only thing they know that makes them feel better. When you start to do other things that make you feel good on a regular basis such as taking a hot bath, going for a walk, having a hot cup of tea; then your subconscious starts to register these activities as coping mechanisms as well. Over time this will decrease the constant urge to use food. You can’t expect to have a bad day, go take a bath and not have an urge to eat. It is something you need to do regularly and something you truly enjoy so your subconscious starts to recognize it as a new choice
© 2005, Meri Raffetto
Owner of Real Living Nutrition Services, Meri Raffetto is a recognized professional in the area of nutrition and wellness. She specializes in weight management and offers online programs to help people reach their weight loss and health goals. For more information or to sign up for a free newsletter visit www.reallivingnutrition.com.
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