When beginning your fitness crusade while in the throes of obesity, you will need to come to terms with the fact that you have further to go before reaching your ideal physique. It's important to understand that the quest for health is not only about the destination, but the journey itself. Although making the initial changes towards leading a healthy lifestyle might seem an insurmountable challenge, everyone can improve their appearance with dedicated effort and perseverance.

Instructions

A Healthy New You

1. The first thing to do to ensure success in your newfound struggle against obesity is to go through your kitchen (and wherever else you stash food), and discard all items except for the following: fresh fruits, vegetables, lean meats, dairy, and healthy natural sources of fat (like plain walnuts, almonds, cashews, olive oil, fish oil, avocados and coconuts). This means you will have to discard most frozen foods, all processed foods, all unhealthy snack items and all sugary sweets. Keeping your kitchen free of temptation is key to keeping yourself healthy, according to nutritionist and biochemist Dr. John Berardi, Ph.D.

2. Now it's time to fill your cupboards with healthy options. In general, you should only buy naturally occurring foods that are sold in their original state, in other words foods that aren't heavily processed, full of trans fats or chemicals; stick to fresh meats, cheeses, fruits, veggies, and the like. Use the attached links at the bottom of the page titled "Berardi's Kitchen" (parts I and II) to find out exactly which items are in compliance with your new healthy lifestyle. You should aim to consume five to six small meals throughout the day, with each meal containing a lean protein source (chicken, turkey, seafood, or low-fat beef), a fruit, a vegetable, and a healthy unsaturated fat source (like almonds, avocados, coconuts, olive oil, or other assorted nuts). Abstain from all items that are processed, fried, contain refined (white) flour, or sugary. Likewise, seriously limit or completely abstain from alcohol consumption throughout the course of your diet.

3. To track your progress you will need to keep a food journal. This is a simple notebook that contains a list of the foods you consume on each day along with their caloric content. Use an online calorie calculator to determine how many calories you can consume and lose weight. A general rule of thumb is that you need to create a 500-calorie deficit through food restriction and exercise. By writing down everything you eat, it will give you an honest picture of why and when you eat too much.

4. To further combat obesity you will need to institute a regular regime of morning walking or some kind of exercise. At least four days out of the week you will be going on a 30 to 45 minute walk--this should be done the first thing in the morning on an empty stomach. According to nutritionist Dr. Lonnie Lowery, after a long, overnight fast your body is primed to use fat as a fuel source, so you should give it the opportunity by engaging in regular brisk walking nearly every morning.

5. The fourth thing you will need to do is engage in a regular program of resistance training at least three times per week. Resistance training can help to jumpstart your metabolism and help your burn off stubborn fat deposits. While in the gym you should stick to whole body workout sessions using only compound lifts like the leg press, squat, dead-lift, lunges, bench press, overhead press, push-ups, lat pull-down, pull-ups, dips, and rows. Descriptions of these exercises can be found under the attached link titled Exercise List. These are the best "bang-for-your-buck" exercises to lose weight in a hurry, so make them the staple of your training sessions to avoid wasting time in the gym. Three to four sets of eight to ten repetitions for each body part should suffice to get you started losing fat fast.

Source: eHow

Good nutrition and exercise decisions are an important part of maintaining a healthy lifestyle. According to the Calorie Control Council, 65 percent of American adults are overweight as of 2009. Many dieters seek to lose weight by cutting their caloric and fat intake. If you are trying to lose weight, identify the amount of pounds you would like to lose so you can burn the correct amount of calories and fat to meet your goal.

Instructions

1. Eat enough food. Some dieters believe that cutting their food intake dramatically will assist them with burning calories and fat when it usually does the opposite. Keep a daily record of everything you eat and focus on eating 1,200 to 2,000 calories, depending on your height and weight. Consume a diet rich in complex carbohydrates and lean protein as each will give you calorie-burning energy.

2. Do cardiovascular exercise three to five days each week. According to Marie Claire, the body takes 15 minutes to start burning calories, so attempt to exercise at least 30 minutes to an hour. Try workouts such as biking, swimming and running. The American Heart Association suggests staying within your target heart rate---up to 85 percent of your maximum rate.

3. Complete strength training workouts every other day. Introducing weights to your fitness routine will add muscle to your body. According to Mayo Clinic, a regular strength training routine will reduce your body fat and allow you to burn calories faster. Training can be done at a gym or with free weights and machines at your home.

Tips & Warnings

• Consult your physician before starting a new fitness or eating plan as you made need a physical. If you are pregnant or nursing, avoid burning calories and fat for weight loss because you may cut off nutrients to your baby. If you need assistance with correctly using weight machines and free weights, speak to a trainer as you can hurt yourself with improper use.

Source: eHow