Are you Almost There?

Why can't you lose those last ten pounds? You cleaned up your diet and started eating whole grain foods. You walked, jumped, leaped and sweated off twenty pounds or more. Now, just ten more to go and you will reach your goal weight........(crickets)......Stepping on the scale every morning for the last three weeks and it has not budged. "What's up?"

You are not alone. We all have reached a plateau at some point. The last ten pounds are harder to lose than the first ten or twenty. The reason is, for every pound you lose your metabolism slows down by up to 20 calories per day. The slimmer you become, the less calories you burn.

To adjust for this change, you must rev up your cardio workout. Start doing cardio workouts 4 or 5 times a week instead of just 3. Increase your intensity and burn more fat using interval training. Incorporate low, moderate and vigorous cycles in your workout. Power walk by pumping your arms when walking outside or on a treadmill. Change your workout music to tunes with a faster beat and try to keep pace.

Remember, if you keep doing things the same old way, you will continue getting the same old results. So change your workout routine often to avoid the plateau effect.

If you had success reaching your goal weight, what helped you lose your last ten pounds? I invite your comments.                                                      .                                                                                                                                                                                                         

Lose Weight By Reading Nutrition Labels

According to a new study, just by taking an extra minute to read the nutritional labels on food purchases could help you lose nearly 10 pounds. A United States National Health Survey examined 25,000 consumer's shopping and eating habits. After analyzing the results, the study found on average, women who read the nutritional facts weighed up to nine pounds less than women who did not check the label on their favorite foods.      
      
First they analyzed those who read the nutritional label when purchasing foods, then they moved on to the relationship with their weight. Women who read labels had a body mass index 1.48 points lower than other women, meaning they had less body fat proportional to their height and weight.
    
Fifty eight percent of men read food labels as opposed to 74 persent of women, according to the research. The men who read food labels had a body mass index of 0.12 points lower than men who did not read the labels.
  
In summary, if we take the time to read nutritional labels, we can make informed healthy food choices that enable us to lose weight and keep it off.