7 SIMPLE SLIMMING TIPS

According to diet and exercise expert John Foreyt, here are some "secrets" to losing weight. He admits they're simple, but in his many years of experience, he's found that it's the small changes that make the biggest difference.

1. Sleep -- Get eight hours of sleep a night. Between work, school, and other commitments, this isn't easy. But make it a priority.

2. Breakfast -- Eat breakfast. Mom always said it was the most important meal of the day. She was right.

3. Walk -- Walk briskly for 60 minutes every day. No gym membership or fancy equipment required.

4. Record It -- Write down what you eat. It's the best way to keep track of your food intake.

5. Weigh In -- Step on a scale every day to monitor your progress.

6. Find Support -- There are plenty of local and online support groups that can keep you motivated and moving forward.

7. Persevere -- Never give up.

Wedding Day COUNT-down

My idea for a FITNESS CHALLENGE game to get us all slim, trim and healthy for the wedding. Each of us mentioned in one way or another that we were determined to get “serious” about getting in shape in 2009. So my idea would be that we do it together. It would be really FUN if we had some sort of a Family Web-site or blog…to post our successes, failures, and anything that might help each other along the way. But, sadly, that is not my expertise.

BUT…here’s the plan:

We have 27 weeks to go until Luke & Carissa’s wedding. If we break it into smaller manageable sessions, we can do 3 – nine-week sessions starting tomorrow, Jan. 5^th.

Here’s what I was thinking: everyone commits to a nine-week challenge and a $15.00 Entry Fee (which can be paid at the completion of the session to the winner to be used for a mani/pedi treatment). This way, we have something at stake and something to strive for- besides the obvious of looking and feeling better!

We can all still do whatever “diet” plan we want, but we will earn points for certain things. The person with the most points at the end of 9 weeks wins the pot. Here is a sample of what I am thinking, but I’m open to suggestions, of course. Maybe we can try this for the first 9 weeks (Jan 5 – Mar 8) and then change it up a bit for Session 2.

To earn points:

Sticking to your diet plan - 5 points per day

For each 8 oz of plain water - 2 points

Going a full day w/o pop - 3 points

Each serving (according to the ADA) of veggies - 3 points

Each serving of plain fruit - 2 points

For each 30 min. of exercise – 10 points

And what about this for Bonus POINTS:

15 min.(at keast) if Bible or devotional Reading – 5 bonus points

Getting at least 7 hrs of sleep - 5 bonus points