Sunny kids

71.

And if you can’t run, try walking. 15 minutes of brisk walking a day is enough to keep most fit.



72.

Any distance is walkable if you have the time, so consider walking to places that you would normally drive (such as work or the market if they’re not too far away). It may take you longer, but the health benefits will last you a lifetime.



73.

It sounds strange, but some people have reported that they lost more weight when they drank black coffee before a workout. While there’s no hard data to support this, nutritionists speculate that the caffeine in coffee makes the body rely more on fat for fuel during the work out. It’s worth trying!



74.

Here’s a corollary to the tip above: Avoid drinking coffee in excess, as it tends to desensitize your body to the fat burning effects of caffeine.



75.

Stop using remote controls. Remote controls are the bane of a prospective weight loser. They may be remarkable gadgets by themselves but from the weight loss point of view, they just aren’t very helpful.

They really encourage us to take a laid back kind of attitude towards life itself. In fact if remote controls were not there, the television would not have become so popular. It is because of remote controls that people can remain where they are and switch from one channel to the other. And they only have to twitch a finger muscle to achieve this.

Now, I have nothing against multi channel television sets but what I strongly advocate is that you get up from where you are and change the channel of the TV each time you want to do so.

The same thing holds true for other remote controls as well. As it is we have remote controlled TVs, DVD players, A/Cs, garage doors, gateways and what not. The next thing we know is that we will have remote controlled people as well.



76.

Do things like fetching, turning things off and on by yourself. Often when we come back tired from work, we tend to get others to do simple chores for us. These things are no big deal. They are things that we can very well do for our selves but we don’t.

That is why we often ask our kids to fetch us this or take away that.

Training your pet is a wonderful thing indeed. It is quite remarkable how some people get their dogs to fetch them something. But the fact is that while you may be making sure that your dog is getting a lot of exercise, you are neglecting your bit of the story.



77.

Here’s a pop quiz. Escalators help us to:

1. Move up and down faster
2. Gain weight
3. Stand stupidly as they move up and down
4. Look down at other people when you are going down
5. Look up to others when we are going up

You have to pick the correct answer from the 5 alternatives given. You can see for your self that all the options are in a way correct. So the next time you travel on an escalator, don’t just stand there...climb up or down along with it. (Or better yet, take the stairs.)



78.

During commercial breaks walk about. If you want to sit all evening with your eyes glued to the tube, then do so. But at least spare your eyes the agony of a commercial break.

When the next commercial flashes on screen, instead of surfing, get up and take a walk. Reach over and try to touch your toes or do any such simple exercise that will at least get the blood flowing in your veins.



79.

Wriggle your toes and your fingers whenever you can. This too is a stress buster and it gives you a chance to at least work your hand and leg joints. This will tell you how sore they are and if their condition is so bad, just think of the rest of your body.



80.

Turn on music and dance like wild. Let your hair down once in a while. Go back to the days of wild child hood. Close the door of your room, turn on your sound system to the highest volume possible (but a little lower than the level at which your neighbors start to complain) and then do the wackiest dance that you can think of. Jump on your bed and jump off it again.

Roll all over the floor. Pretend that you are Michael Jackson or Madonna (you will never see them keeping still) and do ever boogie move that you know.

81.

Carry a soft flying disc or Frisbee with you. Toss it around and get up to fetch it. This is also an excellent way to beat stress. It makes a person feel good to throw something away forcefully when the person is all worked up. And the thing that you throw is something soft and can’t damage anything, then what is stopping you?

It is not really the throwing part that we are interested in. It is the fetching part. Each time you get up to fetch it back; you are giving yourself a chance to stretch those muscles and joints



82.

Get down at a block before your destination and walk the rest of the way. You might not have time to fit in long walks in your busy schedule so this is one way of ensuring that you at least get to walk for a little bit every day. If you take the bus or the subway, get down at an earlier station and see if you can walk the rest of the way.

If you drive to work, see if you can get space in a parking lot that is a little away from your office.



83.

When nobody is watching try doing pelvic gyrations. If you take a moment to observe it you will see that it is the mid section of our body that gets the least bit of exercise and that is probably why the signs of weight gain are mostly seen there.

It is the same reason why we find it very difficult to lose weight in that section. So the best thing that you can do is consciously try to give that part a little bit of exercise.

Stomach crunches might be too strenuous an exercise to start off with but gyrations are relatively mild. Pelvic gyrations make you thrust your midsection towards all directions and this is the best way of tightening every muscle in that mid section and that is of course what weight loss is all about.



84.

Tuck in your tummy whenever you walk. Get that proper gait. And the best way for that is to tuck in your tummy and inflate your chest. Do not let your tummy hang above your belt line like some unruly layer of flesh. Bring it under the belt.

Each time you tuck in your tummy, you will feel the pressure on the muscles of your stomach. This tightening and loosening of these muscles is even better than stomach crunches.



85.

Try breathing exercises. You might be surprised to know that breathing exercises too can lead to weight loss. If you are doing the breathing exercises properly, you will find that you can exert a lot of pressure on the muscles around the mid section.

You can feel a tightening of these muscles each time you breathe in or breathe out. So go ahead and breathe properly, it is good for you.



86.

Try yoga. Yoga is one of the best ways of losing weight. Of course I can’t go into a full lecture about yoga over here but I can tell you that I have never seen people with better-toned bodies than those who practice yoga.

One of the benefits of yoga is that you learn to control virtually every muscle and joint of your body so that the issue of weight gain will cease to exist.



87.

Try massaging your partner. This is a fun way to lose weight. It is something that can give your partner a lot of pleasure and at the same time can give you a lot of exertion there by leading to weight loss.

The attitude over here should of course be you scratch my back I will scratch yours. It should not be a one sided effort or else the interest will soon dwindle.

In fact it is a good idea if couple take up weight loss routines together. They can keep watch over each other, help control those urges to eat and motivate each other to stick to the routine.

There are a lot of things that couples can do together that can help them to keep physically active.



88.

If you can’t think of any thing else to do try punching your pillow. Now here’s another one of those weird ideas but believe me it works. Not too many of us have punching bags at home and if you have really fluffy pillow giving it a good punching routine is just as good as anything else.

This is also a nice way of letting off steam so go for it. After all something is better than nothing. But I would suggest that you do not hit it too violently or else the stuffing might come out. Do not bother too much about the force with which you hit the pillow. It is number of hits that are important. Try to get at least fifty punches in one bout.

I would like to give you a little tip over here. If there is somebody that you particularly dislike like your boss or your neighbor, or may be your ex boy friend or girl friend, try fixing a picture of the persons head on the top of your pillow and then try punching it. I promise you, it will give you a lot of satisfaction.



89.

Instead of waddling up and down the staircase, try taking them two at a time. Now this is something that you have to be careful about because we do not want you to trip. So when you do this make sure that your feet are well and truly planted on each step before you increase the beat and try two at a time.



90.

If you have a dog, take it for a run and let the dog lead you on. You will be surprised as to how much exercise a dog can give you.

Animals are sensible enough to know that they need a lot of exercise so let your animal lead you on. Take your pet dog out for as walk and before you know what hit you, it will turn out to be a run.

91.

Join a dance class. Dancing is a wonderful way to burn off those extra calories. It is true. When you dance you are in fact burning away a lot of calories. Of course we are not referring to the slow ballroom kind of dances in which one person actually leans on the other one for support. We are talking about fast dances.

The best way to do it is by joining a dance class because they will really wok you out. But I would suggest that you wait for a couple more pounds to vanish before you think of becoming a ballerina.



92.

Whenever you can, lean against a wall with your hands flattened against the wall and in such a way that your face is very close to the wall. Then use you hands to push your body away from the wall. Do this two or three times at a stretch.


93.

If there is a pool nearby go for swims as often as you can, swimming is one of the best exercises. Water has a lot of advantages. And if nothing else, a cool dip in a pool is a wonderful stress reliever.



94.

Try playing something like table tennis or basket ball. Games are a fun way to lose weight. It is much more exciting to play a game than just work out by yourself. The best thing about games is that they are addictive. Once you start playing you will soon end up with a friends’ circle and then the playing goes on without even you knowing it.

It is something that you can look forward to and there is no stress involved in this program. In fact the more you play the less you will consider this to be a part of your weight loss program. As you burn away those calories, you will also be able to expand your social circle.



95.

Any work out should start with a 5 to 10 minute warm up and should end with a 5 to ten minute cool down session. Whatever physical exercise you are involved in, you must remember to warm up before the exercise really starts. Do not just plunge into the water and start thrashing about, to put it figuratively.

Your body needs to reach a certain level of readiness before it can actually start responding to exercise. And this readiness is achieved by the warming up process.



96.

Do not carry your mobile phone around but leave it a place where you can hear it ringing. In this way you make sure that you at least get up and walk towards it. This might sound sill but I really mean it. You need a reason to keep yourself going.

Life today has become so easy that we have every thing at our fingertips. All we have to do is push a button here and push a button there. The only things that get any exercise at all are our fingers. Years ago Charles Darwin put forward a theory of use and disuse.

According to this theory, a certain part of the body that is put to constant use develops a lot and a certain part of the body that has no use at all becomes smaller and smaller and gradually ceases to exist.

Certain examples that he quoted were the long neck of the giraffe, which appeared to become longer and longer when the giraffe stretched higher and higher to reach the leaves at the treetops. He quoted the example of the absence of a tail in human beings to illustrate the example of the theory of disuse.

Now if Darwin’s theory were to prove true, as the years go by man is likely to end up with just a huge head, a few fingers and maybe some other parts of the body that are also put to use.

That is why I made it a point to say that you have to drive your self to move about. A cell phone may be convenient, but the same thing can turn out to simplify life just a little too bit. There are other arguments against the use of cell phones but that is beside our topic.

What I would suggest is that at home or in your office, leave the cell phone lying about so that you can hear it ring, but can’t just reach into your pocket and answer it. See to it that you have to actually stand up and walk a few steps before you can pick it up.



97.

While traveling in an elevator instead of just standing there and staring stupidly at the numbers going up or down, try raising your self onto your toes and then back on your feet again. Do this several times. Also try flexing your buttock muscles as well.

In fact there are many muscles in our body that we can twitch and flex without inviting the attention of others. Even if others do notice you, its no big deal provided you are flexing a muscle in a decent part of the body. (Most of the other parts do not have muscles any way.) Others might brand you as a health freak but it is miles better to be known as a heath freak than as a sack of potatoes.



98.

Undress and stare at yourself in front of your mirror. If what you see displeases you, then you have all the more reason to work out. Try tucking in the extra fat in all those wide areas, this will give you an idea of which part you need to be working on.

Turn to you side and get a very good view of your side profile. This is an excellent way of checking whether you have a tummy that is starting to bulge or has bulged already.

Try pulling in air and then take a look at your tummy, if it has gone in even a little bit, there is hope for you. If you start now, you can control it where it is now and may be if you really set your mind to it, you can lose a couple of inches in a just a few weeks.

Weighing your self on your bathroom scales is a good idea but personally I would recommend this mirror viewing. To be very frank, a few pounds gain may shock you but does not really disgust you. But a flabby figure and extra fat certainly will.



99.

If you have a banister rail or a balustrade that will support you, sit on it and pump your legs as if you are riding a bicycle, taking care not to fall off of course.

This might sound like another crazy idea and I don’t want to argue with you about that. I just want to tell you that by doing such crazy things, you are in fact not missing a single chance to lose those extra pounds. It is a way of keeping your mind alert all the time. Every thing must look like an opportunity to you.



100.

Do not slouch in your chair but try to maintain an erect posture with your tummy tucked in. Slouching is a very bad habit. Not only is it bad for your back but it also gives you a very flabby figure. It is your way of saying yes to a comfortable, weight-gaining pose.

Make it a point to always sit as erect as you can. It is also a terrific way to ward off back problems.



101.

Psst. I would like to let you in on a secret. As it is I understand that most of us tend to put on weight particularly in the mid section, right. It is the tummy that seems to have a mind of its own. Well I will tell you a sure shot method to reduce the flab around the waist line. Mind you this doesn’t hold true for post pregnancy tummies. This is what you have to do.

Breathe in air as strongly as you can and as you do so, tuck in your tummy as much as you can. Hold it like this for a few seconds and then slowly release your breath taking care not to let out your tummy. Try to keep breathing like this at least fifty or sixty times in a day.

In fact breathe like this whenever you can remember to do so. After the first day, you should feel the muscles of your stomach tightening each time you do this. Then you know that you are on the right track. If you practice this without fail for 20 days, at the end of the twentieth day, you will have lost at least an inch.

Below I have included a table of the various exercises and the number of calories that can be burnt with each exercise. Choose what you can do best and choose something that you will enjoy doing on the long run as well.

The choice of the exercise is completely left to you but try to do whatever you wish to do for at least twenty minutes. It is only after you do the exercise for twenty minutes that the actual calorie burning sets in.

Aerobics - 200-250 calories
Bicycling - Stationary 250-300 calories
Bicycling - Actual 300-400 calories
Running - 5-6 mph 300-350 calories
Stair climber - 200-250 calories
Swimming laps - 350 calories
Walking briskly - 150-180 calories

Approximate energy content per food
Foodstuff Energy
(kcal) Foodstuff Energy
(kcal)
Carrot 40 Chicken Leg 100-120
Slice of bread 50 Bottle of beer 115
Potato or Orange 60 Grilled fish, 100g 130
Slice of cheese 50-70 Pork Chop 270
Glass of milk 100 Piece of cake 300
Egg 100 Chocolate, 100g 500
Butter, spoonful 110 Hamburger 510
Chips, 100g 600


Energy needs by age group
Age (yrs)
Women MJ/day
average Range Kcal/day
average Range
11 - 14 8.4 6.1 - 10.7 2000 1450 - 2550
15 - 18 9.0 6.5 - 11.6 2150 1550 - 2750
19 - 30 8.6 7.5 - 9.6 2050 1800 - 2300
31 - 60 8.4 7.7 - 9.0 2000 1850 - 2150
61 - 75 7.7 7.1 - 8.4 1850 1700 - 2000
> 75 7.1 6.5 - 7.7 1700 1550 - 1850
Men
11 - 14 9.9 7.4 - 12.4 2350 1750 - 2950
15 - 18 11.6 8.2 - 14.9 2750 1950 - 3550
19 - 30 11.8 10.7 - 12.8 2800 2550 - 3050
31 - 60 11.3 10.5 - 12.2 2700 2500 - 2900
61 - 75 9.7 8.8 - 10.5 2300 2100 - 2500
>75 8.4 7.5 - 9.2 2000 1800 - 2200