Perfect female body?Jennifer Nicole Lee  International fitness model

How to lose weight and tone your body to get a sexy attractive supermodel physique? Girls, do you want to lose weight and tone your muscles to be a sexy fitness model or at least to own a hot and almost, if not perfect female model body fast? Most women will be delighted if they could get the body of supermodel and I am sure that you do too, don't you? However, since most ladies are very busy people, do you have the time to burn off your extra fat and to tone your body to get a slim petite body of a sexy model or even better, become a professional female fitness model yourself?  Before you brush away this burning desire of yours as impossible wishful thinking, why not give yourself a chance to get that attractive body that you wanted so much? Why not let Jennifer Nicole Lee (picture on the left), a world renowned female fitness model coach and an international fitness supermodel herself who has graced numerous glamorous fitness and modeling magazines share with you how to get an attractive female bikini model's body here

You see, fitness models have such sexy attractive and almost perfect bodies that most people believe that these models are some of the healthiest and attractive people in the world and they are not wrong! Fitness models are, undeniably, the embodiment of physically fit people blessed with great health, life full of vigor, vitality and impressively attractive sexy body. So ladies, if you think that you have what it takes to get the body of a beautiful model, here are some suggestions on how to own one. This is getting exciting, isn't it? 

How to lose weight and get a slender, slim and well toned body for women

This is a no brainer - Start by making some time for exercise workouts. Merely putting aside half an hour or so each day for exercise is not too much to ask for, right? Oh....you don't have time to exercise? Then use some ingenuity because you certainly can find some time to workout if you are determined enough in your quest to burn fat and develop beautiful muscle tone. Imagine, how would you feel and look like when you get the perfect body shape that you desire so much? For example, you can find time by waking up an half-hour earlier each morning for that 30 minute jog or simply watch less TV to find more time to exercise or utilising half of your lunchtime hour for some brisk walking. Just be creative and ideas will flow naturally to you. C'mon, why are you still procrastinating? Isn't it simply wonderful that for just 30 minutes a day, you can flatten your tummy in exchange for a sexy slim waist line, get rid of flabby arms, ugly thigh fats and double chins to make you look 10 years younger and healthier? Don't you think it is so exciting to bring out the supermodel physique in you? Or at least get close to that slim toned and petite attractive body look for merely 30 minutes a day? Do you know why so many women failed in losing weight? http://sgfitnessonline.com/womenweightloss.htm Oh....so you think that I am exaggerating. You are thinking, how can it be possible for me to get a fitness model bodyshape when I am so fat and terribly out of shape all my life? Well, just take a good look at the pictures of international model Jennifer Nicole Lee below. Wasn't she fat and utterly out of shape? Then what happened? Simple. She took committed action, refused to be sceptical and transformed her body to international stardom. If Jennifer can do it, then there is no reason why you can't, right? The only thing that can stop you from aquiring a hot and desirably attractive bikini model body is yourself. Your own scepticism and your refusal to take action. So, what do you want to be? Do nothing and stay where you are or pleasantly surprise everybody with with your awesome supermodel physique? I guess that you should know the answer by now, don't you?   

From flab to perfect female body shape - Before and after pics of international fitness model Jennifer Nicole Lee

To lose weight effectively and to get the body shape of a hot sexy female fitness model will eventually require more than just thirty minutes of exercising a day but you have to start slowly and build up your physique phase by phase and lose your fat pound by pound.  Merely losing weight and being slim alone is not the answer in aquiring an irressitibly attractive physique because if you have a pear shaped body, you will only become a smaller pear when you merely lose weight.  Therefore you must also do the correct exercises to sculpt your body to get that fabulously well toned physique. See the picture on the left and you will know what I mean by toning your muscles to get the curves.

Most people tend to admire and look up to girls who are slim and sexy and to males who have well developed muscles. The result is that people have a tendency to start an exercise program not because they want to be healthy and fit but because they want to look like the fitness models that they see on TV and magazines. 

Have you got what it takes to own an attractive and sexy female fitness supermodel body?

However, to be a good fitness model, you should think about exercising your way to a healthier you and not just becoming sexier and physically attractive. With good health, physical attractiveness will come to you as an extra bonus! If you want lose excess weight/fats and tone your body, you must understand that your body is a product of the quality of the food you eat and of the kind of physical exercise efforts you put into attaining your lofty quest. You must make a decisive conscious decision to lead a healthy lifestyle to the best of your ability. Do you have that determination? If you do, then the sexy, desirable and attractive body that you have always wanted will be just around the corner within your grasp. Yes, it is as simple as that. You must understand that eating junk food will give you a junk body and that means that your days of stuffing junk food into your mouth is over. Well, maybe not entirely over because you can of course indulge in your favorite junk food occasionally and sparingly to reward yourself when you are making improvements into getting the body and health that you desire. Correct eating habits and exercising are just the beginning for you to lose weight and tone your muscles to get that hot attractive fitness supermodel body shape. But how to eat correctly and what exercises to do to get the best results quickly and healthily? Well, let Jennifer Nicole Lee, Ms Bikini America, Ms Bikini Universe and Author of the Fitness Model Program show you how to lose weight, tone your body and Get Sexy Perfect Bikini Model's Body Now! 

Five Quick and Easy Weight Loss Steps

1) Cut back on some calories.In general, one pound of body weight is equal to 3500 calories. So if you get an extra 150 calories a day, you will gain about an extra pound in just three weeks! That's just a few cookies a day or maybe an extra dinner roll and helps illustrate how little things can lead to a weight problem.

Although you likely don't need to put your child on a strict diet (or at least you shouldn't without the supervision of your Pediatrician and/or a registered dietician), it should be very easy to trim just 100 or 200 extra calories from your older child's diet.

2) Eat less fast food.Although most fast food restaurants now offer healthy menu choices, most kids opt for high fat and high calorie fast food meals. Although you could search for healthier fast food, like a baked potato, salad, or low fat sandwich, etc., you are usually better off providing your kids with a healthier meal at home.

3) Drink fewer calories.With fruit drinks, fruit juice, soda, and sport's drinks, most kids drink way too many calories. Often, these drinks can be the difference between kids being overweight or at a healthy weight and getting rid of them is a very easy way to eliminate extra calories from your child's diet. Although it is usually considered okay to allow children between the ages of 1 and 6 years to have 4 to 6 ounces and older children to have 8 to 12 ounces of 100 percent fruit juice each day, if they are already overweight, even that may be too much. Better alternatives might be low fat milk (as long as they are over two years old) and water, and even limiting sport's drinks to when your child is involved in vigorous physical activity. Diet drinks can play a role here too, although many parents worry about offering them to children. In this case, you have to consider the unproven risks of artificial sweeteners with the known health problems that are associated with being overweight.

4) Get more active.Kids don't usually find traditional exercise fun. For them, it is more important to simply get them active doing things that they do enjoy. This might include a new team sport, such as baseball or volleyball, an individual sport if they don't like the idea of being a part of a large team, or just unorganized play in the neighborhood riding a bike, skateboarding, or just playing outside.

5) Shop smarter.Although you may not have complete control over everything your kids eat once they leave home, what you buy at the grocery store can help you control what they do eat at home. That doesn't mean that they will eat all of their veggies just because you buy them, but they can't drink soda or eat high fat potato chips if you don't buy them.

Healthy Eating Stay Fit through Good Eatng Habits

Eating is an essential and important part of life. After all, food gives us the calories and nutrients we need to survive and it also provides us with the energy we need to go about our daily business. And, though we often forget to think about it, the food we eat has a direct impact on our physical, mental, and emotional health. For these reasons (and many more!) it is important that healthy eating becomes a vital part of our daily lifestyle. But what exactly is healthy eating? Here are some of the basics that can help get you started on the path to healthy eating.


Most of us are familiar with the term "healthy eating", but few of us are actually sure what it means. There are so many different definitions of the term that it can be very difficult to know exactly when you are eating healthily and when you aren't. Too make it simple, healthy eating involves consuming a diet that combines a balance of all the nutrients that your body needs to function properly. It involves:

• eating three meals and two snacks everyday
• eating a daily diet that incorporates all of the different food groups
• maximizing your intake of essential vitamins and minerals
• minimizing your intake of less beneficial foods (particularly those that are high in saturated or trans fats, salt, or caffeine)

Why Eat Healthy?
You may be wondering what all the fuss is about when it comes to eating healthy. Well, healthy eating has a direct impact on all aspects of our health. Healthy eating can actually help you to:

• maintain an active lifestyle
• improve your immune system and bodily functions
• increase your energy
• improve your mood
• regulate your body weight

Healthy eating has also been proven to reduce the risk of certain diseases, including:

• heart disease
• osteoporosis
• diabetes
• various cancers

The Essential Nutrients
Healthy eating helps to provide your body with all of the essential nutrients that it requires to function. Your body actually needs 40 different nutrients to work properly.

• Water: Water makes up 50% of your total body weight. It helps to provide your cells with energy while removing waste products from the body.
• Electrolytes (3 types): Electrolytes help your cells to function correctly. They work to maintain proper cell pressure, preventing dehydration.
• Vitamins (13 types): Vitamins help your body to regulate chemical reactions. Your body cannot manufacture these vitamins on its own. Instead, vitamins can only be obtained from food.
• Minerals (12 types): Minerals work to regulate various different processes in your body. They also help to form a number of different bodily structures.
• Carbohydrates: Carbohydrates are your body's main energy source. Without carbs, your body won't have enough energy to carry out basic functions.
• Fat: Though often considered a diet no-no, fat is essential to your body. It provides fuel for your muscles and brain, and it is your main energy source during rigorous exercise.
• Protein (9 types): Protein helps to build and repair muscles and tissues throughout your body. It is also a major factor when it comes to regulating hormones and producing red blood cells.

The Food Groups
In order to maintain a healthy diet and to make sure that your body gets all of its essential nutrients, it is important to eat foods from each of the food groups on a daily basis. Often depecited as a food pyramid, the food groups incorporate a variety of different healthy food choices.

• Grains: Grains include all of those foods made from wheat, rice, oats, and cereal grains. They provide you with carbohydrates, fiber, and iron. There are two main types of grains: whole grains and refined grains. Whole grain products include the entire grain sheath, while refined grains have the bran and germ removed during processing. Refined grains are lower in vitamins and fiber than whole grains. It is important to get between 5 and 12 servings of grains each day, with a focus on whole grain products. Servings can include a slice of bread, a cup of cereal, or a bagel.
• Vegetables and Fruit: This category includes all types of fruits and vegetables as well as 100% fruit and vegetable juices. Fruits and vegetables provide you with essential vitamins, including vitamins B and C. Focus on brightly colored fruits and vegetables as these have the most vitamin content. Try to eat between 5 and 10 servings of fruit and vegetables a day. Possible servings may consist of one piece of fruit, half a cup of fruit juice, or one cup of salad.
• Meat and Alternatives: Incorporated in this category are all those foods that are made from meat, poultry, fish, eggs, legumes, nuts, or seeds. These foods provide you with the protein that your body needs. Try to eat between 2 and 3 servings of meat and alternatives every day. A serving might include 3 ounces of lean red meats, poultry or fish, 1 egg, or one-third of a cup of tofu.
• Milk Products: The dairy food group includes products that are made primarily from milk sources, such as milk, yogurt, and hard and soft cheeses. These products provide you with vitamins and minerals, including calcium and vitamin D. Try to get 2 to 4 servings of milk everyday. One serving may consist of one cup of milk, 50 grams of cheese, or three-quarters of a cup of yogurt.

Foods to Limit
Healthy eating does not mean that you have to cut out all of your favorite foods. Instead, it just means incorporating more of your favorite nutritious foods, while limiting some of those less nutritious foods. Try to limit your intake of:

• alcohol
• caffeine
• salt
• sodas
• trans-fats and saturated fats
• added sugars

When you follow a healthy diet, there is room for all foods, including your favorite cake, so long as certain foods are eaten in moderation.

30 ways to look younger today

1. Be sun smart 

You've heard it before, but wearing SPF 15 or 30 every day will keep you looking younger longer. “Sun protection is always key, whatever your age,” says Michael Davis, dermatologist and medical director of dermatology at Spa Medica in Toronto. “Even if sun damage has already occurred, continued use of sunscreen will prevent further damage.” Remember to apply SPF daily to often-forgotten areas, too, such as the neck and décolletage.

2. Clean your face at bedtime 

“Thorough cleansing will prevent pore blockage, which can lead to acne,” says Davis. Whatever your skin type, consider a cleansing oil to remove all traces of waterproof or long-wearing makeup and water-resistant SPF. Believe it or not, it won't clog your pores.

3. Exfoliate 

With the passage of time, our skin's natural renewing ability slows, which can lead to a dull, patchy complexion. Help out with regular use of a gentle exfoliant to clear dead skin cells, smooth the skin's surface and boost circulation. Bonus: Exfoliation will prepare your skin – face and body – for optimal moisture absorption

4. Add serums to your regime 

Serums have a higher concentration of active ingredients. Apply to freshly cleansed skin before moisturizer.

5. Shine 

Crank up skin's luminosity with moisturizers containing light-reflective properties.

6. Banish red 

Hyperpigmented patches or rosacea will add years to your face. Address the issue with anti-redness products.

7. Hydrate your skin 

Combat dryness with moisturizers containing hyaluronic acid (it appears as sodium hyaluronate on the label), a super-hydrating ingredient that binds moisture to the skin. And boost hydration in minutes with a pre-moistened facial mask. These are particularly good if you are prepping for a special event or spend a lot of time in airplanes and your skin feels parched and thirsty.

8. Keep your pucker primed 

For soft, hydrated and kissable lips, wet a washcloth with hot water, wring it out, then use it to buff lips lightly. Follow with lip balm.

9. Don't be afraid of acids 

Look to alpha-hydroxy acids, such as glycolic acid, to help skin shed complexion-dulling dead layers, improve skin's ability to absorb moisturizer and other anti-ageing ingredients, and reduce fine lines. But they can increase sun sensitivity, so use your sunscreen religiously.

10. Target wrinkles 

Retinol reduces the appearance of wrinkles and stimulates collagen production, which helps keep your skin plump and smooth.

11. C the difference 

Vitamin C helps brighten the complexion and firm the skin.

12. Get a faux glow 

Lotions with a hint of self-tanner give you an overall youthful, rested and relaxed glow.

13. Pamper your hands 

Keep them groomed and hydrated; use rubber gloves when dishwashing or housecleaning; keep your cuticles cared for; and wear your nails shorter in a modern, youthful mani. Trade in the tired French manicure for a sophisticated nude shade. And don't forget to slather your hands with sunscreen. “When patients complain about how old their hands look, it's almost always about the freckles and sun spots,” says Spa Medica's Davis.

14. Chop, chop 

“Go no longer than 10 weeks without a trim and avoid stiff hairstyles,” says stylist Jami Symons, owner of Jami Symons salon in Calgary and artistic director for AG Hair Cosmetics.

15. Highlight 

Dark hair against pale skin gets less flattering as we age. Ask your colourist for highlights around your face, or “lighten your base colour a couple of shades,” says stylist Howard Barr, owner of The Howard Barr Studio and Canadian creative consultant for John Frieda hair products. Crank up your hair's shine with DIY shine kits or in-shower glaze treatments.

16. Bang on 

Opt for bangs unless you have a small forehead. “Whatever your age, they soften the face and put the focus on your eyes,” says hair and makeup artist Alexis Jardin. “I like them slightly long, a little past the brows, so you can sweep them to the side to change things up.”

17. Have touchable hair 

A look-younger do should appear effortless, so get a cut that works with your hair's texture and requires little maintenance. If you're a hairspray addict, seek lightweight sprays that hold your style without stiffness or stickiness. And don't be afraid to go big: Voluminous hair is healthy and young-looking. If your locks are on the thin side, work with your stylist to find a cut that makes them look thicker, and stock up on volumizing hair-care and styling products. “Hot rollers in varying sizes set randomly all over your hair will do the trick,” says John Steinberg at John Steinberg and Associates in Toronto.

18. Condition 

Do it regularly, especially if your hair is dry or over-processed. Implement a zero-tolerance policy on split ends. If ignored, they travel up the hair shaft, increasing frizz. And prep with protective serum or spray. Steinberg's conditioning choice: “Kérastase hair care: It's expensive, but so worth it.”

19. Prime 

A foundation primer instantly minimizes large pores and fine lines to smooth skin's surface and help makeup glide on. (Wrinkle or line fillers are essentially primers you tap on over grooves and fine lines to create a wrinkle-reduced surface before you apply makeup.)

20. Lighten up 

Concealer can downplay age-related shadows. Choose emollient formulas a half shade lighter than your skin tone and apply under the eyes and at the base of your nose. Brightener along brow bones, at the inner corners of the eyes and down the nose will make you look perkier instantly.

21. Bat those lashes “Use very black mascara,” says Eddie Maleterre, makeup artist for L'Oréal. “Wiggle the wand at the base of the lashes to make the roots look thick before sweeping the brush to the tips.” And try false lashes at the outer corners of your eyes.22. Take it easy 

“Less makeup is more youthful,” says makeup artist and Cover Girl Pro Paul Venoit. “But it doesn't mean no makeup. Foundation in particular helps gives the complexion a fresher finish.”

23. Leave fluorescents to the kids 

Stick to complexion-flattering palettes that take their cue from your natural skin tone: rosy pink, peach, copper and bronze. That said, if you have an uncontrollable yen for a pop of colour, put the focus on your eyes with a sheer wash of bright shadow on the lid only, or go for a vivid yet sheer lip colour.

24. Wing it 

Heavy eyeliner can make eyes look small. Keep the line thin and work it into the base of the lashes along the upper lid. Winging liner up slightly at the outer corners is an instant eye lift. Ditto, lining only the top lash line. And curl your lashes, too. Your eyes will look bigger and brighter. A curler with a silicone or rubber pad delivers a good curve in one squeeze.

25. Support your arches 

Too-thin brows can make your face look severe. Fill them in with feathery strokes using a matte eyeshadow that matches your hair colour.

26. Cream, please 

Powder blush can settle in fine lines and exaggerate them, while cream blush blends better and gives healthy radiance.

27. Swear off dark matte lipstick 

Instead, opt for creamy formulas with a satiny finish. And use gloss, since shine makes lips look fuller. “I like to mix gloss with lipstick on the back of the hand before applying,” says Maleterre. “It makes the lipstick more sheer and keeps the shine from being too much.”

28. Line subtly 

Obvious lipliner is ageing. Instead, fill your lips in with a clear or nude liner and then blend your lip colour or gloss overtop.

29. Show those pearly whites 

Teeth-whitening kits are budget-friendly and effective if you follow instructions. And take note: “Brushing immediately after consuming teeth-staining food pushes the stain deeper into the enamel,” says the Baltimore-based dentist Michelle Dozier. “Instead, rinse as soon as you can, and brush about 30 minutes later.”

30. Don't overdo it when you dress up 

“If you choose an elaborate hairstyle, tone down the makeup,” says Charla Krupp in her book How Not to Look Old(Springboard Press, 2008, $30). “If you have serious makeup, go with casual hair.”

The Best and easy 7 day diet plan

Dieting has become a fashion and everyone is curious about such fast diet plans. In the effort to shed fat, people want an easy and fast solution that is practical. The basic underlying point here is to consume less and concentrate more in stimulating the body to burn stored fat, so that the weight of the person declines in a steady manner. The seven day plan for dieting stresses upon consuming different types of food every day of the week is practiced by most of them.   The seven day dieting method adds very less calories into your body and so it is not a balanced method of eating food. It may or may not suit different people but if one is really keen in trying it out, the details are mentioned here:   - Diet plan’s first day: On the first day of the plan, the person who is interested in losing weight should consume only juices and fruit. You should avoid fruits that have the ability to add calories to your body like bananas. - Diet plan’s second day: On the second day of the diet plan, the individual is advised to eat whatever vegetables are possible. He/She can also drink vegetable soup. Since, vegetables have high fiber content and no fat content; you can eat as much as possible.   - Diet plan’s third day: During the third day, the person is advised to eat a combination of what he consumed during the first two days – this means, he can eat vegetables, fruits, and vegetable soups. He should not eat bananas as mentioned earlier.   - Diet plan’s fourth day: If you like bananas, you will be happy to know that you are allowed to eat bananas on this day. You can also drink several glasses of milk.   - Diet plan’s fifth day: On this day, you are permitted to eat meat which can include: fish, chicken and beef of three ounces each. You can eat as much green vegetables as possible too.   - Diet plan’s sixth day: You have to eat the same quantity and foods that were mentioned for the fifth day. There is no other change.   - Diet plan’s seventh day: Eat the same amount and variety mentioned for the fifth day.   If you think that you can afford to try this seven day plan, you can try it. It is better that you try this diet plan while you are on a vacation. This will helps your body to concentrate on burning the fat of the body without being bothered by the load of everyday routine functioning. The second benefit is you will not feel weak as you are not exerting yourself too much. The other benefit is you can take some rest as you are not eating carbohydrates which will make you feel more alert. On the other hand, if you think that it is better to follow diet plans that span more number of days and are more flexible with what you can eat, you are welcome to follow it.

10 Tips To Healthy Eating

Experts agree the key to healthy eating is the time-tested advice of balance, variety and moderation. In short, that means eating a wide variety of foods without getting too many calories or too much of any one nutrient. These 10 tips can help you follow that advice while still enjoying the foods you eat.

1. Eat a variety of nutrient-rich foods. You need more than 40 different nutrients for good health, and no single food supplies them all. Your daily food selection should include bread and other whole-grain products; fruits; vegetables; dairy products; and meat, poultry, fish and other protein foods. How much you should eat depends on your calorie needs. Use the Food Guide Pyramid and the Nutrition Facts panel on food labels as handy references.
2. Enjoy plenty of whole grains, fruits and vegetables. Surveys show most Americans don't eat enough of these foods. Do you eat 6-11 servings from the bread, rice, cereal and pasta group, 3 of which should be whole grains? Do you eat 2-4 servings of fruit and 3-5 servings of vegetables? If you don't enjoy some of these at first, give them another chance. Look through cookbooks for tasty ways to prepare unfamiliar foods.
3. Maintain a healthy weight. The weight that's right for you depends on many factors including your sex, height, age and heredity. Excess body fat increases your chances for high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, diabetes, some types of cancer and other illnesses. But being too thin can increase your risk for osteoporosis, menstrual irregularities and other health problems. If you're constantly losing and regaining weight, a registered dietitian can help you develop sensible eating habits for successful weight management. Regular exercise is also important to maintaining a healthy weight.
4. Eat moderate portions. If you keep portion sizes reasonable, it's easier to eat the foods you want and stay healthy. Did you know the recommended serving of cooked meat is 3 ounces, similar in size to a deck of playing cards? A medium piece of fruit is 1 serving and a cup of pasta equals 2 servings. A pint of ice cream contains 4 servings. Refer to the Food Guide Pyramid for information on recommended serving sizes.
5. Eat regular meals. Skipping meals can lead to out-of-control hunger, often resulting in overeating. When you're very hungry, it's also tempting to forget about good nutrition. Snacking between meals can help curb hunger, but don't eat so much that your snack becomes an entire meal.
6. Reduce, don't eliminate certain foods. Most people eat for pleasure as well as nutrition. If your favorite foods are high in fat, salt or sugar, the key is moderating how much of these foods you eat and how often you eat them.
   Identify major sources of these ingredients in your diet and make changes, if necessary. Adults who eat high-fat meats or whole-milk dairy products at every meal are probably eating too much fat. Use the Nutrition Facts panel on the food label to help balance your choices.
   Choosing skim or low-fat dairy products and lean cuts of meat such as flank steak and beef round can reduce fat intake significantly.
   If you love fried chicken, however, you don't have to give it up. Just eat it less often. When dining out, share it with a friend, ask for a take-home bag or a smaller portion.
7. Balance your food choices over time. Not every food has to be "perfect." When eating a food high in fat, salt or sugar, select other foods that are low in these ingredients. If you miss out on any food group one day, make up for it the next. Your food choices over several days should fit together into a healthy pattern.
8. Know your diet pitfalls. To improve your eating habits, you first have to know what's wrong with them. Write down everything you eat for three days. Then check your list according to the rest of these tips. Do you add a lot of butter, creamy sauces or salad dressings? Rather than eliminating these foods, just cut back your portions. Are you getting enough fruits and vegetables? If not, you may be missing out on vital nutrients.
9. Make changes gradually. Just as there are no "superfoods" or easy answers to a healthy diet, don't expect to totally revamp your eating habits overnight. Changing too much, too fast can get in the way of success. Begin to remedy excesses or deficiencies with modest changes that can add up to positive, lifelong eating habits. For instance, if you don't like the taste of skim milk, try low-fat. Eventually you may find you like skim, too.
10. Remember, foods are not good or bad. Select foods based on your total eating patterns, not whether any individual food is "good" or "bad." Don't feel guilty if you love foods such as apple pie, potato chips, candy bars or ice cream. Eat them in moderation, and choose other foods to provide the balance and variety that are vital to good health.

Figuring Out Fat

With so much information available about the effects of dietary fat on health, understanding the role fat plays in a well-balanced diet can be pretty confusing. To cut through the confusion, it's important to remember that fat is an essential nutrient that everyone needs to stay healthy.
Fat is a valuable energy source and carries fat-soluble vitamins needed for proper growth and development. It also contributes important taste and textural qualities that are part of enjoying food.
Too much fat, however, can increase the risk of heart disease, obesity and other health problems. When moderating fat intake, it's important to consider these points:

• Health authorities recommend Americans consume 30 percent or less of their total daily calories from fat, with 10 percent or less of those calories from saturated fat. Remember, the 30 percent refers to your total fat intake over time, not single foods or meals. Use the following chart to guide your fat intake.
• If you eat this Total fat Total saturated
  number of calories per day fat per day
  per day: (grams) (grams)
  
  1,600 53 or less 18 or less
  2,000 65 or less 20 or less
  2,200 73 or less 24 or less
  2,500 80 or less 25 or less
  
• Use the Nutrition Facts panel on the food label to help determine how much fat is in foods. Remember, it's the total fat intake over time that's important. A food high in fat can be part of a healthy diet as long as it's balanced with other lower-fat food choices.
• All fats are a combination of saturated, polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fatty acids. Each of these types of fats have different effects on the body, but all contain nine calories per gram.
• Blood cholesterol levels are influenced by family history, weight, age, smoking, physical activity and eating habits. Studies have shown that diets which are too high in certain saturated fatty acids and dietary cholesterol can raise blood cholesterol.

The Food Guide Pyramid

The Food Guide Pyramid is a practical tool to help you make food choices that are consistent with the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. Using the Pyramid enables you to eat a variety of foods daily so that you can get the nutrients you need.
To make the most of the Pyramid, you need to know what counts as a serving.

• Food Group--Serving Size
• Bread--1 slice bread, 1\2 bagel or English muffin, 1 ounce ready-to-eat cereal, 1\2 cup cooked cereal, rice or pasta, or 5-6 small crackers
• Vegetable--1 cup raw, leafy vegetables, 1\2 cup cooked or chopped raw vegetables or 3\4 cup vegetable juice
• Fruit--1 medium piece of fruit, 1\2 cup mixed fruit or 3\4 cup fruit juice
• Milk--1 cup milk or yogurt, 11\2 ounces natural cheese or 2 ounces process cheese
• Meat--2 - 3 ounces cooked lean meat, poultry or fish (about the size of a deck of cards)
• Other foods which count as 1 ounce meat: 1\2 cup cooked dry beans, 1 egg, 2 tablespoons peanut butter or 1\3 cup nuts.

14 simple tricks for lasting weight loss: lose 5-40 pounds

You can lose about 1 pound every two months by achieving a caloric deficit of only 60-100 calories a day. Here are four really simple, fun and delicious changes in habit that will get you there easier.

1. Beware the burger blast. Make your own burgers at home with a cut of beef called round or a round steak (the butcher can grind it into hamburger for you). The best part? It's as lowcal as skinless chicken. Or use lean ground beef (95 percent lean or better) for a skinny burger with 400 instead of about 500 calories for standard ground beef.

2. Add the whipped cream. Instead of ice cream (350-500 calories per cup), combine a cup of fresh or frozen sweet pitted cherries with 1/4 cup canned whipped cream for a sweet, creamy dessert with just 140 calories.

3. Eat more pizza. Instead of ordering takeout pizza (two slices of Pizza Hut's Stuffed Crust Pepperoni Pizza pack 720 calories, 32 grams of fat and 2,240 milligrams of sodium!), fill your freezer with healthful frozen pizzas containing no more than 600 calories and 10-15 grams of fat per pie (e.g., Lean Cuisine and Healthy Choice brands).

4. Drink up. Have a glass of water with lunch or dinner every other day instead of a soda or an alcoholic drink and you can lose 7-15 pounds a year. To stay full, eat plenty of foods high in water, including fresh fruits, vegetables and healthful (lowfat, low-sodium) soups.

Lose 11-20 pounds (or more) in a year!

This will take a caloric deficit of about 100-200 a day. You can live with that! Try these three tips.

5. Fish for health. Instead of a 6-ounce steak (550 calories), enjoy tuna (250-300 calories) or salmon (350 calories). If you eat fish instead of red meat four times a week, you'll save 200-300 calories each time, or up to 1,200 calories a week. Besides being lower in fat, seafood is also high in omega-3 fatty acids, which lower cholesterol and reduce risk for heart disease. Choose grilled, broiled or steamed fish and avoid fried or blackened versions, which pack in extra fat.

6. Snack more for fewer calories. People who snack all day find it easier to lose weight because they actually take in fewer calories. Enjoy healthful snacks like apple slices spread with 1 tablespoon peanut butter (about 160 calories) or 1 ounce lowfat cheese with a piece of fresh fruit (about 130 calories.) Both snacks provide natural sugars to satisfy your sweet tooth plus fiber and protein to keep you full. Opting for healthful, filling snacks that keep you away from vending-machine versions packing 250-500 empty calories each will save you thousands of calories a month.

7. Mine sweep for calorie bombs. Losing weight is not about discipline or willpower, it's about taking charge of your environment. So get rid of all that high-fat, high-calorie junk in your kitchen and replace it with healthful, lowfat fare.

Lose 21-30 (or more) pounds in a year!

Create a 200- to 300-calorie deficit per day using these five tips and watch the pounds melt off!

8. Cook with nonstick pans and spray. Make every meal in a nonstick pan, and you'll automatically save 100 calories every time by eliminating the butter, margarine or oil used to grease the pan. When sauteing or frying, simply coat nonstick pans with a spritz of vegetable oil cooking spray (0 calories). Always use fresh, full-flavored ingredients, and you wont need fattening butter or oil to add flavor. Talk about a painless way to lose weight!

9. Savor each bite. Eat more slowly to let satiety register -- it takes your stomach 20 minutes to send "full" signals to the brain. You'll save 100 calories each time you stop eating when you're almost full instead of eating until you're stuffed (about 200 calories a day).

10. Eat by the clock. Believe it or not, the biggest cause of Believe it bingeing is undereating. Your body gets hungry every three to five hours, so you need to eat five to six healthful, lowfat mini meals daily to stay full and curb cravings. Cut nighttime snacks and say adios to 15 pounds a year; have a fruit snack instead of a vending-machine snack and subtract 20 pounds; plan meals ahead and knock off 22-30. (For a complete guide on grazing via mini meals, including yummy recipes, see next month's issue.)

11. Use the dilution solution. Love regular soft drinks but hate the pounds the sugar packs on? (A 32-ounce soda has about 400 calories!) Do as my friend Linda does and cram your cup with ice every time you have a soda, and you'll drink at least half as much. For Linda, that meant consuming about 200 fewer calories every other day. After a period of time her taste buds adapted. so all she really wanted was sparkling water. By making this one simple shift from soda to sparkling water, she cut 400 calories a day.

12. Defrost the freezer. Forget all the nasty things you've heard about frozen dinners! Supermarkets stock hundreds of lowfat and delicious frozen meals -- from meatloaf and mashed potatoes to Thai and Indian cuisine. Just add vegetables and fruit to boost nutrients. You'll save 300-500 calories every time you prepare a frozen dinner instead of ordering fast food or cooking a high-fat meal. Enjoy four frozen dinners a week and lose a minimum of 18-30 pounds a year.

Lose 31-40 (or more) pounds in a year!

With these three easy tips, you'll have no trouble reaching even a big weight-loss goal in 12 months.

13. Shop by the book. Make weekly shopping a habit by setting a specific day and time when you can always go. Without healthful foods on hand, you may be tempted to improvise by hitting fast-food and convenience stores, where nearly everything is high-fat and high-calorie. Good grocery-shopping skills are the flip side of good meal-management skills. One of my clients saved at least 400 calories per meal by incorporating just this one change and lost 30 pounds in less than a year!

14. Keep "happy hour" at home. Spend a few hours at a bar on Friday night, and you could easily consume 3,000 calories in drinks (300 calories per mixed drink) and snacks (an order of nachos has 2,100 calories). For a healthy happy hour at home that has just 750 calories (you'll save 2,250 calories a week), stock up on sparkling water or wine and create a lowfat feast. Chef Patrick O'Connell's Charcoal-Grilled Salmon in a Mustard Crust (see next page) can be turned into hors d'oeuvres.