Excerpt from Chapter 6: WEIGHT LOSS **

Want an effective, low-cost exercise program? If your goal is to control your weight, improve your general health and fitness, try walking every day, combined with two nonconsecutive days of strength training. As discussed previously, walking is an exercise that you can do anywhere, that you can do outdoors or indoors, that requires no special equipment other than a good well-fitting pair of walking shoes, and an exercise that you can do well into your old age. Walking does have a downside. Because it is a relatively low-intensity exercise, to get a good workout you have to spend more time walking compared to most high-intensity exercises.

As good as walking is it does not build upper-body strength. Strengthening exercises also add lean body tissue, i.e., muscle, which increases your basal metabolic rate and helps in your battle to control your weight. For a good low cost strength-building option, try working out at home – with dumbbells. Your workout will take less time because you don�ft have to drive back and forth to a fitness facility and of course working out at home is definitely less expensive than joining a health club.

In short, a comprehensive walking program and workout at home with dumbbells can be the foundation of a total-body workout that can lead to a lifetime of fitness and good health.

Workout to Control Your Weight & Stay Healthy

If your goal is a chiseled body with washboard abs and the endurance and strength of a triathlon athlete, you�fre reading the wrong book. Sure the aerobic and strength routines outlined here will help you get in shape, control your weight and get somewhat stronger – but your body is not going to be transformed into the physique of a world-class athlete.

This chapter is about how you should workout to control your weight, feel good and stay healthy. And you�fre not going to get fit just because you join a fancy health club with lots of high-tech equipment – if you only workout once or twice a week, or every other week. Joining a health club is great – if you use it consistently.

The words that describe our kind of workout are consistent, determined, steady, persistent, dogged, unswerving, gritty, single-minded. Get the point? In our kind of workout, you decide to workout at least five days a week; that an aerobic exercise will form the core of your workout, and that you will incorporate some strengthening exercises two days a week.

After that, it doesn't matter exactly what exercises you choose, what equipment you use, or what facility you use. These are secondary factors. What matters most is that you exercise consistently. To improve muscle tone and overall fitness, feel good and stay healthy, you should exercise at least five days per week, day after day, week after week, year after year – for as long as you are physically able. Remember the key words: consistent, determined, steady, persistent, dogged, unswerving, gritty, single-minded. Consistent!

Of course, there's a bit more involved. To control your weight, feel good and stay healthy, you must also eat properly. That's next in Chapter 4 - NUTRITION FOR WEIGHT CONTROL.

Portion of the section: "Vitamins and Minerals"
The following is a listing of vitamins and minerals complete with a brief discussion of their function in your body, what foods supply the particular micronutrient, and the Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) - which is a reference number developed by the United States Food and Drug Administration to help consumers determine how much of a specific micronutrient a food contains. A summary of the RDAs for vitamins is presented in Table 5.3 (below). (The equivalent table for minerals is not shown in this excerpt.) Notice that RDAs are frequently gender and age dependent, and pregnant and nursing women most often have special micronutrient needs.

Because of the rapid expansion of scientific knowledge regarding the role of micronutrients in human health, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, in partnership with Health Canada, periodically assesses and updates the recommended Daily Values. The following contains the recommended RDAs as of April 2006 for the vitamins and minerals discussed.

>Vitamin A is a collection of fat-soluble compounds that play an important role in vision, bone growth, reproduction, cell division, and help prevent or fight off infections. Vitamin A also promotes healthy surface linings of the eyes, respiratory, urinary, and intestinal tracts, and also helps maintain the integrity of skin and mucous membranes. Using the long-established International Unit (IU) measure for the recommended dietary allowance (RDA), adult men and women need 3,000 and 2,330 IU (as retinol) per day respectively. However, the new RDA measure for vitamin A is the microgram (mcg), which translates for men and women as 900 and 700 mcg per day. Foods rich in vitamin A are orange-colored vegetables such as carrots, sweet potatoes and pumpkin; dark-green-leafy vegetables like spinach, collards and romaine lettuce; and orange-colored fruits such as mango, cantaloupe and apricots; and red peppers and tomatoes. One medium-size carrot supplies approximately 270 percent of your RDA.

Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin. Briefly, vitamin D is important in assisting the absorption of calcium, in forming strong bones and teeth and preventing deficiency diseases such as rickets and osteomalacia. For most adults, an adequate intake of vitamin D is 200 to 600 IU (which is equivalent to 5 to 15 mcg per day). In addition, your body can make vitamin D after exposure to sunshine. Good food sources include salt-water fish such as herring, salmon, sardines and fish-liver oils, as well as fortified milk and cereals. Small quantities are also found in egg yokes, veal and beef. An eight-ounce glass of fortified milk supplies about 25 percent of your daily needs.

The remainder of this discusssion of vitamins is continued in Weight Control - U.S. Edition which also contains an extensive section on minerals.

Weight Control - U.S. Edition - TABLE of CONTENTS (213 pages)

1. INTRODUCTORY THOUGHTS Knowledge Leads to Success (page 14) 2. BEFORE YOU START Begin with a Medical Exam Cardio Self Assessment Take the One-Mile Walking Test What Should You Weigh? Body-Weight Assessment Body-Fat Percentage Body-Mass Index (BMI) Your "Best Weight" Nutrition Assessment Now Set Goals (page 26) 3. EXERCISE FOR WEIGHT CONTROL How to Be More Active How Many Calories Do You Burn? Calories Burned Example Select the Right Exercise Aerobic Exercise: How Hard? Aerobic Exercise: Target Training Zone Aerobic Exercise: Walking Program Get a Pedometer and Step Out Aerobic Exercise: Jogging Program Strength Building Programs Dumbbell Exercises More Strength Exercises Still More Exercises If You Miss a Session Risks & Possible Problems Avoiding Injury An Effective Low-Cost Program Workout to Feel Good & Stay Healthy (page 46) 4. NUTRITION FOR WEIGHT CONTROL What are Nutrients and Phytonutrients? Complete & Incomplete Proteins Why You Need Carbs Glycemic Index Defined Glycemic Load Has More Meaning The Skinny on Fat Cholesterol & Triglyceride Levels Vitamins & Minerals Clarified Phytonutrients: Good Stuff from Plants Guidelines for Healthy Eating Basic Food Groups Vitamin & Mineral Supplements Advice for Seniors Calories, Calories Estimating the Calories in a Meal You need Fiber Water, Water Everywhere Use Salt Sparingly Not Too Much Sugar Common Sense Nutrition Eat Slowly (page 76) 5. WEIGHT MANAGEMENT Conservation of Energy Your Energy Requirements Basal Metabolic Energy Activity Energy & Activity Levels You Generate Heat When You Eat

6. WEIGHT LOSS The Total Weight Control Program Why Are People Overweight or Obese? When Does Weight Change Occur? What About Counting Carbs? What About Weight Watchers' Points? Weight Loss Diet Types What Makes a Good Weight Loss Diet? Weight Loss Math Weight Loss Prediction Tables Select the Correct Weight Loss Prediction Table How to Use the Weight Loss Prediction Tables What If Your Weight Isn't in the Table? Your Daily Calories Can Vary Why Weight Loss Rate Decreases Over Time Weight Variations Due to Water The Weight Loss Plateau Weight Loss Plateau Example Weight Loss Maxims Planning Weight Loss Eating Patterns Set Meals Make Calorie Control Easy Weight Loss Eating Plan Example 900, 1200, 1500, 1800 Calorie Diets Helpful Diet Strategies Exchanging Foods Simple is Better Get a Good Cookbook Estimating Portion Sizes Handling Occasional Overeating Keep a Log of What You Eat Hi-Tech Calorie Control Set a Weekly Calorie Goal Handling Special Situations Chart Your Weight Loss Can You Target Weight Loss? Losing Belly Fat Last On First Off Don't Give Up! (page 110) 7. WEIGHT MAINTENANCE The Total Weight Control Program Why Do People Regain Lost Weight? Weight Maintenance Calorie Tables Weight Maintenance Example Weight Maintenance is a Life-Long Struggle Planning Maintenance Eating Patterns Maintenance Eating Plan Example Use Mini Diets to Maintain Weight Summarize Your Nutritional Needs (page 118) 8. LIFE-LONG WEIGHT CONTROL Set Goals, Plan, Keep a Log Keys to Life-long Weight Control Make It Happen! (page 124) APPENDIX A Weight Loss Tables for Men APPENDIX B Weight Loss Tables for Women APPENDIX C Weight Maintenance Tables for Men APPENDIX D Weight Maintenance Tables for Women BIBLIOGRAPHY (page 204)

Weight Control - U.S. Edition - TABLES and FIGURES Table 2.1:   Your Oxygen Processing Rate vs. Fitness Level Table 2.2:   Percent Body Fat for Men Table 2.3:   Body Mass Index (BMI) vs Height & Weight for Men & Women Table 2.4:   Weight Profile vs. BMI Table 2.5:   Weight Range versus Height for Men Table 2.6:   Weight Range versus Height for Women Table 3.1: CCalories Expended for Different Activities Table 3.2:   Walking Program for Beginners Table 3.3:   Jogging Program for Beginners Table 3.4:   Sample Exercise Log Table 4.1:   Glycemic Rank of Common Foods Table 4.2:   Fats Found in Foods Table 4.3:   RDA for Selected Vitamins Table 4.4:   RDA for Selected Minerals Table 4.5:   Recommended Portion Sizes for Different Food Groups Table 4.6:   Calorie Rank of Basic Foods Table 4.7:   Calorie Rank of Common Foods Table 5.1:   Lifestyle Activity Levels Table 6.1:   Index of Weight Loss Calories Tables for Men Table 6.2:   Index of Weight Loss Calories Tables for Women Table 6.3:   Portion of Table B.1 in Example 6.1 Table 6.4:   Sample Weight Loss Eating Plan Table 6.5:   Sample Weight Loss Eating Plan Worksheet Table 6.6:   900 Calorie Balanced Diets Table 6.7:   1200 Calorie Balanced Diets Table 6.8:   1500 Calorie Balanced Diets Table 6.9:   1800 Calorie Balanced Diets Table 6.10: Sample Daily Food Log Table 7.1:   Index of Weight Maintenance Calorie Tables for Men Table 7.2:   Index of Weight Maintenance Calorie Tables for Women Table 7.3:   Sample Weight Maintenance Eating Plan Table 7.4:   Sample Maintenance Eating Plan Worksheet Table 7.5:   Daily Nutritional Needs of Person in Example 7.3 Table 8.1:   Sample All-In-One Fitness Log Table AA:   Index of Weight Loss Prediction Tables for Men Table BB:   Index of Weight Loss Prediction Tables for Women Table CC:   Index of Weight Maintenance Calorie Tables for Men Table DD:   Index of Weight Maintenance Calorie Tables for Women Figure 3.1:  Dumbbell Exercises (a to c) Figure 3.2:  Dumbbell Exercises (d to g) Figure 5.1:  Forms of Energy Taken In & Expended by the Human Body Figure 6.1:  Human Body Types Figure 6.2:  Number of Days to Lose Next 10 lbs Increases increases

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