How to Get Fit

I recently cleared out my video and DVD collection and got rid of most of my workout programs. The ones I liked, I watched so often I don’t need the videos any longer to do the routines. And, the ones I didn’t like, never came out of their boxes.

One of the reasons I felt comfortable parting with these tapes is because I have found a terrific replacement with video podcasts on iTunes. Now, I don’t have to waste space storing videos and DVDs, and I can mix up my routines by simply downloading different video podcasts.

Energy In, Energy Out

When it comes to body weight, remember this: 1 pound = 3500 calories. For every pound you want to lose, you must burn 3500 calories worth of energy. The only way to do that is to move more.

Walking is one of the best forms of exercise. It uses up oxygen, causing your body to burn stored fat. For example, you'll expend about 100 calories by walking a mile. That might not seem like a lot at first, but just think about it. Most people average just under 3 miles through the course of their day. If you add an enjoyable morning jaunt or a brisk evening walk you could easily move 4 miles a day. If you walk 4 miles 4 times a week, you can burn 1600 calories! That's half a pound of fat gone. Add more steps to your day while making sure not to eat more calories than you use, and your body can't help but trim down.

Walking also strengthens muscles, which tones and shapes your body. The increased muscle mass boosts your metabolism. This means you burn calories long after you stop moving. And you don't have to get all of your walking in at once. If you don't have time for long walks, find pockets of time throughout your day for short jaunts.

1. Find a Walking Route Near You
2 Walk with a friend
3. Track How Far You Walk
4. Create a Personalized Walking Calendar
5. Calculate Your Calories Burned

Healthy eating is not about strict nutrition philosophies, staying unrealistically thin, or depriving yourself of the foods you love. Rather, it’s about feeling great, having more energy, and keeping yourself as healthy as possible – all which can be achieved by learning some nutrition basics and incorporating them in a way that works for you.

LOS ANGELES (AP) - Low-fat, low-carb or high-protein? The kind of diet doesn't matter, scientists say. All that really counts is cutting calories and sticking with it, according to a federal study that followed people for two years. However, participants had trouble staying with a single approach that long and the weight loss was modest for most.

As the world grapples with rising obesity, millions have turned to popular diets like Atkins, Zone and Ornish that tout the benefits of one nutrient over another.

Some previous studies have found that low carbohydrate diets like Atkins work better than a traditional low-fat diet. But the new research found that the key to losing weight boiled down to a basic rule - calories in, calories out.

The Mayo Clinic warns that people with a normal body mass index (BMI) may still need to be concerned about obesity.

BMI is the ratio of height to weight, and it is often used to determine whether or not someone is overweight. Dr. Francisco Lopez-Jimenez and colleagues at the Mayo Clinic recently reported that people with normal BMIs that still have excess body fat were more likely to have high cholesterol and extra body fat, which are both characteristics of metabolic syndrome.

Breakfast - 400 calories

Snack - 100

Lunch - 400

Snack - 100

Dinner - 500

Snack - 100

Total = 1600 Calories

Body Mass Index (BMI) is a number calculated from a person's weight and height. BMI provides a reliable indicator of body fatness for most people and is used to screen for weight categories that may lead to health problems.