Running The Marathon? - Diet And Exercise Do's And Don't's.

By Katalyn Louis Parks

Dieting and exercise are exactly the same as giving up smoking or alcohol: you have to want to do it. Because if you don’t want it to happen, it won’t, and it’s as simple as that. The very thought that your mind could condition your life in this way gives you the opportunity to make anything happen. So, if you want something to happen, it will. But then, here’s the problem: I want to be thin and healthy, but I don’t want to stop eating or start moving! So I find the best way to get into shape, for lazy bastards like myself, is to gradually get there, step by step.

I find that by making a few small changes, this makes the change from lazy to active less noticeable. Instead of vowing to run a mile each day, just vow to get up earlier than usual and walk to work instead of driving or taking the bus, because let’s face it, this isn’t only an advantage to your waistline, but to the environment too. Another small change you can make is drinking more water, and I know you’re tired of hearing this, but it’s true. But for those of you who are a little more daring, go for fruit juices or even vegetable juices. As long as the drink doesn’t have caffeine or alcohol it’s fine -- because caffeine and alcohol dehydrate you and slow down your system, meaning anything that goes in your mouth isn’t processed properly. Another advantage to drinking more water is that a lot of people sometimes misinterpret thirst for hunger and eat more and more, when all they really need is a glass of water.

Portion sizes are very important, and unlucky for big eaters, a new craze that’s come about in the world of dieting is the portion diet. You can eat whatever you want, just less of it in a day. The idea behind this diet is that because your stomach is merely the size of your fist (smaller than you thought?) you should therefore only eat handfuls of food every time you eat. Having more than a handful of food is too much for your stomach and therefore it will take longer to digest. You don’t need to eat more than this in one meal time, so don’t overestimate your limit!

Another small change to your diet could be eating four meals rather than three (I like this one). Now that we’ve changed the portion size, you’re probably going to get very hungry between meals for at least the next two weeks after starting to diet, just as your body gets used to it. This means that eating more frequently will help the hunger pangs. Three hours after eating, your body goes into ‘starvation mode’. The food has been processed and emptied out of the stomach and into your intestines where it will be further processed for a good while yet, however while nothing’s in your stomach, it suddenly starts to sing. The growling of your stomach is a sign to eat, and I don’t think you should eat otherwise because this probably means you’re not hungry and therefore eating for comfort or boredom! Eating every three hours keeps your metabolism up and your tummy nice and satisfied, so you’ll feel less need for food and generally, more active.

And let’s not forget exercise! Remember, you only really need to get 30 minutes of exercise a day, so don’t kill yourself trying to run a marathon because you just don’t need to. Half an hour a day will keep your fitness at a healthy level, and once you’re used to this, you could even try and push the boat out a little. Exercise could be anything like climbing stairs, walking the dog, jogging, swimming, yoga, or even sex!

So, making these small changes to your life will vastly improve your fitness and not only will you look great, but you’ll feel great too. It’s such a cliché, but it’s also very true. Remember to speak to a doctor before making any changes to your lifestyle or diet, and remember to allow your body at least two weeks to adjust to each change made in your diet or exercise regime. Good luck!

Katalyn Louis Parks is a part time journalist and screenwriter.

Article Source: http://www.ArticleBiz.com