CHAPTER 1

History

I was born in 1952 a large baby 8lbs plus, I was overweight mywhole life. I always thought I was born fat and would die fat. Inmy early years I was taught bad eating habits. I was told to be afootball player I had to eat, but I wasn't taught my weight had tomatch my height. I was considered chubby up and through the8th grade, I was always considered by the weight chart as being30 pounds overweight. In the 9th grade I discovered barbells,and started a weight training program (lifting weights and adiet program), which in those days wasn't popular yet. I wasable to turn the 30 pounds of overweight fat to lean muscle.I was able to maintain this up through high school at around200 pounds. I was 5 ft. 9 in. tall and according to the heightand weight chart I should have weighed 168 pounds. In mytwenty's I wanted to increase my lifts, but I didn't want to useany drugs or supplements, so I just ate well. My weight jumpedup to 230 pounds but was lean and a good weight, and at thatweight I could bench press 460 pounds. In my late twenty'sI got lazy and stopped my weight training program, but didnothing to curb my bad eating habits. I continued eating as ifI was still exercising, I gained another 40 pounds and in mythirty's I maintained a weight of around 280 pounds, but mylean muscle mass had disappeared. On and off I'd try differentdiet fads, sometimes I'd lose weight and sometimes I wouldn't. IfI lost weight, as soon as I would get to a certain weight I'd comeoff the diet and gain all the weight back plus more. My biggestproblem was that I just liked to eat, I loved food. In my forty's myweight had ballooned to around a weight of 330 pounds. TwiceI started exercising and dieting and lost 100 pounds each time,but always returned to non-exercising and keeping bad eatinghabits. At 57 my weight had exceeded 425 pounds. My bloodpressure was out of sight 155/115, my knees were giving out,and I couldn't run more than 10 yards without getting out ofbreath. I did research on the internet, and using past history andpersonal experience and techniques I had learned and used, Iput a program together to eat whatever I wanted within reasonand to lose 220 pounds and to keep it off doing it the natural waywithout diet fads, pills, or operations, at no extra cost except adedication to a life change I must do the rest of my life with smarteating habits and a good weight management program.

In the beginning of my weight loss I would avoid theelementary school playground my waist line was probably a68. The kids would see me going by and scream out and callme pig man. Kids are cruel, so I tried to avoid the area whenthey were out on recess and would take another route until Igot my weight down to where I didn't look that bad.

A group of senior citizens from the center I would walkpast every morning now gets out and walks every morningclaiming I inspired them to get up and out which is my privategroup that has supported me the whole way.

During my weight loss, I had a town watch me disappear little at atime going from 425 pounds to 200 pounds. When I'm out walkingor running now I have numerous people stopping me all the timecomplimenting me on my weight loss and health changes, andtelling me how I also inspired them to get out and start exercisingthemselves. This made me feel good even though I didn't mean toinspire anyone, but I was glad that I was able to inspire someoneelse to get out and help them to better themselves.

CHAPTER 2

Calorie Components

In order to understand weight management and weight controlyou must understand the three components that makeup acalorie and how these components are an important part ofeveryone's daily diet.

Protein

What is a protein, and why is it essential. Webster'sDictionary defines a protein as a very large group of highlycomplex nitrogenous compounds occurring in living matterand composed of amino acids which are essential for tissuerepair and growth. Proteins build and repair muscles, andare the basis of our body's organs, hormones, enzymes, andantibodies to fight infection. Proteins are also an emergencyfuel for our bodies in the absence of sufficient carbohydratesand fats. This is why weight loss should be gradual so topreserve protein levels in muscles and other body organs.In addition to keeping hunger in check, regular doses ofprotein help to keep body composition, (the amount of fatrelative to muscle), in better proportion. Along with calciumand vitamin D, protein helps you to preserve muscle mass asyou drop pounds. Proteins are found in almost every foodproduct.

Fats

Fats in food are a mixture of 3 basic types, saturated,monounsaturated, and polyunsaturated. Animal fats foundmainly in full cream milks, cheeses, butters, creams, fattymeats and processed foods are considered saturated fatswhile plant oils and fish oils are mainly monounsaturatedand polyunsaturated fats. Trans fats come from hydrogenatedvegetable oils and shortenings which is common in commercialbaked and fried food products.

Carbohydrates

Carbohydrates are essential to good health. They are the mainsource of fuel for the body. The non-sugar item carbohydratesprovide important vitamins, minerals, antioxidants andfiber which helps protect against heart disease, diabetes,hypertension, constipation and many other diseases and alsohelps the body produce serotonin, a brain chemical that helpscontrol appetite and overeating. Carbohydrates can be foundin different forms of food such as sugar items, and the nonsugaritems are fruits, vegetables, milk, and starches in wholegrains, legumes, nuts, and seeds.

Calorie

What is a calorie, and why is it important to know what acalorie has to do with weight gains and loss or maintainingyour weight. Webster's Dictionary defines calorie as ameasurement of the amount of heat or energy producedby food. Calories in food are derived from a combinationof proteins, fats and carbohydrates that make up the foodproduct. Fats in food have over double the calories thanproteins and carbohydrates found in food, so the higher thefat content of the food, the higher the calories in that foodproduct would be. It takes 3,500 calories to equal one poundof weight.

CHAPTER 3

Weight Management

Weight management is managing to keep your current weightat a reasonable constant weight. This can be achieved whenthe number of calories that you eat is equal to the numberof calories your body uses. The most sensible way to loseweight and manage your body weight for life is by eatingsmart and adding more activities to your daily routines, andif possible by exercising more. I implemented a plan I couldlive with that worked for me. I ate what I wanted whichincluded home cooking, restaurants, fast food, parties andspecial events not restricting myself to any particular foodgroup. Your body burns so many calories a day just fornormal body functions which is your Basal Metabolic Rate(BMR), and adding your daily activities gives you the totalcalories needed to maintain a certain body weight which isknown as your Active Metabolic Rate (AMR), which is yourmetabolism. Metabolism is the process your body uses tobreak down food. If your calorie intake matches your dailyAMR you will maintain that body weight. If your calorieintake exceeded your daily AMR then you will gain weightwhich is stored in your body fat, for every 3,500 caloriesstored you will gain one pound. If your calorie intake is lessthan your daily AMR then you will lose weight from storedfat taken from your body fat, for every 3,500 calories takenfrom your body fat you will lose one pound. If you want tolose weight you need to decrease your calorie intake duringthe day by eating less or increase your physical activity, orboth. If you were to reduce your current calorie intake by500 calories every day, you would lose about one poundeach week. Also don't waste time on a crash diet, this wouldbe dropping your daily intake calories way below your dailycalories needed each day. When you go on a crash dietyour metabolism slows down thinking its starving and youwill burn fewer calories than normal or your body storeseverything you do eat as fat, defeating the purpose of tryingto lose weight. Always eat at least three regular portionsize meals a day, or five small portion size meals a day. It isrecommended to eat five small portion size meals a day. Thiswill keep your metabolism up and will increase your energylevel and AMR throughout the day.

Review and recommended tips to boost your AMR which willhelp you burn more calories:

Exercise will help your body burn more caloriesefficiently, especially if you hit the gym. By strengthtraining a couple times a week you'll increase yourmetabolism from slowing down and burn morecalories. Not only does muscle weigh more thanfat, but muscle uses more energy also. The averageperson that strength trains 30 to 40 minutes a daytwice a week will increase their resting metabolismby 100 calories a day, even on the days they don'tmake it to the gym. While doing cardio, thenext time you run, swim or walk, ramp up yourintensity for 30 second intervals, returning to yournormal speed afterwards. Experts say using thisstrategy will help you consume more oxygen andmake your system work harder and burn morecalories. Example: Start your exercise at a normalspeed, increase your speed for 30 seconds, thenreturn to your normal speed for 30 seconds. Ifrunning or walking outside you can use markers,like telephone poles, run the length of one poleand then walk the other length. Continue this untilyou complete your workout.

Eating lots of fish rich in omega-3 fatty acids, likesalmon, herring and tuna, helps speed up yourmetabolism. Omega-3s balance blood sugar, andreduces inflammation which helps to regulate yourmetabolism.

Drinking green tea daily, new evidence showsthe active ingredient catechin may speed up yourmetabolism. It is suggested that catechins mayimprove fat oxidation and thermogenesis, whichis your body's production of energy, or heat fromdigestion.

Don't crash diet or skip meals cutting down on yourcalorie intake. If you cut out too many calories yourmetabolism thinks it starving and puts the breakson fat burning to conserve energy. To keep yourmetabolism up while dieting, eat enough calories toat least match your resting BMR.

The period after an intense workout sessionwhich is known as excess post exercise oxygenconsumption (EPOC), your body can take hoursto recover and return to its previous restingBMR. Your body is burning more calories than itnormally would hours after you've finished yourworkout.

Never skip breakfast. Eating a nutrient rich morningmeal containing a balance of protein, carbohydratesand fats shortly after getting out of bed will wake upyour metabolism.

Eating small meals throughout the day is a provenstrategy that helps curb hunger and eating fewercalories overall. Experts are promoting nibblingversus gorging as a way to keep metabolism runningby holding blood sugar levels steady and preventinginsulin spikes. Enjoy five small meals a day, divideyour usual day's calories by five, this will be yourcalories per meal.

Cut back on the Trans fats. Trans fats slow downyour body's ability to burn fat. Trans fat binds to fatand liver cells and slows metabolism. Eating transfats are not only high in calories but can also lead toinsulin resistance and cripple your metabolism andcause weight gain.

Going organic and eating fruits, vegetables andgrains grown without pesticides will keep your fatburning system running higher because they don'texpose your thyroid to toxins.

Eat more protein. Your body digests protein slower than fatsand carbohydrates, so you feel fuller longer. It may even giveyour metabolism a boost. In a process called thermogenesis,your body uses about 10% of its calorie intake for digestion.Because it takes longer to burn protein than carbohydratesand fats, your body expends more calories absorbing thenutrients in a high protein diet. Diets high in protein mayhelp preserve lean body mass, which is the best fat burner ofall, but also include good non-sugar carbohydrates and limityour fat intake.

Use the Calorie Chart Results above to see what your weightgains or losses would be on a weekly, monthly or yearly timeframe by cutting or adding daily calories.

These are only recommended weights, the Height and WeightChart doesn't take into consideration a person's body frameor lean muscle mass, this chart is for a small body frame witha normal lean muscle body mass. Add 10 to 20 pounds forperson with a larger body frame (medium or large), or if youhave a larger lean muscle body mass. Your true weight is whatyou feel comfortable at or what your doctor may recommend.

CHAPTER 4

Weight Management andSmart Eating Program

A weight management program is a plan that gives your bodythe nutrients it need every day while staying within your dailycalorie goals for weight loss. A weight management programeating plan emphasizes eating a combination of lean meats,poultry, fish, fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and fat freeor low fat milk and dairy products to include beans, eggsand nuts low in saturated fats, trans fat, cholesterol, sodiumor added sugar and practice eating controlled portion sizes.Smart eating is the understanding of what a calorie is and howit effects weight management. Given all the tools provided youcan design a weight management program you can live withthe rest of your life modified to your own personnel needs asneeded. Don't plan extreme goals, it's a slow process, and it'sonly safe to lose 1 to 2 pounds per week, depending on theamount of weight you need to lose. It shouldn't be difficult tolose weight, just cut down on your intake calories every day,and if possible increase your daily activities. Often temptingfoods, stress, emotional factors, and lack of time tend to get inthe way of successful weight loss and management. You needto change bad eating habits into good smart eating habits soyou can reach your target weight and maintain that weightthroughout your life.

The most important aspect of maintaining a weightmanagement and smart eating program is whether or notyou can stick to it. You need to be able to eat that way for along time to lose the weight and eat that way the rest of yourlife to keep the weight off that you lost. The first thing youneed to consider to do is choose a weight management andsmart eating program plan that is easiest for you to follow. Ifyou don't know what plan fits you best, you can always give aplan a two week try. This way you can see how you feel andfind out how easy the plan is to follow. You can also modifythe plan as you go along to fit your needs, and see if your planis too hard for you or too easy, but never go back to your oldbad eating habits, and remember to use smart eating habitsand choose healthy foods no matter which plan you use. Setrealistic goals, it is only healthy to lose 1 or 2 pounds a weeksafely. The first week you may lose fluid weight which will be5 to 10 pounds of easy weight loss, don't expect any more,then focus on 1 to 2 pound per week. If it took 10 years to gain50 pounds, don't expect to lose that weight in 2 or 3 months.It is important to keep track of the foods you eat by writingdown and keeping a diary tracking the calories that you eateach day. You can also go out on the internet and find an online Food Diary to assist you in tracking your daily calories.It seems like everyone around you will be eating what theywant and this will tempt you to go back to your old bad eatinghabits, but with will power and following your smart eatingprogram this will help keep you on track to losing weight andkeeping it off. There may be a day or two you may fall back toyour old bad eating habits, don't beat yourself up over it, oneday here or there is OK, but remember to get back on trackon the next meal or day.

Here are some smart eating tips to assist you losing weight andwill help to keep the weight off after you've lost it.

Review and recommended Smart Eating Tips:

Never skip meals. Skipping or missing meals cancause a dip in your blood sugar levels. This leads tothe slowing down of your metabolism and energylevel causing you to make bad eating choices becauseyou are left hungry and will eat more food which willcause you to consume more calories throughout theday when you do eat. Maintaining your blood sugarand energy levels throughout the day by eating smallamounts of food throughout the day will keep yourmetabolism and energy levels up. You might prefereating 5 smaller meals rather than 3 large ones a day.

(Continues...)