Friends and family,

While I was visiting some friends in Idaho, we started talking about fitness and "dieting" and they were so impressed with my vast knowledge... hee hee ...on the subject. That they wanted me to be their personal trainer, but due to the long commute Hawaii to Idaho we are going to try it through email. Then I thought. why not send my thoughts and advice on this subject to many of my friends and family.

So here goes my advice for week one to a healthier, happier, slimmer you.

Big number one: You must stop dieting....you have to change the way you eat for life...that doesn't mean you have to give up your favoirte dessert... you just have to not eat it very often...

two: you need to start thinking of your body like a machine, what you put in it is what your body is going to give back to you, meaning if you eat a lot of sugar and junk food then you are going to feel tired and sluggish.

Okay that's it for the mini lecture, now for this weeks assignments

1. Drink 8 to 10 glasses of ice water each day. As soon as you get up in the morning drink 8oz. of ice water this will jump-start your metabolism.

2. Within the first hour after you get out of bed you need to do some intense muscle toning activity. This will tell your muscles to start burning fat. This week I want you to do push-ups twenty...start where you can do twenty... traditional great, or on the knees, or lay on the floor and just push up your upper body, or do standing push ups... stand about 2 feet away from the wall, hands on the wall with bend elbows and then push back to straight arms. Twenty remember.

3. Eat breakfast, this is the most important meal of the day. If you skip breakfast it's like turning your metabolism off, plus turning the fat making process on, double whammie.

Breakfast options: old fashion oatmeal with low fat or fat free milk and some fruit and a few nuts.
a slice of 100% whole grain bread with fat free cream cheese and all fruit preserves.
a protein shake with fruit in it.
an egg with 100% whole grain bread

If you skip breakfast you are more likely to eat high fat/high sugar foods in the late afternoon due to a brain chemical that triggers food cravings. Breakfast eaters also have lower blood pressure and have a easier time maintaining balanced blood sugar,which makes it easier to stick to a healthier diet.

Also remember not all foods are created equal. Instant oatmeal with whole milk or white bread with butter and jellly will almost double you blood sugar levels, which means an increase in the fat forming process.

4. Each meal and snack needs to have some protein with your carbs. and fats. I will get into the reason for this next time.

5. This week do 20 minutes daily of any time of moving. Walking, yoga, running, cycling just move for 20 minutes each day.

6. Do not sit for longer than 30 minutes without doing some moving like get up and stretch or walk a little bit.

That's it for week one.

Love to everyone