As you very well know, when you eat you are consuming calories.  The amount of calories your body requires varies based on many factors.  One pound is equivalent to 3,500 calories.  So if you wanted to lose weight, you would subtract 500 calories from your daily caloric requirement.  You can do this by eating a healthier and leaner diet with fewer calories, or by exercise.  It is typical that the best results come from integrating both a healthier diet and more exercise into your daily life.

You might be shocked to find out how many calories are in the things that you consume often.  For example in one can of Coke, there are 142 calories.  That amount of calories would take 14 minutes of running to burn.  Learn more about eating and burning calories from the infographic below.

If you always have your phone with you and you are looking to maybe drop some pounds or eat a healthier diet, then download some apps and get started.  There are apps that will track your weight loss progress while calculating your BMI that you will find useful if you are on a weight loss routine.  If you are interested in tracking calories or planning out healthy meal options for you and your family, there are even a variety of apps for that.

Of course it doesn’t stop and start with your smart phone, there are many websites available that can offer you help, and there are a ton of gadgets too.  There’s no better time to get fit, so hop on the internet, turn on your smart phone, or hook up your gadgets and get going!

Let’s admit, it’s hard to give up all the sweets and cheeseburgers that we’ve grown accustomed to.  No matter how desperately you may want to shed some pounds, your mind will still tell you that you are craving something sweet since that is what you are used and there’s nothing wrong with that.  The healthiest way to get a great dose of sweetness into your diet while still boosting your overall energy and drive is juicing.  If you aren’t sure what I’m talking about, juicing refers to pure vegetable and fruit juice that hasn’t been preserved in any way.  You may be tempted to go out and buy those bottled juice drinks that claim to have no added and sugar, and while those are better options than a soda or juice cocktail blend, they aren’t giving you the most benefits for your buck.

If you want to get into juicing in a way that will alter your health dramatically, I recommend purchasing a juicing machine for your own kitchen.  Of course there are some fancy contraptions out there that can cost a couple hundred dollars, but that isn’t necessary.  You can find juicers on Dish cable that cost $50 and will get the job done and save you a lot of money in the long run when compared to purchasing individual bottles of juice or getting juice from a vendor on the street.

The next step is simple: juice!  The best part of this type of diet is that you have freedom to incorporate some of your favorite fruits and vegetables and make the drink to your own taste.  You can juice everything from apples to kale to beets to mix up the flavor every day.  Personally, I love peaches so I can add peaches with vegetables that I normally don’t enjoy eating, such as spinach and yams, to make a concoction that tastes good to me because of the fruit but provides the health benefit of those veggies that my body normally doesn’t receive.

If you juice for breakfast and replace your lunch with juice and a small portion entrée, you will begin to feel the results within a couple weeks.  Supplying your body with the necessary vitamins and nutrients is critical, even while you’re trying to lose weight.  Don’t starve yourself when you can learn how to take care of your body properly and enjoy some delicious juice too!

This infographic reveals some truths to serious myths about breast cancer in order to help educate.  Some of the more interesting things that we learned:

• 12% of women in the United States will develop invasive breast cancer at some point in their life.
• 28% of the cancers in women are breast cancer.
• There is a myth circulating that wearing an underwire bra will increase the risk of breast cancer.
• Around 1,700 men are diagnosed with breast cancer each year.

I found a very nicely done infographic that illustrates all the bad things that your soda could be causing in your body.  When you have a look at this, it really puts it into perspective.  Hopefully you will choose to make a healthy change and better your health.  You can lesson your chances of ruined tooth enamel, heart disease, and obesity just by making a simple change from soda to water.  I know I like the sound of that, don’t you?  Even if you feel like you simply cannot live without your soda, cut back to make some difference.  Eventually you can continue cutting back until you are no longer hooked.

Health issues that can arise from stress can include:

• Headaches
• Obesity
• Depression
• Gastrointestinal Problems
• Weakened Immune System

None of the above things are anything that we really want to deal with in life, and while there are some causes of stress that are unavoidable some causes are internal.  That means that you can take some time to yourself to relax and help to reduce your stress overtime.  Simple tips and tricks might be all you need to relax and end up losing some of the stress that happens upon us in our lives.

Stress Relievers:

• Massage – Not only does getting a massage feel good to you, it also can help to calm you, relieve physical tension, and lower your blood pressure.  All of those things combined will mean you will feel much more free of stress once done.
• Aromatherapy – It is a fact that certain smells can cause you to chill out and relax.  Candles, incense and herbs, and essential oils are great ways to get some good aromatherapy to give you some stress relief.  Legalherbsdirect.com has all sorts of options for aromatherapy that you will be able to choose from to put you in a relaxed mood.
• Sleep – If you are not getting enough sleep at night, then there’s no wonder why you are stressing.  Make sure that you get between seven to eight hours of sleep at night.  If you find you are having trouble falling asleep, then make sure to turn off all electronics one hour before bedtime.  It will make it easier to get to sleep faster.

In the past it was discovered that there may possibly be a link between those who practice religion and obesity.  Of course when something like that is discovered, then a study must be conducted.  This year the very first study that has ever taken place to determine a link between religion and obesity ended.  For eighteen total years people in researching fields and scientists studying 2,433 men and women who were between the ages of 20 and 32.  Forty one percent of the study’s participants were black and a good majority were also women.

The study was begun by the author Matthew J. Feinstein.  He was interested in putting this to the test because he had found that fifty percent of the young adults who would be at a religious service on a regular basis were actually more likely to have issues with weight and obesity.

Thanks to the study, it was determined that the group of people who do regularly engage in religious participation are at a risk of becoming obese that is greater than those people who do not take part in regular religious participation.  For the study, attending a religious service more than one time a week is what was considered regular.

Factors like the gender, ages, race, education, and body mass index were even controlled throughout the study, but it was still found that thirty-two percent of the people who attended the most religious events were obese by the time they reached middle age.  Of those who attending less services, twenty-two percent became obese.

Now, this may or may not be an actual connection of religion and obesity, but it does point out that those who are more religious could possibly be at a greater and more serious risk than those who are not.  By discovering this risk, it could lead to earlier prevention which will mean that those with faith can start fighting fat before it is too late.

Nix the Fast Food.  I hate hearing people talk about how expensive eating healthy is and how they have to always throw away their produce because it goes bad so quickly.  Here’s the thing, your produce is probably going bad because you are not planning your meals, and you are still eating out and eating fast food.  If you would eat at home more often, you would use it up before it went bad.  When you ditch the fast food and eating out, then you can use that money to buy healthier options.  It all balances out, right?  In fact, when I quit eating out, I found that I ended up having more money at the end of the month even when buying organic and healthy food choices.  Plan out your meals for breakfast, lunch, and dinner on advance so you are not tempted to make a stop at a fast food restaurant.

Find a Support Group.  I am not one to enjoy exercising.  I get bored easily, and I don’t care if I’m jogging in a new place or not, it bores me.  The best thing that I did was to get together with some people just like me, on a journey to lose weight.  We still meet a few times a week at first to jog together.  After the first couple of weeks, I started to really look forward to our meet ups, and I found that I was never bored.  They made me more accountable for showing up and actually breaking a sweat.  I love my jogging group.

Buy Only What You Can Eat.  I don’t care if you have a spouse or kids who are not attempting to lose weight, they can still eat what you eat, and they’ll be better off for it in the end.  Buy healthy foods, make healthy meals, and I will guarantee you that they will eat it.  When you still keep the bad food on hand, you will have a day where you binge eat it, trust me.

Just those small changes above will make a huge difference in your journey to lose weight.  You will notice how much better you feel and look, and you will keep these habits forever.

Type 2 Diabetes – This is the most common type of diabetes in the United States.  It occurs when a person’s body cannot produce enough insulin or it occurs in the case that insulin happens to be ignored by the body’s cells.  Over time with type 2 diabetes you could lose your eye sight, limbs, or even your kidney function.  The best way to prevent type 2 diabetes or to eliminate it is to talk with your doctor about an exercise and diet plan.  For many people with type 2 diabetes, simply losing a certain amount of weight will alleviate the issue.

Heart Disease – Unfortunately, heart disease is one of the deadliest things in the United States.  Diabetes, high blood pressure, and kidney disease can make your risk of heart disease even higher.  All of those things are associated also with obesity, putting the obese at the highest risk imaginable.  The arteries in the body are narrowed due to fatty deposits and other matter clogging the arteries.  Again, a healthy diet and exercise can help to reduce the risk of heart disease.

High Blood Pressure – High blood pressure is also referred to as hypertension.  Having excess weight on the body strains your heart.  That alone raises your blood pressure and puts you at an increased risk for things like high cholesterol and heart disease.  Even losing twenty or so pounds will help to lower your blood pressure.

Sleep Apnea – This is a respiratory issue that occurs while you sleep.  Short breaths or stops in breathing are typical symptoms of sleep apnea.  It causes the quality of sleep you receive to be quite poor and can lead to tiredness throughout the day.  In some occurrences, people have lost their lives to sleep apnea as they are unable to regain their breaths while sleeping.  If you feel like you may have sleep apnea contact your doctor.

These are not the only risks that you face if your are at an unhealthy weight.  It is so very important for you to take charge of your health and body so that you may live a healthy life.  If you are ready to get on the right track to weight loss and a healthy life, then please see your doctor.

Eat for success.  You know by now that what you eat is one of the biggest factors when it comes to weight loss, and in office settings that communal bowl of chocolates may tempt you three or four times a day.  You need to be set up to succeed, so some of these tips can help.  Do not keep candy or chocolate on your desk or in your cubical.  If your neighbors keep out a bowl, ask them if they will hide it.  They will most likely oblige.  Remember to eat breakfast, something like oatmeal or eggs will be a great start to your day.  For lunch and snacks, be sure to bring your own that way you are aware of how many calories you are putting in your body.  If you and the co-workers do have plans for lunch, then look at the restaurants nutritional information so you can make informed decisions about lunch.

Move it.  To burn off extra calories, we all know that we need to move more.  Divide up your lunch break so that you can get in a thirty minute walk, or walk to stores and places around your work to window shop or run errands.  And while your constant fidgety movements might make you a nuisance to co-workers, it can actually help you to burn off some calories.  Remember to take the stairs whenever possible, and get up and move at least every hour too.

Make it a team effort.  You probably are not the only one in the office looking to get a little more fit, so get everyone involved.  This can keep you motivated, and when everyone is bringing healthy lunches from home, there is no craving for unhealthy food from restaurants.

To find more ways to cut calories, then check out this post from Prevention.