by Aerynne Aiudi

Created on: April 29, 2009   Last Updated: May 02, 2009

As a personal trainer destined to make weight loss battles as simple as possible, the first teaching anchor of personal training notes that calories, better known in the trade as kilocalories are simply units of energy. The second teaching anchor of personal training says that the more calories you burn through movement, better known as exercise, the more weight you will lose.

To put weight loss into its simplest formula one must follow the basic principles of:

1. Eat smaller portions of food, even foods you love, while eating healthier fare does indeed make you feel better. One can still have a relationship with Haagen Das, just don't eat as much of it as you normally do that adds to the addition of pounds on a frame.

2. Drink more water. This is the toughest thing I have to get my clients to do because for some reason people say water doesn't taste good. Sports fans, water has no taste unless you live near a nuclear reactor or a fish factory and it somehow is tainted by the latter entities. Water is odorless, colorless and often tasteless, and is the best investment in bettering health. Water and large consumption of same, at least 64 - 96 ounces a day broken up into 8 to 12 eight ounce glasses, improves the health and vigor of the skin, improves the efficiency of the digestive system, helps in the metabolic process, and improves health overall. Drinking more water is one of the key teachings in the loss and maintenance of weight.

3. Move more. Exercise. There are so many diets out there on the market today that eschew exercise, but exercise gets a bad rap, and is so good for you all the way around. It promotes a feeling of accomplishment that boosts the mood. Exercise is a physical as well as spiritual high when done right and done consistently. It aids in weight loss and weight management. It's fun! And most exercises, like simple walking and swimming, are some of the easiest exercises to do. There are groups that one can join that promote community, another spiritual booster. Exercises like yoga and pilates not only promote greater physical health, but also relax a person from the inside out, another spiritual booster. Exercise is centering and mind enhancing. Exercise can be done in a group or it can be done alone depending on what kind of exercise is done. Exercise does a body, heart, mind and life good, and when coupled with better dietary habits, promotes wellness all the way around.

If you follow the above three keys, you will be well on your way to a healthier, sleeker, more attractive you. But note that aesthetics is just a small benefit of exercise and proper nutrition. When one exercises and eats healthier, you prolong your life span. You can watch your kids graduate from college, you can play with your children as they grow older, fostering better relationships and building better memories that will be developed over yours and their lifetimes. You can see and be a part of the lives of your grandchildren, and you can just be happier as you strive to be healthier because exercise and good diet is another benefit of taking care of yourself. You save money on health care and medicine, you confound the insurance company by living longer, you have the opportunity to make more money over a longer period of years, etc., etc., etc. Exercising and eating right does wonders all across the board. And believe it or not, better health is not rocket science. It's a daily investment in a better life and lifestyle and helps in the long run. As soon as you see that you need to get out there and get yourself on track to losing pounds and inches, improving your cardiovascular endurance, and boosting your mood, exercise! It, like milk, does a body good!

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