I wanted to give a tip / reminder, especially to people who seem to stall. There are three things to consider when going on a diet and starting to take on a more active lifestyle.

Homeostasis - Homeostasis is your body's comfortable, normal, balanced, level. This varies from person to person, and for each particular person, this level can be greatly modified through exercise and life style changes. For example, one could eat a healthy well-balanced meal plan all their life, yet still constantly be 20 lbs over weight. Some of this also has to do with genetics as well, as we all know. So one thing to remember before you set you final target weight is - what is your typical homeostatic weight?

Body Effeciency - The next thing to remember is that the body is a fairly effecient machine, but unlike mechanical devices, the body actually adapts and becomes more and more effecient the more you do something. So try to vary your exercise routines as much as you can. If at all possible, come up with a new training regiment every few weeks. Each and every time your exercising seems simple or unengaging, mix it up early. Each time you pick up something new, your body is not used to the motions and lacks effeciency. An inefficent body burns *more* calories commiting the same action than a body trained for that action through reptition.

Diurnal/Nocturnal cycles - Along with this efficiency and lifestyle, your body also has an internal clock. It has timers that go off throughout the day that try to save energy and expend it when needed. The body also has expectations on when it will have to do work, as well as when it can expect nourishment. Like above, body effeciency, try breaking up these patterns as much as you can. Vary your meal times, or even break a meal up in to two smaller snacks. Work out in the morning instead of the evening one week. Etc..


TomC