Your Perfect Weight Week 31-35

Exercise goal: Walk seven days, three miles
per day in 45 minutes

One of the beauties of walking is that it gives you precious time to think and to be alone. But let's face it. Sometimes it's better not to be alone, especially when your motivation starts to slip.

You're now seven months into your new low-fat eating and fitness program. And while you're undoubtedly seeing results from your steady efforts, that daily discipline can sometimes be a drag. At such times, there's no better way to boost your flagging motivation than with a walking buddy. And because you know by now that exercise should be a daily (or almost daily) goal to produce the best weight-loss results, it's wise to stay close to home when seeking a partner.

See if you can enlist your spouse, child, parent, a close neighbor, even the family dog. That way, every time you exercise you're also strengthening the most important relationships in your life.

Some days you choose your walking partners, and some days they choose you! Be open and flexible to whomever happens to stroll your way. You may not find someone who shares your enthusiasm for walking every day, but you may find two or three different people to keep you company throughout the week.

Here are a few ways to keep yourself in walking partners.

Pair up with a pooch. Although we're not saying you should get a pet just to have a walking companion, there's a reason a dog is called man's best friend--Rover may be the most reliable walking buddy you can find.

Dogs always want to go for a walk and tend to be very happy about the idea. They remind you when it's time to go out (in case you've forgotten or gotten too comfortable in front of the TV). They make good company--they rarely complain and are great listeners if you want to talk. And when you decide to slip on your headphones and listen to music, a dog won't feel slighted.

Enjoy young company. Children can be great walking partners, provided you're walking toward some destination that appeals to them. Good examples: video arcades and baseball card or comic book stores. The distance never seems to be daunting if the goal is enticing enough and you can have lots of fun and exercise along the way.

When walking with young kids, remember: You're the adult, the one with the ability to adapt. Walk slowly enough to match their pace. Don't walk so far or so fast that they'll never want to go out with you again. And don't take this as an opportunity to lecture to a captive audience. Relax, let them talk and enjoy your company.

Walk at work. Your workplace can be fertile ground for finding walking partners. A 15-minute walk break during lunchtime or instead of a coffee-and-doughnut break is a terrific stress-reducer and rejuvenator.

Seek out various kinds of partners. On days you're not up to working up a sweat, find somebody who likes to stroll, and someone else for those half-hour uphill strides. Keep an extra pair of walking shoes and socks at work so you can be ready at a moment's notice.

Form a mutual motivation society. To keep motivation high, find a walking buddy with the same agenda as yours: weight loss and overall fitness. This might be a good opportunity to discuss low-fat recipes you've tried or swap information about which local restaurants cater to your healthy-eating needs. Your common goals will help bring you together again and again for fat burning and for friendship.

And speaking of recipes, you should always be on the lookout for new, yummy dishes to try at home. This book is loaded with some great ones, but during one of your daily walks you might want to meander your way to a bookstore to check out the low-fat cookbooks. A new one every so often will help give your meals, and your motivation, a much-needed boost.

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Week 32: Learn to love those labels

Exercise goal: Walk seven days, three miles
per day in 45 minutes

Are you sticking to high-energy, low-fat breakfasts to get your day off on the right foot? As you may know by now, a good breakfast and a vigorous walk is a dynamite combination for keeping weight off and spirits high! Paying attention to these basics will pay off for the rest of your life.

And speaking of basics, have you learned how to take advantage of all the information available on your favorite packaged food labels? A little over a year ago, our friends at the U.S. Department of Agriculture saw to it that the labels--now called Nutrition Facts--are easier to read and understand, more accurate and, ultimately, more useful.

"They're better because they provide more relevant information," says registered dietitian Donna Dispas-Gebert, director of nutrition services at the Benjamin Franklin Weight Management and Metabolism Center in Allentown, Pennsylvania. "The new label emphasizes nutrients that are most important for today's consumers, who worry about getting too much of things like fat and saturated fat, cholesterol and sodium. Even the larger size of the label is nice."

The biggest single change you'll notice is the introduction of a section called Percent Daily Values, for all the nutrients contained in that food. Sure, there were nutrients listed on the old labels. But now you'll see that, in addition to the amount of nutrients found per serving, they've also been broken down into percentages, to show you how the food fits into a 2,000-calorie-a-day diet.

For example, if you eat 1/2 cup (dry) of oatmeal for breakfast, the Nutrition Facts label tells you that you've consumed 5 percent of the fat, 0 percent of the sodium and 15 percent of the fiber you need for the day. Naturally, if you're eating fewer than 2,000 calories a day--as you probably will if you're a dieting woman--you'll make adjustments accordingly. "Using the Daily Values, you can build a healthful diet based on your personal nutrient goals," advises Dispas-Gebert.

What she particularly likes about the new labeling is the truth and consistency now found in portion listings. "Before, manufacturers were allowed to state portions in a way that made their products look more attractive. The people who've been most guilty of taking advantage were juice manufacturers. For example, a 12-ounce bottle of a certain juice might have said '90 calories,' so at first glance you'd think there were 90 calories in the whole bottle. Then if you looked closer, you'd see there were 90 calories in just 3 ounces of juice. This kind of labeling was done by a lot of manufacturers of soft drinks and carbonated beverages, too. But with the new USDA mandate, you have a much better sense of what you're getting."

Now, all products within the same basic category are evaluated in terms of equal-size portions, portions that are realistic for the average adult. (No more 3-ounce servings of juice.)

In short, the new labels are a boon to everyone, but to no one more than the dieter. "From a weight-control standpoint," says Dispas-Gebert, "the labels help you juggle your food and plan your whole day."

This week pay particular attention to the labels on all the prepared foods that you eat or prepare for your family. Try to see how many ways you can come up with to make this useful information a part of your regular eating plan.

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Week 33: Tickle your taste buds!

Exercise Goal: Walk seven days, three miles
per day in 45 minutes

By now you know firsthand that low-fat eating doesn't have to mean bored-to-death taste buds. But you have to be vigilant!

It's all too easy to return to the same three or four dishes over and over again simply because they're quick or convenient. That's a one-way trip to dull eating. Not only that, dull repetition can sabotage your resolve. "You're not going to last, and you'll go back to the full-fat stuff," warns nutritionist and registered dietitian Evelyn Tribole, author of Eating on the Run and spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association.

Finding new ways to keep your eating interesting is an ongoing challenge. But it's a challenge that you have to meet in order to get slim and stay slim. This week spend some time thinking of new ways to spark your interest in healthy eating. Here are a few tips to get you started.

Buy the freshest vegetables you can find. "Vegetables right out of the ground are incredible," says food consultant Aliza Green, a chef with 15 years' experience in Philadelphia. But that heavenly flavor vanishes when veggies sit around. To get the most intense flavor, look for vegetables in season. Go to farmers' markets or to roadside stands, or find the supermarkets in your area known for the best produce.

Check out today's newfangled foods. Ever had a plumcot--a sweet, tangy cross between a plum and an apricot? Or yellow fingers--rich, buttery-tasting potatoes the size of your fingers? Dazzle your family and your palate with one or more of these new varieties of produce.

Spice up your life. Many wonderful seasonings, such as cilantro, coriander seed and cumin are acquired tastes. You need repeated exposures--and then you love them! Green's gentle-but-firm advice for trying a new herb or spice? "Don't be afraid! Have a little bit, and give it a chance."

Bet on basil. Green calls basil the "number-one, most-important, don't-live-without-it herb." She also says it's best when fresh: "It's practically worthless when it's dried." Look for fresh basil in farmers' markets or the produce section of your supermarket. To store it, cut the fresh stems and place the "bouquet" in a glass of water, then cover it with a plastic bag and refrigerate. If stored properly, it'll keep about a week. (Make sure your refrigerator isn't too cold; basil freezes easily.)

Expand your condiment collection. Perk up bland meals with fat-free condiments from the gourmet aisle of your supermarket. Try mango chutney with a plain baked chicken breast. Or how about swapping the usual mayo for some coarse-grained mustard on a turkey breast sandwich? You and your family will love the tangy difference.

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Week 34: Add new strength to your strength training

Exercise goal: Walk seven days, three miles
per day in 45 minutes

It's Week 34 and Your Perfect Weight 52-Week Plan is in superhigh gear! By now you should be a convert to the low-fat way of life. And your walking program is helping to burn calories nearly as fast as you take them in. And now's the week to try (if you haven't already) some strength-training work with free weights and machines.

Weeks ago we suggested you check out a local fitness facility so you could start to feel at home in the weight room. While you may have some strength-training gear in your bedroom or basement, you'll probably get even better results and jolt your fat-burning metabolism up a notch once you start putting in time with the professional equipment at the Y or health club.

Here are five exercises to try. Remember, the closer you come to two or three strength-training sessions per week, the better the results you'll see on the scale. One set of each exercise consists of 8 to 12 repetitions. Try to do three sets of each exercise. If you haven't worked with weights or machines before, ask for help in selecting the amount of weight appropriate for you and for instruction in proper form.

Bench press. Lie back on an exercise bench with your feet flat on the floor. Grasp dumbbells or a barbell with your hands slightly more than just shoulder-width apart. Start with your arms extended straight up. Slowly lower the weight to your chest. Then press it back up until your arms are fully extended. Don't lock your elbows. Repeat.

Leg press. Sit in a leg-press machine, place your feet on the foot pads, and press out until your legs are straight. Slowly return the weights to the original starting point. Repeat.

Seated pulley row. Sit on the machine with your knees slightly flexed. (Your feet should be resting against an object to help you maintain stability.) Keep your upper torso erect and your lower back flexed. Grab hold of the handle and pull it slowly and smoothly to your chest, just below your chest muscles. Try not to use your torso to pull the weight. Return to the starting position, with the weights going back down. Repeat.

Seated quadriceps extension. Sit with your feet under pads. Straighten your legs, then slowly lower your feet back down. If your knees hurt or it's too difficult to go to the full extension, just do a partial repetition, shortening the path.

Hamstring curl. Lie face down, with your heels under pads, holding on to the front of the leg-curl machine. Curl your legs up until your calves touch the backs of your thighs. Return to the down position and repeat.

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Week 35: Make some
new week's resolutions

Exercise goal: Walk seven days, three miles
per day in 45 minutes

New Year's resolutions--in theory, they're wonderful. They give all of us a chance to start fresh by reviewing those things about ourselves that could use a little fine-tuning, and then doing something about it. And for most people, a set of New Year's resolutions wouldn't be complete without some mention of weight loss--dropping a few pounds, doing a few push-ups or some combination of both.

But the truth is, New Year's resolutions have become a joke. Most folks know almost as they announce their resolutions that it's just a matter of time before their pound-shedding plans will go awry. In fact, one popular survey revealed that more than 25 percent quit their diet within a month, while another 25 percent managed to hang in for another couple of months before throwing in the towel. No wonder losing weight crops up as a resolution year after new year.

Yet that's just the point: The time frame is out of whack. As we've said all along, goals need to be broken down into small, reachable ones. Yearlong goals, no matter how admirable, don't work, particularly when it comes to dieting. Most of us think about eating (or not eating) several times a day, so who can wait 365 days to measure weight-loss successes?

So it's time to finally dump the idea of New Year's resolutions and switch to new week resolutions, which is exactly what Your Perfect Weight 52-Week Plan is all about. What we've been doing for the past 35 weeks is, in effect, giving you a new resolution to adopt each week, along with a weekly walking goal.

Some of these weekly resolutions will be more challenging for you than others. For instance, you may already be pretty smart about fat cutting but need to work on your strength training. Each week, from now on, you should focus on those specific areas you'd like to improve, and turn them into your own personal resolutions. And feel free to come up with a few others you may not have seen in these pages.

Personalizing Your Program

We've also made it easier to stick to your resolutions by giving you three important tracking tools: the Date/Weight lines at the end of every week, the quarterly inventories and Your Perfect Weight Success Diary. Whenever you find you're not happy with some of your eating or exercise behaviors, you can make a few quick changes and then check out how you've done immediately. (No more waiting till December 31 to do a final inventory!)

Spend a little time this week reviewing these three items, and make some notes about individual goals you'd like to work on in the coming weeks.

This is the beauty of weekly resolutions. And when you make and monitor your own personal resolutions each week, on January 1 you can sit back and smile about how far your resolutions have already brought you while other people struggle to make theirs stick for the next 52.

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