It's a strange experience when your life is moving 100 miles an hour and something brings it, albeit temporarily, to a screeching halt. You can be humming along, taking care of business and, in an instant, all the things on your “To Do” list - all those big, important projects that feel so “do-or-die” - suddenly take a back seat to the situation at hand.

That’s exactly what happened several weeks ago when my husband and I received word from my Father-in-law, John, that it was time to make the inevitable move to assisted living. Severe emphysema and a few falls had finally taken their toll, and he was ready to go.

Now, I have to tell you that John is one of those guys who does not waste time – once a decision is made, there’s one speed, and that’s pedal to the floor (it’s one of the things I love most about him.) So, in one fell swoop, our lives (and my ultra important “To Do” list) turned from writing, marketing and seeing clients, to getting the house in order, coordinating, cleaning out, divvying up, sorting through, and making some often tricky decisions.

For both my husband and me, it meant hours of commuting, labor, sweat, walks down memory lane, and lots and lots of black leaf bags. The process of compassionately sorting through 90 years of life, laughter and accumulation is not a fast one, but it was oddly liberating, even though it wasn’t my stuff. And this brings me to my point and, also, to the epiphany I experienced as we made our way through the last leg of the move.

With my Father-in-law settled in his new place, everything sorted, stashed and situated, my husband and I drove home, silent with exhaustion.  In the quiet of that trip, I realized, very clearly, that something profound had shifted for me – in ways that were both surprising and, admittedly, a little frightening.

Having always embraced the idea of abundance - of being surrounded by beautiful things – all of life’s finest accoutrements, I realized, to my astonishment (and my husband’s,) that this was no longer what I wanted.  For years, my mantra and mindset has been “The more the better – bigger, better, fancier, nicer.” Up to this point, that attitude has served me well… but maybe not so much anymore.

So, here I am, pondering a few questions:

#1 – How much do I like or even want all my “stuff?”
#2 – If I could only have a few sentimental items, which ones would make the cut?
#2 – Of all the beautiful things in my house that have a dollar value, what value do they hold for me?  Do they make me truly happy and, if not, why am I keeping them around?
#3 – Do I really need such a big place? What… to accumulate and store even more stuff?
#4 – If, right now, someone had to sort through all of my worldly possessions, junk and all, what experience would I like them to have?

My plan is to give these questions a few weeks to sink in before I do anything really drastic, but my gut tells me it’s time to downsize, not just my house, but my "To Do" list as well. Oddly, it’s an idea that feels really, really good and really, really right.

About the Author:

Dianne Orwig is a success coach, motivational speaker, fitness trainer, and founder of LivingFit Online™, a fitness program that has helped thousands of men and women completely transform their bodies and live healthier, happier lives though her less-is-better approach.

If you believe someone would enjoy and benefit from this post, please share it. Just click on the + Share button and you will see lots of options for sharing it with friends including email, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. Thanks!

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(c) Copyright - Dianne Orwig. All Rights Reserved Worldwide

You know the dreaded line… “We need to talk.” 

It’s the kind of thing you hope never to hear… from your boss, your better half, a parent, or anyone else who plays an important role in your life.

But what happens when it’s your body that’s delivering the “time to face facts” news flash? What do you do when it’s sending you the message - loud and clear – “My friend, you are about to lose your good situation here if things don’t change, pronto.”

Often, this “ultimatum meeting” shows up in the form of an unexpected illness, a health scare, an injury or that “oh no” moment when you suddenly realize you’re in deep kimchi.

So, why not have THE talk now, before your body forces you into it? Why not send your body the message that you don't want to lose it and ask, “What can I do, right now, to improve my relationship with you?”

If your body was your Boss the response might be…

(Remember, this is your body talking here...) First of all… be a professional. If you make an appointment to go the gym, treat me like a VIP.  Don’t just pencil me in like a “maybe.” Then, if it turns out you can’t make it, reschedule our time together - don’t just drop me like a hot potato. We're never going to stay in business doing it that way.

Don’t forget, I'm really the one who decides whether you stick around or not... and my intention is to keep you around for a long, long time. So, take care of business, will you? You don’t always have to be overjoyed about it, just be consistent and persistent, stay focused on your goals, and keep moving forward. Heck, you might even earn that bonus six-pack you’ve been waiting for.

If your body was your better half it might say…

I’d like more quality “alone” time with you - working out, maybe an occasional massage, or just some quiet time sitting and planning ways to take better care of me. You are so focused on your work, our family and your friends; sometimes it seems you'll never get around to me. Of course, I could keep trying to get your attention by making your pants a little tighter or bothering you with that sore shoulder… but it would be so much nicer if you could just start treating me better – listen a little closer to what I’m saying.

Also, if you could, please try to make our private conversations a little kinder, a little softer, a little more uplifting. Honestly, I wouldn’t wish some of that mean self-chatter you've got going on, with even my worst enemy. Lighten up a little and don’t beat yourself up so much when things don’t go exactly as planned.

If your body was your parent it might say…

I’m your body and you know I just want you to be happy…  BUT, I also want you to make me proud. When you take care of the important stuff, like eating right, exercising and getting enough rest, you walk taller, you accomplish more, you become a better leader, and your life is more meaningful and productive.

So, as your body I'm telling you to have fun, experience life, but be responsible and never forget, I’m here to support you. Remember... we’re in this together.

About the Author:

Dianne Orwig is a success coach, motivational speaker, fitness trainer, and founder of LivingFit Online™, a fitness program that has helped thousands of men and women completely transform their bodies and live healthier, happier lives though her less-is-better approach.

If you believe someone would enjoy and benefit from this post, please share it. Just click on the + Share button and you will see lots of options for sharing it with friends including email, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. Thanks!

START EVERY MORNING RIGHT! Get a quick, personalized fitness tip from Dianne, delivered Monday through Friday! Sign up today - absolutely FREE! http://bit.ly/STVdailytips

(c) Copyright - Dianne Orwig. All Rights Reserved Worldwide

The myth that long bouts of cardiovascular work (such as distance running) is the best activity for removing unwanted fat is a difficult one to overcome. Talk to anyone who has lost weight as a result of training for a marathon and you’ll be hard-pressed to convince them that anything shorter or easier could possibly work as well or, dare I say, better.

Thankfully, lots of folks who once believed otherwise are finally discovering, and admitting, that cardio is not KING when it comes to getting lean and strong - something I’ve been teaching and proving to my clients for many years.

Okay, so, before I dig my heels in here, let me say for the record that I am not trying to talk anyone out of training for a marathon or suggesting that anyone necessarily quit their running program. My real goal is to demonstrate that there is a simpler, more effective way to shed body fat and, thank heaven, I’m not the only one screaming from the roof tops, “Distance running is not the best way!”

While cardio certainly plays a key role in body fat loss and maintenance, experts are slowly but surely unveiling the truth - that too much cardio can actually hurt your chances of losing unwanted body fat.

 
Richard A. Winett, Ph.D., publisher of Master Trainer explains, “Excessive cardio will interfere with your body’s ability to recover from high-intensity strength training. If you engage in two or three proper strength training workouts per week, a good rule of thumb is no more than three 30-minute cardio sessions per week at no higher than 60-70% of your maximum heart rate. Any more than this and you risk cannibalizing muscle tissue for energy. Muscle makes the body a more efficient fat-burning machine and high intensity, long-duration aerobics can sabotage all that hard-earned muscle.” 

Interval Training Is Where It’s At - Like Dr. Winett, more and more experts are confirming what body builders have known for years. Strength training, combined with proper nutrition and short, consistent bouts of aerobic activity, like my WAVE cardio program, are the key ingredients in losing unwanted body fat.

Catch The Wave – A great replacement for hours of long, boring cardio is to use what’s known as interval training (I call it WAVE training, because it is done in peaks and valleys.) Here’s a quick way to try it out for yourself: Begin with any aerobic activity (walking, treadmill, biking, swimming, stair mill, Wii, elliptical, jump rope – anything that elevates your heart rate) and work in 3-minute “waves.” Start out at a moderate level for 2 minutes, then, every 3rd minute, work at a level you consider challenging. Keep repeating this pattern of moderate work followed by challenging work, until you have reached the 19th minute. Then, for that last minute (especially those final 15 seconds) work at a level you consider your hardest for the whole routine – and YOU’RE DONE!

Here are just a few of the benefits of doing this type of workout.

•    It’s Short and Sweet – Who wants to spend hours getting fit? Besides, who has the time?

•    Burns Calories After You Finish – Doing interval work guarantees that you will burn more calories because it creates what is known as an “after burn” of calories, meaning you are still burning calories at a higher than normal rate, even after you finish. This effect is thought to last anywhere from 3 to 24 hours after your workout.

•    Less Wear and Tear – The shorter the workout, the easier it is on joints, vertebrae, back, shoulders and more. Less work means less risk of injury, less boredom and less drop-out.

If you are interested in losing body fat (like 98% of us) and you really want to save time and effort, WAVE is the way to go.

If you believe someone would enjoy and benefit from this post, please share it. Just click on the + Share button and you will see lots of options for sharing it with friends including email, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. Thanks!

About the Author:

Dianne Orwig is a success coach, motivational speaker, fitness trainer, and founder of LivingFit Online™, a fitness program that has helped thousands of men and women completely transform their bodies and live healthier, happier lives though her less-is-better approach.

Get a FREE copy of Dianne's newest book, The Secret Laws of Weight Loss Success - just go to: http://bit.ly/SecretsOfWeightLoss

(c) Copyright - Dianne Orwig. All Rights Reserved Worldwide

While there might be a little light at the end of the bad economy tunnel, a lot of us are still whining about how expensive things are… I mean, really, what can you get for $5 these days?

Hmmmm… let’s see,

1.3 gallons of gas, depending on where you live…

1 frozen Mocha latte with protein powder…

Or, you could hire someone to sing happy birthday Marilyn Monroe style to the person of your choice…

Wha? Yes, you heard right. You can actually hire someone to do that and any other variety of jobs imaginable at one of the coolest websites I have found since the world wide web was invented. It’s called fiverr.com – “fiver” meaning you can choose from a huge data base of professionals, artists, entrepreneurs, and the like, who are willing to do specific jobs for you at the affordable rate of only $5!

For me, the site was an amazing find, since I have been desperately searching for just the right Virtual Assistant to do those odd jobs that, for me, are either too tedious to figure out (like creating a PDF with anchor text links that stay put) or just too time consuming to do on my own (like developing a new tag line to put on t-shirts and hats I want to offer to my clients.)

It’s all there, along with a lot of other amazing, sometimes unusual, and often hysterical jobs - making www.fiverr.com not only useful, but downright addictive.  One of my favorites is: "I will break up with your boyfriend or girlfriend on the phone for $5. "

All funny stuff aside, there are some true and legitimate jobs, along with the off-beat stuff, making it one of the smartest and most entertaining site on the web! Select the job you want, pay $5 through PayPal, and it’s yours. How great is that?

Here is a small sampling of the $5 jobs, or what they call “gigs,” I found when I recently browsed the site:
•    I will design covers for cd/dvd/books for $5
•    I will record your company's phone tree and greeting for $5
•    I will give you a slogan for your business for $5
•    I will create an outstanding set of Powerpoint charts for $5
•    I will hold you Accountable & Motivate you for 30 days to help you reach a Goal you've set for $5
•    I will remove the background from an image for $5
•    I will tell 24,000+ facebook friends about your page / group for $5
•    I will create a comedy video for you in a talk show style and send it to you for $5
•    I will draw you in a cartoony way for $5
•    I will be your virtual assistant for one hour for $5
•    I will do voiceover work for anything you want for $5
•    I will write 5 comments with SEO backlinks to your site for $5
•    I will fix your web page HTML / CSS code for $5
•    I will transcribe an audio file for $5
•    I will send a postcard with your choice of wording and genre from Hawaii to any location for $5
•    I will write 5 tweets about you to my over 16,000 Followers for $5

•    I will make you a radio jingle for $5

What a brilliant business model, not only to help folks showcase their talents, but to provide valuable jobs at unbelievable prices – and, besides, it’s just about the funniest, most entertaining place I’ve visited in a long while.

About the Author:
Dianne Orwig is a success coach, motivational speaker, fitness trainer, and founder of LivingFit Online™, a fitness program that has helped thousands of men and women completely transform their bodies and live healthier, happier lives though her less-is-better approach.

For more information on how you can get better results in less time and with less effort than you ever thought possible, visit http://www.lovelivingfit.com.  While you are there, make sure to sign up for our FREE newsletter and receive an instant download of Dianne's newest book, The Secret Laws of Weight Loss Success!

(c) Copyright - Dianne Orwig. All Rights Reserved Worldwide

Here are a few of my favorite quick-change approaches that can make all the difference in your efforts to downsize:

1. Go For Delicious Not Deprived
   Too often, we begin a diet plan by pining over all of the yummy things we can no longer have… you know… no Danish, no bagels, no cream in your coffee, no bread, no butter, nothing with high fructose corn syrup in it… What you are usually left with is a bunch of boring, bland, tasteless choices that are neither fun nor appealing. But, honestly, eating well to lose weight doesn’t have to be that way. The truth is, if your food is boring, bland and unexciting, you won’t stick with your eating plan for very long – and any results you achieve won’t stick either. The best way to shift from deprived to delicious is to stop focusing on all the stuff you can’t have and start looking at all the great food you can! My clients eat lobster, lean steak, grilled chicken, seared tuna, omelets, shrimp, pasta, potatoes, salmon, green salads, all kinds of fruit, whole wheat bread, grits, pancakes and more. The list of appetizing and nutritious food goes on and on. The trick, of course, is combining the right tastes and food combinations to not only feed your body, but your taste buds as well.                        
2. Make A Food Road Map
   Approach your daily food intake like you would a long trip. (In my book, a long trip is anything that requires more than 6 turns.) To get your body moving in the right direction, you have to feed it properly, eating small meals - between 5 and 6 - throughout the day. To stay on track and avoid taking the wrong turn, or worse, missing a turn all together, you need a written plan, a food road map of sorts, so that you don't lose your way. Having an hour-by-hour food plan, written out ahead of time, helps you see what a good day of eating looks like, and keeps you alert to when each meal should occur. One of the best and most effective weight loss habits you can adopt is to write out a daily eating plan, every night at bed time for the following day. Try it for a week - you might be amazed at how well this works to keep you focused, motivated and headed in the right direction.
3. Use Self-Accountability Tools
   Having a training partner or an accountability buddy is fine and good, but, to me, nothing is more powerful than learning to be self-accountable. You can do this by leaving notes to yourself on the bathroom mirror (you might write, “Just for today, I will get to the gym on time and have a great workout!”) Place appointments to go shopping for healthy food or to pre-cook portion controlled meals right in your calendar – take them as seriously as you do an appointment with an important client. Place alarms on your phone midway through the day to alert you to up-coming meals or to give yourself a 30-minute warning that it’s time to start packin' it up and headin' for the gym.
4. Give It 85% - Forget About 110%
   Wha?? This suggestion usually stirs up looks of shock and disbelief when I mention it. But, I have to tell you, the most important lesson I have learned in the past 11 years, having trained thousands of successful clients, is that the whole perfectionist’s rule of always going for 110% is the #1 cause of fitness failure. It’s funny how we don’t hold ourselves to the 110% rule when driving to work (we don’t just chuck the rest of the day, turn around and go home the minute we hit traffic…) or when planning a party (hey, even a mediocre party is better than no party at all…) or going to school (a few B’s and an occasional C never killed anyone’s career path...) But, miss a meal or a few workouts, and most people are ready to toss their whole fitness plan right out the window. Trust me on this - go for 85-90% - you’ll be amazed how liberating it is and how effectively it works to produce those great 110% results you're shooting for!

If you believe someone would enjoy and benefit from this post, please share it. Just click on the + Share button and you will see lots of options for sharing it with friends including email, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. Thanks!

About the Author:
Dianne Orwig is a success coach, motivational speaker, fitness trainer, and founder of LivingFit Online™, a fitness program that has helped thousands of men and women completely transform their bodies and live healthier, happier lives though her less-is-better approach.

For more information on how you can get better results in less time and with less effort than you ever thought possible, visit http://www.lovelivingfit.com.

(c) Copyright - Dianne Orwig. All Rights Reserved Worldwide

I don’t catch a lot of TV these days, but when I do, I love watching a show on HGTV called “Designed to Sell” – a program that shows how staging a home can make it more appealing to buyers and, ultimately, get it sold quicker and at the desired price.

During each show, a team made up of the home owners, a few carpenters, and a professional home stager, tackle and troubleshoot a listed property that has been sitting on the market for too long. The goal is to get the problem home “Open House” ready and, hopefully, sold, using a very small budget and not a lot of time. In just a few days they reposition, repurpose, and redecorate, and the results are almost always jaw-dropping.

The best part of the show, of course, is the big “before and after” reveal, and during a recent episode, I was struck by the parallels between getting a home ready to sell and getting the body into the great shape.

In fact, there are 3 main rules of home staging - what the insiders call the 3 D’s – Disassociate / De-clutter / Depersonalize - and these apply perfectly to fitness. Here’s how:

Disassociate
The first rule of thumb when trying to sell a house is to begin acting as though your home is no longer yours. This requires moving past your physical and emotional connection to it, as well as changing the way you live in it while you are waiting to move to a better place.

The first step in the disassociating process (whether it’s your house or your physical appearance) is to get it looking as new and fresh as you possibly can RIGHT NOW. Then, make a vow to keep it looking nice as you make the transition between the old and the new.

Buy a new set of workout clothes or try out a new hair style. Get a new pair of tennis shoes or go ahead and buy that new outfit - the one that fits NOW. Too often, in the process of changing, we take a “wait until I’ve reached my goal” attitude and this can actually slow the process of reaching your goal!

Feeling and looking your best as you get fit is one of the most frequently missed elements of making a successful physical transformation.

De-clutter
Nothing saps the energy of a space, or the people in it, like clutter. Unfortunately, when you are accustomed to living with piles of papers, unfolded laundry, and dirty dishes in the sink, it is very easy not to notice how it affects everything else around you. Sure, it seems silly to think that the reason you haven’t made it to the gym the past 4 weeks is due, in part, to the fact that your car needs to be cleaned out, but, I can assure you, there is a connection.

Mark my word, whether you want to change your body or change your address, one of the smartest things you can do is get organized, put things in their place, and make some visual room so you can think straight.

Organize your linen closet, clean out your pantry, cut your collection of glass elephants back to your three favorites. As you de-clutter, it might surprise you how many areas of your life begin to improve!

Depersonalize
Most people get stuck where they are (whether it’s in a house they can’t sell or a body they can’t change) because they insist on telling it “like it is.”

“This is who I am…” they’ll say, or “I know myself and this is how it’s going to stay.”

When we insist on telling the “who I am” story rather than the “who I’m becoming” story, it tends to lock us to all our old habits, thoughts and actions – the very ones that got us stuck in the first place.

Breaking free sometimes requires stepping outside ourselves and looking at our lives, our homes, and our bodies through an impartial lens. Home stagers do this by encouraging homeowners to decorate and arrange their homes in a way that appeals to a larger population.

From a fitness perspective, when it comes to changing the body, a good place to start is by telling a softer, happier story, one more people would like to hear, including you.

For instance, if you’ve always told the story of how you absolutely hate doing cardio, try changing your story to, “I look forward to a time when cardio is something I really enjoy.”

The key is to look forward and tell the story of the new you!

About the Author:
Dianne Orwig is a success coach, motivational speaker, fitness trainer, and founder of LivingFit Online™, a fitness program that has helped thousands of men and women completely transform their bodies and live healthier, happier lives though her less-is-better approach.

For more information on how you can get better results in less time and with less effort than you ever thought possible, visit http://www.lovelivingfit.com.

(c) Copyright - Dianne Orwig. All Rights Reserved Worldwide

Life can be magical when you have a clear set of personal rules to live by.  Here are my top 10 rules for living a happy, abundant life. (I hope they inspire you to create your own set of rules for living life to the fullest!)

Life Rule #1: Look for what pleases you, rather than what annoys you
Whether it’s your partner, your brother, your pet, home, or work, try pointing the majority of your attention toward the things you really love and appreciate, rather than looking for the things you find annoying or irritating.

Life Rule #2: Have a life that is yours alone
Try, as much as possible, to live a life that is not tied too closely to the actions and opinions of others. Do what you love and love what you do.

Life Rule#3: Appreciate where you are now
As you make your way toward your ultimate goals and dreams, make an intentional effort to love where you are on the way there. Find at least one thing about your life RIGHT NOW that satisfies you.

Life Rule #4: Have some fun
Laugh, dance, do something silly. Watch a funny movie, go for a swim, have lobster for dinner. Whatever you think is fun, pick one thing per day and Just Do It!

Life Rule #5: Say what you need to say
Don’t hold back… if you want to say, “I love you,” say it. If you need to say, “You hurt me,” say that too.

Life Rule #6: Surround yourself with people you love

Make a list of the people who make you feel safe, inspired, happy, or motivated. Keep them close and let them know, on a regular basis, how much they mean to you.

Life Rule #7: Forget About the money (At least for a little while)
Money makes the world go round, BUT if everything you do is based solely on the monetary value, you’re destined to miss a lot of life on the way to your “riches.” Make a habit of doing something every day that you would do regardless of whether you ever see a dime for your efforts or not.

Life Rule #8: Be a duck – let things roll off your back
Contrary to popular belief, life is not about struggle, hardship and pain. Often, simply deciding that you will look the other way, turn the other cheek, or smile and say “no problem,” can spell the difference between misery and happiness. It’s always your choice.

Life Rule #9:  Do a DRAK (Daily Random Act of Kindness)
Hold the elevator, wave the other car in, in fact, let two in, pay the next guy’s toll, tell someone they smell really good. Find someone to compliment and do it.

Life Rule#10: Take care of the vehicle you’ve been given
In a world where most of our time is spent taking care of others - our boss, our children, a friend in need, our significant other - it’s important to remember that it's our physical bodies that take us from point “A” to point “B.”  Without it, it’s impossible to take care of anything or anyone else. Make self-care a top priority.

About the Author:
Dianne Orwig is a success coach, motivational speaker, fitness trainer, and founder of LivingFit Online™, a fitness program that has helped thousands of men and women completely transform their bodies and live healthier, happier lives though her less-is-better approach.
For more information on how you can get better results in less time and with less effort than you ever thought possible, visit http://www.lovelivingfit.com.

(c) Copyright - Dianne Orwig. All Rights Reserved Worldwide

Have you ever known someone who always (or almost always) seems to get what they want?  I’ve known a few people in my life that fit that description and, while I’m not crowing, I have been tagged as one of those lucky people more than once or twice. My sister likes to call it being “spoiled rotten.” My best friend says it’s that “diva-like state of mind” that makes so many things go my way.

But, spoiled rotten, diva-like or not, having spent a good part of my life on the over side of the fence (hardly ever getting anything I wanted) I highly recommend the alternative and, today, I want to share with you one of the best secrets I know for shifting your life into “get what you want” mode, pronto.

Focus More on WHAT and Less on HOW– When my husband and I met, we knew within days that we would someday get married. Three years later, it still hadn’t happened – but it was not for a lack of trying. It was simply that, in the process of planning around everyone and everything else, we lost sight of what WE wanted.  We spent hours, days, and months trying to map out and coordinate everything. How would we include the kids in the ceremony? Where did our friends fit in? Who would give me away? Where would we have the party afterwards?

When it became clear that we would never be able to oblige everyone, we threw in the towel and decided on a private ceremony for two. From that moment on, in what seemed like an almost magical sequence of events, everything began to fall into perfect order. A few weeks later we were married in an elegant ceremony, held in an intimate chapel, aboard a beautiful ship, with our original list of family and friends in attendance, white gown, champagne toast and all.  In other words, the minute we let go of all the nitty-gritty details of how and focused all of our attention on what we wanted, everything happened beautifully and effortlessly.

Now, I am not implying, of course, that planning isn’t an important element of getting what you want, but when you find yourself longing for something that is slow to arrive or it feels as though it will never happen, it might be a good idea to examine where you are placing the majority of your attention.  Is your main focus on the vision of what you want and how amazing it will feel when it is finally yours, or is your mind constantly aimed at all of the ”Point-A-To-Point-B” mechanics of getting there? As counter intuitive as it might seem, shifting your focus off “how” and placing it squarely on “what” you want has a powerful way of putting you on the expressway to your heart’s desire.

If there is something you really want, but it seems to be taking forever to show up in your life, try taking about 10 minutes a day to sit quietly by yourself, without any distractions, and imagine the moment you are waiting for. Feel the excitement of getting what you want, imagine what it looks like, sounds like, smells like, and tastes like. Try your best to avoid any resistant thoughts of “but this has to happen first… then this… then this…” Try, instead, to simply experience the joy of that moment- as though you are merely recalling a wonderful memory that has already occurred.  Get back to what you want, forget about how it will arrive (if only for a while,) and you will be amazed at how quickly it will arrive.

About the Author:
Dianne Orwig is a success coach, motivational speaker, fitness trainer, and founder of LivingFit Online™, a fitness program that has helped thousands of men and women completely transform their bodies and live healthier, happier lives though her less-is-better approach.

For more information on how you can get better results in less time and with less effort than you ever thought possible, visit http://www.lovelivingfit.com.

(c) Copyright - Dianne Orwig. All Rights Reserved Worldwide

If you are attempting to lose weight, you’re probably working pretty hard at eating less food. For many, this typically means cooking or preparing smaller portions or ordering smaller meals when dining out. While it seems logical to cook less and order less in an attempt to get a handle on your love handles, the fact is, doing just the opposite is really the way to go.

Order More Not Less - Let’s say you’re out with friends and you order a nice lean steak, baked potato and some steamed broccoli. This is a very balanced meal of protein, carbohydrate and green vegetable - add a little salsa or spray butter to your potato, a little salt and pepper, and you’ve got the perfect meal… with the exception, of course, of the size.

Because restaurants notoriously serve 2 to 4 helpings in an average dinner plate, you may be tempted to share your entree with a friend to avoid eating too much. Certainly this is one strategy but, as I see it, if you’ve gone to the trouble of ordering a clean, healthy meal, why not share it with yourself instead? As soon as your meal arrives, box up half of it and – vooala! - you have your next meal; delicious, nutritious and made to order!

This is a trick I always use when traveling. I make sure that my room is equipped with a small refrigerator and I always order more than I need. Boxing up half of each meal ensures that I always have an approved meal waiting for me whenever I need it.

Cooking More = Losing More – Below is a very simple and healthy recipe for tuna salad. As you will see, whenever preparing any healthy recipe, I make much more than I need. (The way I see it, it takes the same amount of time to make 1 serving as it does to make 6.) This saves time and guarantees that I will have plenty of good, healthy food available for later.

  Place three large vacuum bags of tuna into a large bowl.

   Add ¼ of low fat mayo (actually you can get away with the real stuff since this recipes divides into 6 servings), 1 heaping tablespoon of prepared mustard, ¼ cup of sweet relish, 1 tablespoon of chopped jalapeños (optional)

  Add salt & pepper to taste

  Boil up some Orzo pasta (or any other type of pasta you like)

  Then divide both the tuna salad and cooked pasta into separate, portion controlled containers. (Keeping your pasta and tuna separate will help them stay fresh longer - combining the two will cause each to go bad much faster - so keep them separate until you get ready to serve.)

  Now you have 6 healthy, portion-controlled meals, 1 for now and 5 more to eat in the next few days.

   A good policy is to leave room in your protein container so, when you get ready to eat, you can simply toss your carb in and enjoy – less dishes to clean later on!

  This meal, by the way, is great with a little hot sauce on top!

So, the moral of the story is, cook more, order more, eat small, eat often, and lose weight you will!

About the Author:
Dianne Orwig is a success coach, motivational speaker, fitness trainer, and founder of LivingFit Online™, a fitness program that has helped thousands of men and women completely transform their bodies and live healthier, happier lives though her less-is-better approach.

For more information on how you can get better results in less time and with less effort than you ever thought possible, visit http://www.lovelivingfit.com.

(c) Copyright - Dianne Orwig. All Rights Reserved Worldwide

With all the hoopla about this special diet pill and that specific exercise program, it’s not surprising that many of us are completely confused about what it really takes to drop a pant size or two.

Of course, diet and exercise are, understandably, the big box-office draw of the fitness industry, but here is a tiny fact that only peeks its head out of the clouds every once in a while: If you don’t get enough sleep, what you do in the gym and in the kitchen might not make that much difference – even if you work really hard and stick to your diet like glue.

It’s hard to believe that something as sedentary as sleep could actually be one of the best, most overlooked diet aids around, but the proof has been out there for years.

Findings presented during the 2006 American Thoracic Society International Conference revealed the results of one of the largest studies to track the effects of sleep habits on weight gain over time. The 16 year long study, which included more than 70,000 participants, showed that women who slept 5 hours per night were 32% more likely to gain weight (33 pounds on average) and 15% were more likely to become obese, when compared with those who slept 7 hours a night.

In the study, it was found that even among women who eat less, those who slept less still gained weight over time. Lead researcher Sanjay Patel, M.D., Assistant Professor of Medicine at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, OH explains, "Prior studies have shown that after just a few days of sleep restriction, the hormones that control appetite cause people to become hungrier, so we thought that women who slept less might eat more," Patel says. "But, in fact, they ate less. That suggests that appetite and diet are not accounting for the weight gain in women who sleep less."

While the evidence was clear – sleeping less has a direct effect on the ability to lose weight – the reasons behind this phenomenon are still unclear. A range of possibilities are thought to be responsible - from insulin regulation to an over abundance of the stress hormone, cortisol.

But, the real question isn’t so much “why” but “how?” How does one go about getting more sleep? Experience has taught me that sleep habits are often as hard, if not harder, to re-tool than eating and exercise habits. The following are a few of my favorite ways to go about getting more Zzz’s:

Change Your Ritual – One of the best ways to change a habit is to start by changing the environment surrounding the habit. Try ending your evening with a relaxing soak. Turn the TV off, listen to soothing music, or read something inspirational. Change a few things each week – adding to your new routine until you have a solid “getting ready for bed” ritual. This will prompt your brain to begin winding down  even if it is not your usual bedtime.

Add 30 Minutes at a Time – If you’re accustomed to crawling into bed at 11:30pm, make an intentional effort to start making it 11:00pm. Once you have accomplished this three nights in a row, try moving it to 10:30pm and so on, until you are spending a full 7 to 8 hours in bed. Work on getting to bed earlier first, then work on getting to sleep. Eventually, your body will adjust to the change and you will fall asleep more easily.

Wear Ear Plugs – Second only to stress and worry, the number one cause of sleepless nights is noise – specifically snoring. If this is a problem for you, consider using one of the many disposable ear plugs that are available at most drug stores. My favorite (I find them the most comfortable) are Flent brand “Quiet! Please” noise reducing foam ear plugs. I’ve used them for many years and have heard from more than a few folks that wearing ear plugs at night not only help them sleep better –it's saved a few marriages to boot!

Listen To Meditation CDs – Find a good quality meditation or relaxation CD that will help you relax and wind down. These are also great to have by your bedside if you happen to wake up during the night with your mind racing about this and that. They serve as a great tool to get your mind off the stress so you can drift back to sleep. Use flat stereo ear buds (the type designed for sleeping) to get the best results. I recommend using recordings that contain the sounds of rain, ocean waves or white noise only, and save guided, spoken recordings for daytime meditations.

So, in an effort to lose those stubborn love handles, while you count your calories and count the minutes ticking away on the treadmill, make sure to count on getting a few more hours shut eye as well. Your body, mind and spirit will be all the better for it!

About the Author:
Dianne Orwig is a success coach, motivational speaker, fitness trainer, and founder of LivingFit Online™, a fitness program that has helped thousands of men and women completely transform their bodies and live healthier, happier lives though her less-is-better approach.

For more information on how you can get better results in less time and with less effort than you ever thought possible, visit http://www.lovelivingfit.com. Discover how you can stay motivated and on track – to request your Free LivingFit ebook, “Prepare To Succeed” send an email to dianne@lovelivingfit.com and place the words “Prepare To Succeed” in the subject line.

(c) Copyright - Dianne Orwig. All Rights Reserved Worldwide