Originally Posted by Linkster

Google "burnthefat" - probably the best eating (and exercise) program out there - gets back to the basics and well worth the $20 or so for his ebook - the chapters on food are great as he actually goes into how the metabolism works and how we store stuff - Ive had two heart attacks and since I started eating using his guides and recommendations, Ive never felt better and it actually feels like the arteries are clearing some (I did have to get some rerouting and stents done a while back before I started this)

SImple approach - the closer the food is to the ground - the better it is for you - and I eat 6 meals a day - but I eat all good stuff - from buckwheat pancakes to eggs to veggies to fish and meat - but its all done in moderation since I can eat 6 times - and the weight has melted off of me. The only exercise I do other than the pretty active stuff I do outside on my land (from wood cutting/splitting to carpentry etc) is to walk on a treadmill 3-4 times a week for 20 mins

Originally Posted by Mediachick

Here's my own tricks to stay lean and some that my good friend told me when he got diagnosed with high cholesterol and a main artery clogged at 98% at 50 yrs old even though he wasnt 'that' overweight...

-I drink green tea daily. It takes a while to get used to the taste but once you are used to it, you'll learn to like it. Green tea is pretty much the healthiest beverage (after water) that can be consumed in my opinion and alot of health professionals too.

-Get your cholesterol checked every year, even if you're young.

-To avoid fast-foods and the big mac that's easy and quick, try to do the effort of doing your groceries meticulously once a week and think of food that you will prepare for yourself in advance for your week.

-Read the labels as you do your groceries, be careful of the fat, cholesterol and trans fat content of what you buy. Dont do your groceries while hungry because you'll tend to buy stuff that is easy to cook and you'll end up just eating frozen dinners and fatty un-nutricious foods.

-prepare your food in advance; cut veggies and put them in a topperware in the fridge so when you have the munchies, you will tend to eat healthy already prepared snacks instead of digging into a bag of chips...

-If you are not into eating fruit, drink them. You can easily do smoothies with pretty much all kinds of fruit and you can also freeze the fruit to use them later.

-Cook food in vegetable oil (olive oil is my choice) instead of butter

-If you are worried about your cholesterol level or you do have a condition; buy PSILLIUM. You can find it in health food store in a powder form and add it to some foods, or you can buy cereals that already contains it.

-Exercise at least 3 times a week for a minimum of 30 minutes. This is always the hardest part for me because i tend to get really motivated with exercise for a few months and then I get busy and never find the time to do it anymrore. If that's your case try to change your habits by walking to work or to go do your chores, or bike there.

(My friend had to change completely his diet when he got diagnosed with his heart problem and now after 3 years, he lost 30 pounds that were mostly in his belly, and his cholesterol is perfect... so far so good, if you are serious about it, you dont have to go trough these health issue but you have to be careful and constant)

That's pretty much all for now. good luck!