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Having just read the famous 'French Women Don't Get Fat', I'm inspired. French women don't go to gyms. They don't work out with a trainer. They don't even do aerobics in the cover of their own homes.

French paradox?

After reading the book, I don't think so.

Among other things, French women find simple ways to incorporate more exercise and movement into their day. This helps to burn more calories and keep their waists trim. So in the spirit of this, here are 5 tips to build more exercise into your life (and forget the gym :o)


#1) Take the stairs.

We here it all the time but it's true. Stair walking not only burns mega calories but it gives you an amazing back end. You don't have to do 10 flights at once. But whenever you have the option to take the elevator up 2 or 3 floors or to take the stairs - choose the stairs.


#2) Walk your dog.

No, don't take him to the park and just stand there with the other dog owners - walk him! He'll appreciate it and you'll appreciate the looser feel of your pants after a few months - just from making this small change.


#3) Forget the gym - clean your house.

I used to hate cleaning my house. So boring - and it actually made me sweat so that was uncomfortable. Then one day I finally got a clue and realized that cleaning my house was a great way to get my exercise. Instead of going to the gym (and then stressing when I came home since my house was messy), I decided to bring out the vacuum and sweat with that instead. Now I not only have a 'workout' but I also have a clean house. 2 birds with one stone.


#4) Take a commercial break.

Instead of sitting on your couch watching the latest commercial on how they get that soft flowing caramel inside the chocolate bar, get up and do something during the commercials. Do some sit-ups or push ups. Walk around your house. Start a load of laundry. Do some squats or lunges. Every little bit helps in the calorie burning game - and you won't even miss the commercials!


#5) Be 'Movement Aware'

Just by being aware of how much movement you're doing, you'll find ways throughout your day to incorporate exercise into your routine. Instead of bending at the waist to unload the dishwasher, why not squat and bring your legs into it. Instead of looking for the nearest parking spot to the grocery store, why not park far away and walk?

If you pay attention, you'll see tons of little ways to bring more movement into your daily life that won't cost you anything but extra calories.

Try these tips and chances are you'll notice looser pants in a few months - all without sweating it out hours in a gym.

For more weight loss tips, check out the 10 Idiot-proof rules of Dieting.
For more easy weight loss tips check out

So I figure that we've got about 5-8 weeks before the spring thaw starts (depending on where you live). If you aren't good with crash diets, you might want to gradually incorporate naturally thin habits so you'll be ready for spring.

If you build in 1 or 2 naturally thin habits a week, you'll be able to sit back and relax in your loose-fitting spring clothes while watching everyone else do the mad dash for the gym. So I've listed some of the easiest naturally thin habits below to help you get some ideas about how to lose weight before Spring:

#1 Drink More Water - helps speed your metabolism and flush fat

#2 Increase Exercise Time or Frequency - especially focus on strength training as this keeps your metabolism elevated for 12-24 hours after your workout

#3 Stop Eating After 7:00 - After 7:00 pm your body pretty much stores most food as fat - it doesn't need it since you'll just be going to sleep

#4 Eat Breakfast - I read a study recently where they proved that breakfast eaters actually ate less total calories for the day than non-breakfast eaters. Personally I've found this to be true for me but everyeone's different so try it and see if it works for you

#5 Make Small Changes - Have your regular toast with peanut butter - but maybe cut out the margarine. Go ahead and indulge in your 3:00 coffee break - but instead of that 600 calorie whipped mocha-frappa-lattee- cino thing, why not tray a Chai latte? Or a hot chocolate without the whipped cream? Little changes add up to large calorie cuts - especially over 5 weeks.

So those are 5 thin habits to start now to be svelte for spring. They're fairly easy and don't involve harsh crash diets or massive feelings of deprivation.

I'll try to post some more easy tips here in the coming weeks.

Until next time - V