Just like with anything else in life, there’s a positive, intelligent way to go about eating out on a budget and there’s the not-so-good way. Here are some times to avoid the not-so-good-way.

First, try going out for lunch rather than dinner. Most restaurants are cheaper at lunch and the food is just as good. Many restaurants even offer special business lunches, which have multiple courses and are usually steals. Even better, lunch food has a tendency to be lighter than dinner courses, so eating out at lunch may offer you healthier choices than the dinner menu will.

If the place you love to go has large portions, try dining out with another health conscious friend and split the plate. The truth of the matter is that the vast majority of restaurants have enormous portions, and digging in to that chili dog meal alone is an excellent way to blow your calorie count out of the water for the rest of the day. Alternatively, ask for a doggie bag and take half your meal home to eat later – after a spot of exercise, perhaps!

Order vegetarian. Many restaurants these days offer vegetarian options ” or will at least listen if you tell them to hold the meat. This depends highly on what kind of restaurant you are at, as you’re likely to be unable to ask the guy making you a burger to “hold the meat” However, if there is a vegetarian option available, it’s likely to be lower in calories and just as delicious as its meat-laden counterpart.

Last, make it a point to skip dessert. Now, one of the cardinal rules of dieting is not to be overly cruel to yourself, but the fact of the matter is that a giant sundae is likely to have more calories than the rest of your meal combined and will definitely add some dollars to your bill. Enjoy eating out, of course, but don’t go overboard!

1/2 cup plain lowfat yogurt

1/4 cup fresh lime juice

1/4 cup honey

1 teaspoon grated fresh lime peel

2 cups diced peeled cantaloupe

2 cups diced peeled honeydew melon

1 cup seedless red or green grapes

1 cup fresh blueberries

2 cups diced peeled cored fresh pineapple

1 cup raspberries or blackberries

1 1/2 cups halved hulled strawberries

Directions

Whisk together yogurt, lime juice and honey in small bowl to blend; set dressing aside. Wash and clean fruits. Add fruit to a large bowl. Cover dressing and fruit separately and chill until ready to serve, up to 6 hours. Mix dressing into fruit. Let stand 15 minutes to blend flavors. Note: You can easily interchange different fruits – this dressing will also taste great with nectarines, peaches, etc.

To start with why not use the stairs in your home to get fit? If you have ever run up or down stairs you know how winded you can get. So why not start stair climbing on a daily basis. Aim to walk up and down the stairs five to ten times each day. Then once you have this mastered the next day add one more set. If you can do it once you can do it again, so there is no reason to do fewer repetitions.

If your stairs at home are really steep or you just want a change of venue, see where in your town you have lots of stairs. Is there a church, library or community building that has lots of stairs? How about your local mall? The mall is a great idea for rainy days plus you can walk around the mall as well as climb the stairs and get a great workout.

For those who live in a community with lots of parks or nearby trail walks you may find nature walks that incorporate stairs. These are the kind that are built right into the ground and are not as evenly spaced. This way you will have to adjust your steps to navigate the stairs.

If your child is in soccer, hockey or baseball you can walk the flight of stairs on the stands while your child is playing or practicing. This doesn’t allow you to have any excuse about not having time to exercise because of after school activities.

If you haven’t tried climbing stairs in a while you will be surprised at just how good of a workout this is. Your leg muscles will be burning afterwards and you’ll find yourself huffing and puffing. If you experience shin splints they will go away in about a week or two. This is just a sign of your muscles becoming adjusted to your new activity.

Stairs are available almost everywhere and you shouldn’t have any problem finding a set that you can use each day. It wasn’t that difficult to find a low cost exercise solution now was it?

It is an ideal exercise for those starting out with lifting weights, as your back is supported by the back of the bench seat.

For the purpose of this exercise, you will need a military bench press, and barbells of an appropriate weight for your level of expertise and strength.

As always, if you are unsure of your capabilities, or unsure of the exercise itself, start off with a low weight and build up to a heavier weight once you are feeling more confident. Try, if possible, to have another person present for safety reasons.

Position yourself comfortably on the bench press, with your back up against the back of the seat and the bar at shoulder level. Hold the bar with your palms facing forward and your grip wider than shoulder width.

Try to create an angle of 90 degrees between your forearm and upper arm as you lower the barbell.

This will now become your starting position.

Making sure that you hold the barbell in the correct position and the correct grip, lift the bar up slowly over your head and lock your arms.

While inhaling, lower the bar back down until it is positioned at the back of your head.

While exhaling, lift the bar slowly back up to the starting position.

Once again inhaling, slowly lower the bar back down until it is in position behind your head.

You have now completed one repetition.

Do the required number of repetitions of the same movement.

Tip: There cannot be enough emphasis stressed on the importance of breathing correctly while performing any kind of physical exercise. Ensuring that you are breathing correctly will help you attain your fitness goals. If you are not breathing properly, you will find the exercise is more difficult than it needs to be.

If you want to add more stress to the shoulder muscles, you could try raising the bar to slightly higher than the head, followed by slowly lowering it to the opposite side. This will add extra tension to your shoulders, while ensuring that your tricep muscles involvement is kept to a minimum. This is a good idea if you are recovering from an injury or strain, and do not want to put added pressure on recovering muscles.

Another variation would be to alternate moves.

From the starting position, as described above, hold the bar in the correct way.

Lift the bar up slowly and lock your arms.

Inhale while lowering the bar down to the back of your head.

Exhale while raising the bar up again and lock your arms.

Now exhale, and this time slowly lower the bar until it is front of your chest.

Front and back are considered to be one repetition.

Yet another variation of the same exercise would be to perform it while in a standing position. This will increase the number of calories burnt.

1. Heart disease is the leading cause of death in both men and women in America.

2. Heart disease death rate per 100,000 populations for the five largest cities in the U.S. based on racial and ethnic groups are Hispanics 69.2, Asians and Pacific Islanders 73, American Indians 82.5, Blacks 189.8, and Whites 235.5.

3. Coronary heart disease is the principle type of heart disease. In 2005 over 445,000 died of coronary heart disease, which equals 68.3of all heart disease deaths that year.

4. 47of all cardiac deaths occur before emergency services or transportation to the hospital.

5. Heart disease is projected to cost more than $304.6 billion, which includes the health care services, medications, and time off work.

6. In 2005, more that 7.6 million people died from heart disease worldwide.

7. Risk factors noted in 2003-2004 for adults with heart disease were contributed to 32.1of people 20 years or older with hypertension or taking medication for hypertension; 16.9of people 20 years or older with high cholesterol; 10of people 20 years or older with doctor diagnosed diabetes; 32of people 20 years or older with obesity; 18.4of people 18 years or old that smoked; and 39.5of people 18 years or older that did not have a standard exercise regimen.

8. 37in 2003 reported having two or more of the risk factors for heart disease and stroke, which include high blood pressure, high cholesterol, current smoking, physical inactivity, obesity, and diabetes.

9. In 2005, 92of people suffering from chest pains recognized the symptoms of the possible heart attack with only 27correctly knowing they were having a heart attack and contacted the emergency authorities for assistance. Timely access to emergency services can mean the difference between life and death. Knowing the signs and symptoms of heart attacks can and will save your life when you act accordingly.

10. According to studies, people with heart disease can lower their risks of heart attacks when they lower their cholesterol and blood pressure as well as avoiding needing surgery for heart bypass and angioplasty. To reduce the risks, take the steps to lower the blood pressure and cholesterol.

11. According to studies of people without heart disease, they reduce their potential risks of heart disease by lowering their cholesterol and high blood pressure.

When a person changes their unhealthy life style patterns, they reduce the risks of heart disease and strokes.

You will need a barbell plate when doing your front plate raises. The barbell plates are the big flat weights. Do not pick one that is too heavy instead get a weight that you will be able to lift easily.

This exercise is done in the standing position. Make sure both feet are flat and are aligned with your shoulders. You want to keep your back straight so you do not injury it.

Once you are in the proper position you will need to place your hands properly on the barbell weight. Place your right hand in the 3 o?clock position on the weight. Now take your left hand and place it at the 9 o?clock position. When your hands are placed in the correct position your palms will be pointing towards each other.

Keeping a firm grip on the barbell weight lower it until it is almost at your waist. Your elbows will be slightly bent and pointing at the wall behind you. Your arms will be extended and locked into place. This is going to be your starting position for the front plate raises.

While exhaling, start to raise the plate slowly until it is just above your shoulders. You will know the weight is at the correct height when you can see through the hole. Your arms should have stayed locked in the same position they were at the beginning. You are using your shoulders to pull the plate up in front of you not your arms or your torso.

Hold the position for a second while you look through the hole. Now start to inhale as you bring the plate back down to your starting position. Do the recommended repetitions.

If you do not feel comfortable with the barbell plate or cannot keep your grip on it there are some other items that can be used. The dumbbells can be used and you can do one arm at a time or you can do both at once. Some people prefer using the dumbbells because they can add more weight to it easily. If you feel more comfortable being able to grab a bar with both hands then use the barbells. The cables can also be used if you are worried about dropping the weights on to the ground.

If you are not sure if you are doing the front plate raises correctly then stop and ask a professional. The whole point of the exercise is to build and strengthen your shoulders and not to hurt them.

These three shoulder exercises will give your shoulders the appearance that they are wider over time. They will cut your shoulders and give them definition.