. Many people start wearing pedometers as part of an effort to get in shape. In these cases, it's usually easiest to get motivated to take more steps by setting small, clearly-defined goals for yourself. These goals should provide some increasing level of challenge from week to week, but should be completely within your grasp. Many walking resources recommend that increasing your pace by about 500 steps per week is a reasonable fitness goal. In other words, you'd aim to walk about 3,500 steps per day during your first week, 4,000 during your second, and so on. It's not practical to simply increase your step count each week forever. At some point, most people want to find a sustainable level of activity that meets their fitness needs and can be easily balanced with their other work and life obligations. This should be your long-term goal. Give yourself plenty of time to achieve this by slowly ramping up your step counts from week to week until it's within your grasp. Don't aim for your final goal right off the bat — suddenly imposing major challenges on yourself is a great way to fail and discourage yourself. One long-term step goal that's widely advertised as being desirable for adults is 10,000 steps per day. For someone with an average-length stride, this is a little less than 5 mi (8 km). While 10,000 steps per day can be a great fitness goal, it's worth noting that the goal may be unsustainable for some groups of people (like the ill or elderly). In addition, this level of activity is probably too low for teens and children. To track long-term progress, it's a wise idea to keep track of your daily pedometer counts in a step journal. Once you've accumulated a few months' worth of data, it's easy to see the changes you've made — you can even make a line graph to get a visual representation of your progress. Note that your journal doesn't have to be an actual, paper one. Digital journals work just as well. Spreadsheet programs like Microsoft Excel make it exceptionally easy to transfer your data into a graph. If you're unsure of whether your short-term or long-term step goals are reasonable, talk to your doctor. Only a trained medical professional will be able to tell you exactly what sorts of exercise are right for you based on your unique medical history. If you have a medical condition that affects the level of exercise you can perform (like, for instance, heart disease), consult with your doctor before you start using a pedometer, not after. Though the dangers of walking are usually quite low, some medical problems can change this.
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One-sentence summary -- Set regular goals Set ambitious long-term goals. Keep a journal of your daily results. When in doubt, consult your doctor.


Using your hands, thoroughly mix the ground beef with approximately 3/4 tsp (3.75 ml) salt and 1/2 tsp (2.4 ml) ground black pepper.  Add more or less salt according to taste. The same goes for the black pepper, as well. If desired, you can use a separate hamburger spice blend or other seasonings that you enjoy tasting in your burgers, like garlic powder or chili powder. Make sure that the seasonings you choose will complement both the beef and the cheese, though. Break the chunk of ground beef into four even, separate pieces. Roll these portions into balls. These “balls” of hamburger need to be pressed together firmly so that the meat is dense and able to adhere to itself. When using this technique, you cannot afford to have crumbly burger meat. Use your thumb to indent the middle of each ball. The indentation should be deep enough to reach the center of the ball. Alternatively, you could also use the handle end of a wooden or plastic mixing spoon to form the indentation. Fill each indentation with roughly 2 Tbsp (30 ml) shredded cheddar cheese. Use your fingers to smooth the top of the beef over the exposed indentation, hiding the cheese in the center as you do so. Cheddar cheese is recommended by default, but you can get creative by trying other types of cheese, as well. You can even stick small wedges or cubes of cheese in the center of the burger as long as they fit and are roughly equivalent to 2 Tbsp (30 ml) of shredded cheese. Use your hands or a burger mold to flatten the filled burger balls into patties. For these burgers, it might be easiest to form the patties using your hands. You could still work with some sort of patty press or mold, though. Line the mold with plastic wrap, press the stuffed patty ball into it, and flatten out the meat until it fills the mold. Wrap these patties in plastic wrap or an airtight plastic bag and store them in the refrigerator for a minimum of 30 minutes before taking them out and cooking them.
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One-sentence summary -- Mix the beef and spices. Form four balls. Create an indentation. Pack cheese into the center and close. Flatten into patties. Store the patties until ready to use.


Even meaningless items may have sentimental value to a hoarder. Respect your parent’s freedom to do whatever they like with their stuff, whether or not you agree, and don’t throw anything out until they give you permission.  Even if you live with your parents, you should still respect their possessions. Have them sit down with you and create a list of things you can start getting rid of. Making a contract with your parent can also be helpful. For example, you may promise that they can keep 1 item out of every 10 items. This may help them to be more conscientious about the value of their belongings. Sometimes it may even be helpful for the parent to go away for a few days while the house is being cleaned. Offer to send them on a short vacation or to put them up in a hotel for a few days if you are able. Don’t try to tackle a hoarder’s house alone. Get other family members or friends to help you, if possible. If you live in the home, reach out to adult family members and encourage them to talk to your parents.  You might say, "Aunt Pam, I'm really worried about Mom and Dad's hoarding. There's hardly any room to move around in our house. Can you talk to them and maybe help us clear out some of the clutter?" A professional cleaning service is another option, although these can be expensive. Costs will vary based on where you live, how much space you need cleaned (i.e. square footage) and the severity of the clutter. You will probably have to throw out more stuff than you expect. Arrange to have a dumpster dropped off as close to the house as possible. When your parent gives you permission to throw something out, take it to the dumpster right away so they can’t change their mind.  Keep in mind that electronics and hazardous materials usually can’t go in dumpsters. Renting a dumpster can range from about $100 to $800, depending on how large a container you need and how long you need it.  If you can't afford to hire a dumpster service, ask friends and family if they have trucks or trailers to help you haul items to a nearby dump or recycling plant. Before you start cleaning, make a plan. Work on clearing one area before you move on to another. You’ll be able to see your progress more easily that way. It might be best to start in areas with the least clutter and then build up to more congested areas. Divide items into three categories – things to keep, things to donate, and things to throw away. Take trash to the dumpster immediately. Have bins or bags ready for items to be donated. Don’t let your parent deliberate too long over what to do with things, or they might change their mind about getting rid of them. You might give a time limit of about five minutes for them to deliberate on an item. Thinking on it too long will only allow them to come up with more reasons to keep things. Short cleaning sessions won’t make much of a dent in your parent’s clutter. Plan to clean all day, or at least for several hours, so you’ll actually make some progress. Your parent will probably clutter their living area again when you leave, so short cleaning sessions may not do any good in the long run.
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One-sentence summary --
Get your parent’s permission before you get rid of anything. Enlist other family members’ help. Use a dumpster service. Tackle one room at a time. Sort items as you go. Get as much done in one session as you can.