Q: While it's possible to stick to your diet at a restaurant, you really have no idea what's going into your food back in the kitchen. You might think the fish is a great, low-calorie option without realizing that the first and last thing that went into the dish was butter.  There's nothing more frustrating than seeing weight gain or slowed loss when you think you're sticking to the plan. Preparing your own meals at home lets you control what you're putting in your body and keeps you on track. Sometimes, you want to grab some food with your friends on the weekend. That's okay — you don't want to miss out on your social life for your diet. When you do eat out, make sure to ask the waiter about how the dishes you're interested in are cooked to prevent any surprises that might frustrate your diet. Don't be afraid to ask them to ask the kitchen if they don't know the answers. Consider the portion sizes of restaurant foods. Ask if they have smaller portion options (order the 1/2 rack of ribs instead of the full rack), or before you even start eating, put a portion of the meal into a "to go" bag. If you live in the United States, you may have a concept of meal size that differs from most of the rest of the world. While the serving sizes on our nutrition labels are accurate, the portion sizes we serve ourselves in restaurants and at home are enormous!  Always start with less food than you think you'll need. Eat slowly to give your body time to process how full your stomach is getting — the brain needs about 20 minutes before it can tell the stomach is full. If you're still hungry after that, eat a little more until you're satisfied. Use your hand to measure your portion sizes. For example, the recommended 3 oz. of meat in a serving fits in the palm of your hand. A cup of any food is about the size of a fist, while ½ a cup fits into a cupped palm (handful). While changing your diet is essential to effective weight loss, regular exercise will enable you to burn off excess calories without sacrificing the nutritional value of the food you consume.  In other words, if you reduce calories strictly by eating less, you risk missing out on nutrients; reducing calories in part through exercise avoids this problem. The best way to get fast results that keep you motivated is to combine your diet change with an active lifestyle. Plus, staying active during your teen years raises your chances of staying active into adulthood, ensuring healthy weight down the road. Talk to your doctor, a trainer, or a professional at the gym to help you plan a safe and effective exercise program. Try to get at least one hour of moderate exercise every day. Try to make it fun — you don't have to grind it out at the gym by yourself! Enlist your friends to keep you company and make it a social activity, as long as you can stay focused. Joining a sports team is a great way to spend time with your friends while getting a lot of structured exercise. Even walking has health and weight-loss benefits and is a good way to start. No matter what kind of diet plan you're on, drinking lots of water will help you lose weight and keep it off. A recent study showed that drinking 17 oz. of water increased both men and women's metabolisms — the rate at which the body burns calories — by 30%!  On top of that, drinking enough water can keep your body from confusing thirst for hunger, reducing your need to snack between meals. Drink a glass of water before meals, then drink another glass while you’re eating. Taking sips between bites slows you down as you eat and keeps your from eating past the point of fullness. Make sure to drink at least 8 cups of water every day, but don't be afraid to drink more! Drinking water also keeps your skin hydrated and can help keep acne in check. All those sodas and energy drinks are flooding you with calories that didn't satisfy your hunger. Water is the perfect, calorie-free drink that goes with every meal and keeps your body healthy to boot. If you need a morning pick-me-up, replace your Frappuccino with a black coffee. When you want to lose weight fast, it's tempting to try any of the number of diets that promise immediate results. However, these "fad diets" often result in only temporary weight loss — usually from water weight.  Furthermore, they can pose real health risks if taken too far because they drastically limit what you can eat and cause nutritional imbalance. For instance, eating nothing but grapefruit for two weeks will certainly help you lose weight, but you'll feel terrible. The weight will come back as soon as you return to a regular diet. Be wary of any diet that:  Promises quick weight loss Helps a company sell a product (a supplement or detox drink, for example) Lacks credible scientific research to support its claims Seriously restricts your food options (eating cabbage soup for a week)
A: Limit restaurant meals. Monitor your portion sizes. Get plenty of exercise. Drink a lot of water. Stop drinking your calories. Avoid fad diets.

Article: You can do this as you would normally, listening to music on a stereo or through the speakers of your car. Avoid putting headphones directly on your stomach, as this can overstimulate your unborn child. The recommended volume for your child to best enjoy music that you play should be at about the level of the ambient noise made by a washing machine.  Children begin to hear and make sense of sound in the womb at about 25 weeks into your pregnancy.  Exposing your child to music in the womb does not guarantee that your child will be mathematically inclined or musically apt. But by engaging your child with sound, you give it practice at discerning differences in it. Simple melodies will be less overwhelming for your child. Consider songs you might put your baby to sleep with, or childhood songs like: The ABC songYou are my SunshineHush Little BabyTwinkle Twinkle Little Star Children can recognize the voices of parents and other family members that it has heard while in the womb. By talking to your baby or reading them books, you will help them begin learning about sound while still in the womb. Different languages follow different rules of stress and intonation. Studies have shown that your newborn will have the ability to identify their native tongue, so they might benefit from being familiarized with other languages. You might consider:  Watching foreign films. Sitting in on classes teaching language. Doing light volunteer work with an ethnically oriented outreach program. While it is unlikely that your child will learn the song you are singing in the way young children or adults do, familiarization with common childhood songs may encourage their learning of it after being born. There are many songs for you to choose from, including:   One Two, Buckle my Shoe One Potato, Two Potato Three Little Piggies Months of the Year Song
Question: What is a summary of what this article is about?
Play music. Talk to your baby while you are pregnant. Find a multilingual environment. Sing educational songs.

Q: Immerse yourself in the tub. Let all your stresses wash away. Let your worries dissolve into the water. Think happy thoughts of sun-kissed beaches and starlit skies. Let all thoughts of kids, work and money evaporate with the steam. Open your mind, meditate and just enjoy! When it starts to feel less enjoyable or it's getting too cold, it's time to hop out. You've just pampered yourself and you'll feel a whole lot calmer.
A:
Check the water temperature before getting in. Relax. Stay for as long as it feels comfortable and pleasurable.