INPUT ARTICLE: Article: . Rather than have 2-3 big meals, try having 5-6 meals with smaller portion sizes. This can help to prevent overwhelming your esophagus with a lot of food at once and make it easier for you to digest your food properly. For example, you may have a small portion of food in the morning and then several small meals during the day, rather than a set breakfast, lunch, and dinner with larger portions. Food with lots of pepper and other spices can make your symptoms worse. Acidic foods like tomatoes, oranges, strawberries, and lemons can also cause spasms. Try cutting these foods out of your diet to see if your symptoms improve. Acidic drinks like coffee can also make your spasms worse so you should avoid drinking these, if possible. Try not to prepare food that is very hot or very cold, as the extreme temperatures can make your symptoms worse. Eat food at room temperature to avoid aggravating your esophagus. These two habits can make your symptoms worse and cause spasms to occur. Try quitting smoking or reducing how many cigarettes you smoke a day. Limit yourself to one to two drinks a month to prevent making your spasms worse. Esophageal spasms can become worse at night and make it difficult for you to sleep. To stop them, raise the head of your bed by using blocks under your bed frame or by placing a foam wedge under your mattress. Do not try adding extra pillows under your head when you sleep, as this is not an effective option unless you buy a special pillow. You can purchase a special pillow that keeps you elevated. However, raising the bed, or investing in a bed that you can raise up, is a better option. Wait two to three hours after you eat to lie down in bed, to give your body time to digest your food and prevent spasms or heartburn. Keep these areas unrestricted by wearing clothing that is loose and flowy, such as tops that cut low at the neck. Go for clothing in breathable fabrics like cotton and linen to prevent these areas from getting too hot or tight. Losing even 5 to 8 pounds (2.3 to 3.6kg) can make your esophageal spasms less severe and reduce their frequency. Try adopting a healthy, balanced diet and following a meal plan. Go to a fitness class at your local gym or workout at home using video tutorials online. Try walking, jogging, or biking to work every day to lose weight. These exercises can be done at work or at home in a quiet, low lit area. Sit in a comfortable position and close your eyes. Try breathing in through your nose for a count of 5 and then exhaling through your nose for a count of 5. Do this for 2-5 minutes to help you relax and stay calm.

SUMMARY: Have several small meals throughout the day Avoid spicy, acidic foods. Have food at room temperature. Do not smoke or drink alcohol. Raise your bed 15 to 20 centimetres (5.9 to 7.9in) to help you sleep. Avoid wearing tight clothing around your neck or abdominal area. Consider losing weight if you are overweight. Try deep breathing exercises to relax your esophagus.

INPUT ARTICLE: Article: Making goals will help you stay motivated by giving you something concrete to work toward. Setting SMART goals is widely considered the best way to set goals and stay on track. SMART goals are: Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic and Time constrained. For instance, instead of saying, "I want to be stronger," your goal is something like, "I want to be able to bench press 100 pounds, three times in a row, three months from now." Or, "I want to lose 10 pounds in the next 4 months." Once you have set your goals, you can make a plan to achieve them. What do you need to do to achieve your goal? As you approach your goal, start thinking about your next SMART goal to set and achieve. Cardiovascular exercise is one of the best ways to lose weight. Studies show that cardiovascular exercise like walking, jogging, and running is highly effective at any degree of intensity. That's because cardio/aerobic exercise works the muscles in your arms, legs, and hips, and increases blood flow to all sets of muscles. Effective cardio exercises include: Walking Jogging/running Bicycling Swimming Skiing Stair climbing Elliptical training Rowing Aerobic dancing If you're trying to lose weight fast, HIIT training can super-charge your metabolism for upwards of 24 hours after exercising. This means your body will continue burning calories long after you've ended your workout. HIIT burns more calories in less time than steady-state cardio. In one study, researchers looked at two groups, one running for 30 to 60 minutes three times per week, the other doing four to six 30-second treadmill sprints, resting for four to six minutes between each sprint. After six weeks, it was found that the group doing HIIT training lost more weight. For HIIT to work, you need to be giving about 90% all-out effort during the high-interval portion. This means not walking, jogging or even running you should be sprinting, unable to carry on a conversation. Start out with high-intensity intervals that last for 30 seconds, then rest (by walking or doing low-intensity exercise, not by standing still) for a minute. Eventually you'll want to do your high-intensity training for longer periods (try 60 to 90 seconds) and decrease your rest periods to a 1:1 ratio. Start your HIIT workout with a five minute warmup, then do 20 minutes of HIIT, and then cool down for another five minutes. Try biking, sprinting, and rowing. Weight training is a great tool for losing weight, toning muscles and it can actually help your body burn calories more efficiently. Experts recommend incorporating two to three weight-training sessions per week, with noticeable results in just a few weeks. When many people think of core strengthening, they think of stomach crunches. Crunches are helpful for building abdominal muscles, but contrary to popular belief, crunches won't do much to lose the layer of fat stored in your belly, and can actually cause significant damage to the spine. Instead, try a workout routine that strengthens your whole core, like yoga, or try abdominal presses and planking.

SUMMARY:
Set goals. Focus on cardiovascular exercise. Lose fat with high-intensity interval training (HIIT). Lift weights. Work your core.