INPUT ARTICLE: Article: If you cut out 500 calories a day and exercise regularly, you will lose about a pound every week. This will also help you reduce your back fat. Use a food diary or online food tracker to help you cut out 500 calories daily. These food trackers in addition to online calculators can give you an estimated total daily caloric intake to help you lose weight. Everyone's needs will be different, so using a calculator can help give you a more specific calorie range. Do not cut out too many calories. This can slow weight loss, lead to nutrient deficiencies or make you feel tired and fatigued. In general, health professionals recommend to eat a minimum of 1,200 calories daily. Cutting calories will help you lose weight, but without the cardio and back strengthening exercises, your back muscles will not get toned. It's important to include both diet and exercise to get your desired result. Even if you're cutting calories to help reduce back fat, it's still important to eat a balanced diet. Including a variety of foods from each food group will help you consume an adequate amount of nutrients each day. When you have a poor quality, unbalanced diet, this may work against your weight loss goals. Include protein at each meal. Protein is an essential nutrient in your diet. Foods like poultry, eggs, dairy, legumes, seafood or tofu provide adequate protein to your diet. Aim for a 3-4 oz (21-28g) portion at all meals. Eat a variety of fruits and vegetables each day. These foods are low calorie and nutrient dense making them great foods for a low-calorie diet. Try making your plate a fruit or vegetable to help support your weight loss. Lastly, it's important to include healthy sources of grains like bread, rice or pasta. Grains provide fiber and a variety of B vitamins important to your health. If you can, choose 100% whole grains for more nutrients. When you're trying to lose weight and cut calories, managing hunger can be an issue. It's hard to stick to a diet plan, if you're feeling hungry often. Combining certain types of foods and including the right types of foods at each meal and snack can help you stay satisfied longer after meals and decrease your overall hunger level. Healthy fats are a great addition to a weight loss diet. Fat takes longer to digest compared to foods rich in carbohydrates and helps keep you satisfied longer. Include one to two servings of heart healthy fats every day. Try: olive oil, avocado, nuts or nut butters, flax seeds, olives, salmon, tuna, sardines or mackerel. In addition to healthy fats, the combination of protein and complex carbohydrates helps you stay satisfied longer as well. Choose lean proteins or proteins with healthy fats like: seafood, poultry, beef, pork, low-fat dairy, legumes or tofu. Pair these with fiber-rich complex carbs like: starchy vegetables, fruits, legumes, nuts and whole grains. So often we forget about the liquid calories we consume. Replace the sodas and juices with water and hydrating, no-calorie beverages. Drink adequate amounts of fluids like water, decaf coffee, decaf tea or flavored water to stay hydrated. Everyone requires different amounts of fluids, but aiming for 1.5-3 liters each day is a good place to start. Studies show that drinking high calorie beverages can promote weight gain. Liquids do not necessarily make you feel full and most people will not count their liquid calories into their total daily intake. Although switching from regular soda to diet soda may save you calories in the short term, it's not yet clear if it's effective for preventing obesity and related health problems. Part of healthy eating is including the occasional treat or special indulgence. But when you're trying to lose weight, you'll need to limit and monitor how often you eat a few extra calories. When you indulge too often, you may consume too many calories. This may slow or even stop your weight loss. If you really want a treat, try to compensate throughout the day or week to make up for it. You might want to work out a little longer or skip your afternoon snack.

SUMMARY: Cut your daily calorie intake. Eat a balanced diet. Fill up on satisfying foods to cut down on hunger levels. Eliminate high-calorie drinks. Limit treats and indulgences.

INPUT ARTICLE: Article: An "I" statement is more likely to lead to a good outcome than starting your sentences with "You." "You" statements tend to put people on the defensive. Work on phrasing anything you say to your mom so that it starts with "I." For example, instead of saying, "You never let me have any time to myself," you might say something like, "I am feeling a little stressed right now, so I would appreciate some time to myself." If you ask your mom for something, and she says no, do not throw a temper tantrum. If you do, your mom will likely never change her mind. Instead, remain calm and explain your position. Your mom is more likely to understand your side if you communicate in a calm and rational manner. If you just walked in the door and your mom wants you to complete your chores immediately, you could respond by saying: "I need 30 minutes to unwind after school and then I will do my chores." This is more productive than starting a fight with your mom by refusing to do any chores. When you are having a conversation with your mom it is important that you actively listen to what she is saying. Try to make eye contact with her and don't just look at your phone the whole time. This will cause her to become frustrated and will make it appear as though you are not trying to understand her position. Once you and your mom are able to communicate in a respectful manner and listen to the perspective of the other person, then you will likely be able to come to a compromise on a few key issues. A successful compromise will allow you both to feel as though you reached an appropriate solution. For example, perhaps you could agree to clean your room if you are allowed to stay out with friends an hour later. Keep in mind that you may not always come to a compromise. If this happens, then work on a compromise for the next issue that comes up.

SUMMARY: Use "I" statements. Remain calm. Listen to what she says. Try to find a compromise.

INPUT ARTICLE: Article: If you're using sage for seasoning, it's best to crumble it. Rub each leaf separately, continuing until all of the sage is ready for storage. If you are using the sage to form a sage bundle, keep the leaves whole. You could use a jar, tupperware container, or ziplock bag. Make sure that the seal doesn't have any leaks, as moisture from the air could ruin the batch. You can store the sage in a pantry, cabinet, or in the refrigerator. If you use a clear jar, place it in the dark to preserve the color of your sage.

SUMMARY: Crumble the sage by rolling it between your fingers. Transfer the dried sage to an airtight container. Place the container in a cool, dry area.

INPUT ARTICLE: Article: Pour the apple juice into an airtight container and keep it in the refrigerator. For longer storage, freeze the apple juice for up to 6 months. You can also can the apple juice and store it for 6 to 9 months in your pantry.

SUMMARY:
Refrigerate the apple juice for up to 1 week.