Unwanted Belly Fat

6 Things Causing Your Belly Fat

2011-02-13T19:14:00.000-05:00

Maybe you’re one of the lucky ones. You do not have to watch your weight or lose belly fat, you devour what you like, you boast about not having to work out, and you shake your head in pity at your chronically-dieting friends.

Each day we make small choices that make a big difference to your body weight. Because we think little about these minimal decisions, the weight multiplies until it’s time for a full weight loss plan of action. Rather than waiting for the inevitable, start spotting these 6 diet saboteurs that may be steadily adding inches to your waistline.

Uncontrolled Weekends

Researchers have found that people take in significantly more on weekends without even noticing it; especially on Saturdays when fat consumption is at its highest. Those extra weekend calories can quickly add up.

To stay clear of overindulging on the weekends, control portion size and limit your alcohol usage

Eating On the Run

Eating on the move can lead you to eat too rapidly for your body’s hunger and satisfaction signals to keep up. If you take less than 20 minutes to eat a meal, you could be setting yourself up for cravings and over indulgence.

Over-Sized Portions

Cook at home instead of eating out and use a smaller plate for your meals. Don't forget that 1/2 your plate should be filled with vegetables and 1/4 with a lean protein. If you must eat at a restaurant, ask for a doggie bag before you eat and pack up the excess portion to avoid digging into too much food.

Costly Coffee Shop Beverages

Those specialty drinks can cost you about 370 calories and 15 g of fat. As a substitute, opt for a regular coffee with two tablespoons of sugar and you’ll strip about 17,000 calories a year from your diet, which is almost 5 pounds.

Skipping Meals

Skipping meals is another way to wreak havoc on your metabolism. Your body might store extra fat to prepare for other missed meals. Instead of skipping meals, eat small nutritious snacks such as a handful of nuts or fiber rich cereal when you can’t get to a complete meal.

Green Tea and Weight Loss

2011-01-17T19:58:00.001-05:00

You’ve seen green tea products marketed everywhere; everything from green tea supplements and extracts to “diet” teas. While there is no shortage of product and marketing information on green tea, I was curious to see what the scientific literature showed. Specifically, I wanted to find out if green tea would be an effective strategy to lose unwanted fat.

Population studies show that consuming 2 cups of green tea a day for 10 years is associated with a lower body fat percentage, suggesting that green tea could be an effective weight loss aid. Particular interest has been given to green tea catechins which are antioxidant compounds also found in chocolate and red wine.

Green Tea Catechins with Caffeine

7 Trials involving Green Tea catechins and caffeine showed an average weight loss of 3 lbs when compared to those taking caffeine along. Surprisingly, 6 trials involving Green Tea catechins with caffeine showed even less weight loss of 1 pound compared with those who took no caffeine.

Green Tea Catechins without Caffeine

2 trials involving Green Tea catechins alone showed no significant weight loss.

Discussion

I should say that these studies used different forms of green tea. Some involved actual green tea drinks and others used green tea extracts. The combination of green tea catechins and caffeine looked to be the most effective for weight loss considering that green tea catechins alone showed no weight loss.

Green tea already has caffeine in it so perhaps there is an additive effect of the catechins and caffeine responsible for weight loss since the combination was more effective for weight loss than caffeine alone and catechins which showed no weight loss.

Is Green Tea an effective strategy for weight loss?

Green tea itself will not result in significant weight loss. Remember that weight loss with green tea was 1-3 pounds over an average of 12 weeks. For pharmaceutical weight-loss products on the market, patients are considered to have failed treatment if they have not achieved a loss of 5 pounds after 4 wk of therapy. So by this measure green tea would have failed as a weight loss drug.

What do I recommend?

If you drink 2 cups of green tea a day you should expect to lose about 1-3 pounds over 12 weeks. By all means drink green tea; just don’t think you’ll drop a couple pant sizes because of it. Oh… one more thing.. “diet tea’ is no more effective than regular green tea.

Also stay away from Green Tea Extract Products! There have been reports of green tea extracts causing acute liver failure and some patients even required liver transplants.

Foods That Will Wreck Your Diet

2011-01-08T21:30:00.001-05:00

There are a ton of foods out there that will make you so hungry that you'll feel hollow inside. These foods can be detrimental to your weight loss efforts. These include any food that has been stripped of its fiber, such as white bread; food that turns to sugar quickly in the body, such as white potatoes; and food loaded with sugar, starch, and fat.

Some examples include:

White bread
White pasta
White potatoes
Pastries
Doughnuts
Cookies
Cakes, pies, and other sugary baked goods
Candy and candy bars
Potato chips and other packaged and fried snacks

Why do these foods give you that irresistible urge to raid the fridge or pantry? It has to do with their composition.

The more fiber is removed from your food, the harder and more rapidly it hits your bloodstream. The sugar and refined starch it contains cause your blood sugar to soar sky high.

In response to that sugar surge, your body churns out insulin--so much that it drives your blood sugar below where it was before you ate anything. When blood sugar is that low, you feel tired and hungry, and in need of another quick pickup--often in the form of something sweet.

The Lure of Fat and Sugar

These ups and downs, coupled with the wrong food choices, can wreak havoc on your attempts to manage your weight loss. When a food contains both fat and sugar, as many of the foods listed above do, it can be downright addictive since many of us crave the taste of fat and sugar.

Make a habit of reaching for natural, wholesome, high-fiber foods and snacks instead. The Biggest Loser recommended whole foods are digested more slowly, causing fewer spikes in your blood sugar.

What's more, they tame your hunger, rather than drive it wild with those crazy blood sugar ups and downs. Before long, you'll lose your sugar/fat/starch tooth and be in better control of your cravings.

The Best Butt Workout

2010-12-14T20:58:00.001-05:00

We should remember that losing unwanted belly fat should not be the end all in your attempt to lose weight, other parts of the body should not be neglected.

Incorporate these techniques into your daily butt busting routine to get better results...in less time! Remember: while there's really no such thing as spot training, incorporating a creative workout strategy, while eating right and getting in some cardio several days a week, will have you in double-take worthy shape in no time.

Keep your butt in plain view.

When targeting a problem area, people are usually inclined to cover that spot, but experts suggest exposing it in the workout clothes you wear. Exposing your bottom will allow you to focus in on that area and allow you to watch your muscles work while you sweat. You will also be able to see your results as they manifest.

Use weights, not just your body weight.

Adding weight to basic moves like squats or lunges will maximize your results.

Try the 30-second rule.

Instead of rushing through squats and lunges, freeze in the lowest position for 30 seconds. This will allow you to take an extra-deep contraction through your glutes and core and stabilize your body before standing up again.

Take it slow.

When doing strength training, don’t rush through your repetitions. It’s true the faster you do the reps the quicker you will get done, but doing this will stunt your results.

Do mini workouts all day long

Try and make the most of your breaks all day. Try keeping a set of ankle weights in your drawer and doing standing leg lifts or leg extensions during phone calls.

Tone While you walk

With each step, when one leg extends behind you, keep your heel on the ground as long as possible. When you do lift your heel, roll through the foot and press off with your toes. You’ll feel your glutes contract with every step.

The Six Best Fat Burners

2010-12-12T19:08:00.000-05:00

The best fat burning exercises don't involve fancy equipment, or anything that you'd find only in an expensive commercial gym. Instead, you can burn that unwanted belly fat just as well in the comfort of your own home as you would in the priciest, swankiest gym.

Now, try any one of these, and you'll boost your metabolism for up to a whole day afterward. One small workout, one giant payoff in losing a jelly-belly.

1. Inline skating

Burns 425 calories in 30 minutes

While skating might be so much fun you forget you're actually working out, it actually burns the most fat and calories than any other exercise on this list. The big burn stems from the side-to-side movement of your thigh and butt muscles (demanding more from your body than the straightforward motion of our number-two activity -- running). And your core gets involved in a big way to keep you balanced.

2. Running

Burns 374 calories in 30 minutes

To get the most out of each stride, swing your arms close to your body, don't lean forward, and keep your feet low to the ground. To lessen impact, land on the middle of your foot, then roll through to your toes.

3. Jumping rope

Burns 340 calories in 30 minutes

To get the most from each jump, use a rope with handles that reach to just under your armpits when you stand on the middle of it, and follow these top-form tips: Jump with your feet slightly apart and body upright, and keep your jumps low to the ground. Don't have a rope? You'll get the same benefits by doing the movements rope-free.

4. Tennis

Burns 272 calories in 30 minutes

Simply find a flat area near a wall or garage door that you can hit the ball against. Alternate forehand and backhand shots -- then see how many you can do in a row without goofing. Stand 10 to 25 feet away, which will force you to hit harder.

5. Dancing

Burns 221 calories in 30 minutes

The key is to keep the tempo high, choosing songs with fast rhythms like Latin or Bollywood, and don't rest between songs. Download a workout's worth of your favorite tunes. Begin with an upbeat inspirational song, then move on to songs with increasingly faster tempos. Slow the beat toward the end to cool down.

6. Walking vigorously

Burns 170 calories in 30 minutes

A leisurely stroll with a friend won't cut it. You should be walking briskly enough that it's difficult to keep up a steady conversation.

To get the most from your biggest calorie-burning muscles -- legs, butt, and core -- take short, quick steps, keep your torso upright, and pump your arms back and forth in time with your stride. With each step, land on your heel and roll through to your toes.

Does Diet Soda Make You Fat, or is it Really Good for Weight Loss?

2010-12-07T18:00:00.001-05:00

We all know by now that soda (aka "pop" in some areas) is one of the most evil things you can put in your body... the nasty chemicals, the gut-fattening, jelly-belly high fructose corn syrup, and a myriad of health problems caused by this carbonated cocktail worshipped by those that don't care about their health or body.

Since you're reading this Blog, I know that you actually do care about your health and the appearance of your body.

Surprisingly, many people falsely believe that "diet" soda is in some way a good thing for losing body fat. In fact, I hear people all the time proudly state that they eat so healthy and only drink diet soda.

So let's set the record straight...

There is NOTHING even remotely healthy about drinking diet soda. In fact, I've even seen several studies that showed dedicated diet soda drinkers got even FATTER than their regular soda drinking counterparts.

Here are some findings from an 8-year University of Texas study....

An excerpt from the study’s author:

"What didn't surprise us was that total soft drink use was linked to overweight and obesity," Fowler tells WebMD. "What was surprising was when we looked at people only drinking diet soft drinks, their risk of obesity was even higher."

"There was a 41 percent increase in risk of being overweight for every can or bottle of diet soft drink a person consumes each day," Fowler says.

Ok, as if we didn't already know how bad regular soda was for us, and now they're showing us studies that diet soda makes us even fatter than the already bad stuff!

There's a lot of complicating factors as to why this occurs...

One reason is that the artificial sweeteners in diet sodas create a negative hormonal response in the body that increases fat storing hormone production and increases cravings for more sweets and refined carbohydrates in the time period after consuming the diet drink.

Another reason is that people may subconsciously think that because they are drinking a diet soda, that gives them more leeway to eat more of everything else, hence consuming more calories overall.

I've said this all along, but the bottom line is that if you're serious about your health and body, soda of any kind (and artificial sweeteners in anything for that matter!) should be avoided at all times, except for very rare occasions when you can't avoid them.

So what is a good alternative to diet sodas?

The best alternatives are good old water with lemon or unsweetened iced teas... you have plenty of options with teas - green, white, black, oolong, red... be creative in making your iced teas and you'll enjoy it more. Plus you'll get a more diverse array of antioxidants.

Tested Guidelines for a 10-Pound Body Fat Loss

2010-12-05T19:55:00.000-05:00

Wanting to lose a few extra pounds isn’t that hard to realize. There are several guidelines for a 10-pound weight loss out there that you can surely utilize for your own advantage. Incorporating these tips with your diet and exercise routine can definitely help you lose excess weight in a shorter period of time.

Notify Others You Are On a Diet.

Making your diet public is a form of affirmation. It is not an easy thing to keep your diet a secret from others and there is no motive for you to do that anyway. Telling others that you are on a diet can really benefit you in the long run. More people would be able to help you on your mission and you can depend on them more for morale support.

The key to a successful weight loss is motivation. You can get this from those around you, especially from your loved ones. If you hear negative comments, just brush them off and think of the positive effects of what you are doing.

Don’t Forget to Drink Lots of Water.

Water is obviously very important to the body. It can even be more helpful during diets. Water doesn’t only help the body get rid of toxins and functions properly, but also eliminate cravings. A sudden shift in eating habits can cause unexpected cravings and hunger pangs. Water is very beneficial during these tough times.

A glass of cold water can effectively reduce any of your cravings even for just a moment. Whenever you feel like eating before meal time, grab a glass of water and drink until you feel the cravings melting away.

Buy a Weighing Scale.

You don’t have to buy those large weighing beams that they use at the hospitals. There are a number of digital scales available at your local hardware and electronic store. This is an important step in any diet; how else can you monitor your progress if you don’t own a scale? Always remember to choose a brand that is known for its reliability.

You can either go for a straightforward weighing scale that only has the basic ability to tell you how much you weight or one that has extra options like weight logging and comparison programs. The latter type of weighing scale is very useful in telling you just how you are developing through the diet.

Weigh Yourself Every Day.

Once you have acquired a weighing scale, position it in your bedroom where you can easily access it after waking up. Some people only weight themselves once weekly. Though this method is still effective, weighing yourself every day can tell your daily progress. This is even more evident if you purchase a weighing scale that is accurate to the last detail. Bear in mind that a 180.8 yesterday is different from 180.0. A weighing scale that can’t tell your accurate weight even to the last decimal is less useful.

Losing as little as .8 in your weight is significant because it shows you exactly how your diet is working. Keep in mind that the diet is only as good as its results. Continue to find more guidelines for a 10-pound weight loss or be creative and make one. You don’t know how much they can help you achieve your goal.

So-Called "Healthy" Foods that You Should STOP Eating

2010-12-04T22:42:00.001-05:00

I must share this weight loss article with you, it’s by my favorite author - Mike Geary, Certified Personal Trainer and Nutrition Specialist

I was reading a statistic in a nutrition book recently, and this is going to shock you...

Now before I tell you the statistic, let's keep an important fact in mind... according to well renowned nutrition author Michael Pollan, and his amazing book called In Defense of Food, humankind has historically consumed approximately 80,000 different species of edible plants, animals, and fungi, and approximately 3,000 of those have been widespread foods of the human diet.

Now get ready for a shocking and appalling statistic...

Currently, the average adult in the US consumes approximately 67% of their total caloric intake from only 3 foods -- CORN, SOY, AND WHEAT (and their derivatives).

What would be considered a reasonably healthy amount of corn, soy, and wheat in the human diet? Based on 10's of thousands of years of human history, and what the natural diet of our ancestors was (indicating what our digestive systems are still programmed to process), this would probably be in the range of about 1% to 5% MAX of our total calories from corn, soy, and wheat.

Considering that modern humans are eating 67% of their total calories from corn, soy, wheat... you can see why we have massive problems in our health, and our weight!

It's not a surprise that we have so many intolerances and allergies, specifically to soy and wheat (and gluten intolerance)... the human digestive system was simply never meant to consume these substances in such MASSIVE quantities.

Keep in mind that these massively high levels of corn, soy, and wheat in our modern human diet is a relatively new phenomenon that originated from the economics of the multi-billion dollar corn, soy, and wheat industries. It really HAS been all about the money... NOT about our health!

By "derivatives" of corn, soy, and wheat, this means the food additives such as:

* High fructose corn syrup (HFCS)

* Corn oil

* Soybean oil (hydrogenated or plain refined)

* Soy protein

* Refined wheat flour

* Hundreds of other food additives such as maltodextrin, corn or wheat starch, soy lecithin, mono and diglycerides, etc, etc

This doesn't surprise me... consider how much soda or other sweetened drinks (with loads of HFCS) that the average person drinks daily... this is a LOT of calories from just 1 sole corn derivative. Even marinades, salad dressings, ketchup, breads, and 100's of other foods contain loads of belly-fattening HFCS!

Also think about how many processed foods we have that are either fried in soybean or corn oil... and even if the foods are not fried in these oils, these oils are additives to almost every processed food... chips, candies, cakes, salad dressings, tomato sauces, burrito wraps, corn chips, breaded chicken, etc, etc. This is a LOT of calories from these 2 other corn and soy derivatives... both of them EXTREMELY UNHEALTHY!

On top of that, think about how much breads, cereals, pastas, muffins, and other highly processed wheat products that most people consume each day. Again, this is LOADS of unhealthy, blood-sugar spiking, nutrient-poor calories, that more than half of the population has some degree of intolerance to anyway.

It gets even worse!

Not only are we eating 67% of our total calories from corn, soy, and wheat... but because of the economics involved (specifically with cheap corn and soy) we are also feeding most of our farm animals corn and soy now too... again amplifying the amount of corn and soy that passes through the food chain and (from a biochemical standpoint) ends up in our bodies.

Probably the 2 worst examples of this blatant mismanagement of our food supply is how our factory farmed chickens and cows are fed.

Cows are fed mostly corn in factory feedlot farms, even though their digestive systems are only meant to eat grass and other forage. This makes the cows sick (hmm... E-coli anyone?), alters the omega-6 to omega-3 ratio of the fats to unhealthy levels, and also diminishes the healthy CLA fats that would occur naturally in grass-fed beef. All of these problems go away if our cows are fed what they were made to eat naturally - grass!

Our chickens are also fed a diet of mostly corn and soy and crowded in tight pens in horrendous conditions... when the fact is that a chicken was meant to roam around the outdoors eating a mixture of greens, insects, worms, seeds, etc. When chickens are kept inside in tight quarters and fed only grains, it leads to an unhealthy meat for you to eat, and less healthy eggs, compared to free-roaming chickens that are allowed to eat an outdoors diet.

Our food supply has gotten so screwed up that we're even feeding our salmon and other farmed fish corn and soy...again because of the economics involved. How ludicrous is this, considering that fish are meant to eat a diverse diet of smaller fish, worms, bugs, etc. Again this makes farm raised fish unhealthy in terms of nutrition compared to the wild counterparts.

So even when you're eating chicken, beef, and fish, you're still essentially getting even MORE corn and soy into your body...considering that the cows, chickens, and farmed fish ate mostly soy and corn.

So it's actually WORSE than just 67% isn't it!

Why is it so unhealthy to consume 2/3rds of our calories from corn, soy, and wheat?

Well, this section could encompass an entire book, so to keep this short, I'll just throw out a few random reasons...

* Skews the ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 fats in our diet to as high as 30:1, when a ratio of 1:1 to 2:1 is considered healthy.

* Problems with gluten intolerance (related to heavy wheat consumption)

* Problems with weight gain, blood-sugar swings, and reduced insulin sensitivity (and progression of diabetes) due to excessive refined corn and wheat flours, as well as HFCS in our diet

* Soy and corn are the most genetically modified crops (which also allows more pesticides and herbicides to be used, which are usually "xenoestrogens")

* Many of the pesticide and herbicide residues in these crops are xenoestrogens, which can increase "stubborn" belly fat

* Soy products and derivatives contain a double-whammy of xenoestrogens as well as phytoestrogens... again creating an environment in your body for fat storage, carcinogenic effects, and even "man boobs" for some men in very severe cases

* The feeding of corn and soy to animals reduces the health and nutritional benefits of those animal products

* and the list could go on and on and on...

So how do you avoid this overwhelming amount of corn, soy, and wheat in our food supply, and finally take control of your weight and your health?

1. Don't purchase processed foods! It all starts with your grocery cart discipline... choose only 1-ingredient foods such as fruits, veggies, beans, eggs (free roaming), nuts, seeds, and meats from grass-fed or free roaming animals that are raised correctly. Only resort to junk foods or processed foods on a 1-day per week "cheat day" but ONLY when dining out... that way, the processed foods aren't in your house to tempt you.

2. Get most of your carbs from fruits and veggies instead of grains.

3. Avoid store bought salad dressings as they almost always contain soybean oil and HFCS.

4. Make sure that your tomato sauces don't have HFCS and soybean oils... look for sauces made with olive oil instead. Remember to avoid unhealthy canola oils too!

5. If you like guacamole (one of the healthiest snacks on the planet!), try veggie sticks with guacamole instead of genetically-modified, oil-soaked corn chips

6. If you like hummus, try veggies sticks with hummus instead of pita chips or other bread.

7. Reduce your cereal, bread, and pasta intake by having these foods only on "cheat days" and stick to more of the 1-ingredient foods I mentioned in #1 above. Try some healthy snacks as good alternatives.

I could go on with more examples, but I think that's good for now.

So with all of this said... Is my diet perfect? Well, no of course not! Nobody is perfect, and I can give in to temptation on occasion just like anybody else.

However, I'd estimate that my corn/soy/wheat consumption is only about 2-4% of my total caloric intake compared to 67% for the average person. The way that I achieve this is to simply not bring any corn, soy, or wheat products into my house, so I'm never tempted by it. Therefore, at least 6 days/week, I eat virtually no corn/soy/wheat, except for the occasional piece of sprouted grain toast a couple times a week (which is a better option than typical "whole grain" bread).

I do, however, give in and sometimes eat breads, pasta, and even corn chips, etc. when I'm dining out. I see these as my cheat meals and try to do this no more than once per week. I still completely eliminate sodas and deep fried foods though...they are just TOO evil!

3 Vegetables That Fight Abdominal Fat

2010-11-27T18:16:00.003-05:00

A unique way that a few specific vegetables can actually stimulate the burning of abdominal fat...

Here’s an article by Mike Geary, Certified Personal Trainer and Nutrition Specialist

I bet you didn't know that there is a specific class of vegetables that contain very specific phytonutrients that actually help to fight against stubborn belly fat.

Let me explain what these unique vegetables are and why they help to burn stomach fat...

Chemicals that force your body to hold onto belly fat

Something you may have never heard about is that certain chemicals in our food supply and our environment, such as pesticides, herbicides, and certain petrochemicals from air and water pollution, household cleaners, cosmetics, etc can react with your body and make your body store excess abdominal fat.

These chemicals are known as xenoestrogens.

Xenoestrogens are chemicals that you are exposed to (and are hard to avoid in the modern world) that have an estrogenic effect in your body. Excess exposure to these can cause hormone balance disruptions for both men and women. So these can wreak havoc in the body for both guys and gals.

These estrogenic chemicals that we are exposed to on a daily basis can stimulate your body to store belly fat, along with many other problems (including cancer risks in the long term).

So here's where this specific class of vegetables comes in handy...

One of those cool tricks that I teach my clients that hire me for nutritional counseling is the use of cruciferous vegetables to help fight against stomach fat.

Cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower, brussels sprouts, kale, cabbage, etc. contain very specific and unique phytonutrients such as indole-3-carbinol (I3C) that help to fight against these estrogenic compounds...

And by fighting against these belly fat stimulating estrogenic chemicals, this is just 1 more step in helping you to win the battle against abdominal fat!

So there you go... just another excuse to do what mom always told you and eat more broccoli!

I've really learned to like brussells sprouts in the last year too... Melt a little grass-fed cheese on them and some garlic and they're great!

The 15-Minute Shorts Workout

2010-07-14T16:43:00.001-04:00

You don't need fancy equipment to lose weight or work your lower body. Just grab a yoga mat or towel to get into shorts-shape with this fast workout you can do at home. Tone your butt, thighs, and calves in just 15 minutes -- and show some leg this summer.

You'll need a yoga mat (or a bath towel and a chair)

Heaven and Earth … Targets: Back, Abs, Butt, and Quads

• Stand with feet together, holding one end of rolled-up mat (or towel) in each hand, palms in, arms extended at shoulder level in front of you.

• Lower into a squat, then exhale slowly as you fold upper body over thighs, forming a ball: Tuck chin and bend elbows to pull mat to knees.

• Maintaining squat, uncurl upper body as you extend arms diagonally overhead.

• Return to tucked ball position. Do 15 reps

90-Degree Lift … Targets: Butt, Outer and Inner Thighs

• Stand with feet shoulder-width apart, holding one end of rolled-up mat (or chair back) in front of you with both hands.

• Bend knees slightly and hinge forward from hips, extending arms to plant vertical mat on floor a few feet in front of left foot so that back is parallel to floor.

• Keep both hands on top of mat for support and extend right leg out to side, toes pointed.

• Keeping abs engaged, back flat, and mat upright, exhale as you lift right leg out to side as high as possible. Hold for 3 seconds, then lower leg.

• Do 10 to 15 reps, holding the last leg lift for 10 seconds. Switch legs and repeat.

Standing Leg Curl … Targets: Hamstrings and Calves

• Stand with feet together and place rolled-up mat (or towel) evenly behind right knee so that it's parallel to floor. Lift right foot behind you with toes pointed, and pull heel toward butt to secure mat behind knee.

• Extend arms at shoulder level in front of you and clasp hands. (Beginners, use chair for balance.)

• Squeezing mat with leg throughout, lean forward slightly, keeping back flat, as you lift right knee behind you about 6 inches; lower.

• Do 20 pulses up and down. Switch legs and repeat.

Get Your Diet Back On Track

2010-07-11T00:29:00.000-04:00

You had a really unforgettable time at that BBQ or party, but about the healthiest thing you ate were the tomatoes, onions and pickles on top of that hamburger. Guess what? It's okay. You should not let one day or a week of not eating the way you know you should affect your behavior today and every day after. Pick up where you left off and start making those changes again. Naturally we all fall into temptation and accept that piece of cake or all those slices of pizza, but it is truly how we deal with the meals after that, establishes our success to lose weight eventually.

Start by accepting that you're not going to be perfect. It has happened and you cannot change what you have already eaten, but what you can change is your future meal plans. By making a good, healthy decision the next time, you will feel better mentally and physically and avoid slipping into a rut possibly leading to another poor nutritional choice.

Anticipating and planning for reversals can allow for damage control and permit you to take control of the situation to avoid further setbacks like weight gain and disappointment. Keep these tips in mind and realize that having a recovery plan is all a part of effective meal planning and effective weight loss.

• Avoid skipping Meals. Skipping meals will not stabilize the extra calories you splurged on; this may only make you hungrier and lead to another splurge. Have a healthy, balanced meal rich with vegetables and low-fat protein to help rebuild your self confidence and your body.

• Forgive Yourself. You are human and are allowed to make mistakes. Appreciate that this mistake can help you regain control and eliminate a craving that may lead to an over-indulgence ahead.

• Exercise. What better way to get back on track than to start burning some of those surplus calories and get rid of that hunger through a little more physical activity. Whether it is walking after work or taking the stairs back from lunch, make an effort to get rid of the excess fat.

• Record Everything. Get out that food diary and start recording what you are eating and drinking. This can help you take inventory of where you are nutritionally. Getting back to logging calories and portions can be the jump-start you need.

Most Trusted Diet for Quick Weight Loss - Lose the stomach fat

2010-06-06T17:57:00.000-04:00

If you are willing to lose a few (or many) pounds, most likely you will want the best diet to help you lose the excess weight fast. Typically there are several dietary fads available, but I am going to tell you about a very useful system to truly get rid of belly fat.

So, have you tried all those “Quick weight loss” methods promoted on TV in your attempt to shed pounds? These programs will work for some individuals, but it's really hard to survive on such modest food and calories. Even more challenging, is sustaining your weight once you are no longer on the diet.

Allow me to let you in on the optimal diet EVER for fast weight loss - seriously! The guide “Training and Nutrition – Insider Secrets For a Lean Body” is unlike anything you have gone through before. Through this plan, you don't have to count calories, or fat grams, or anything else. Sound good?

The nutrition diet (if you can even call it that) allows you to have your favorite foods and despite all that, lose weight fast. The techniques they tell you will permanently assist your body to burn fat and boost metabolism. Undoubtedly, this is what weight loss is all about.

By understanding which foods are effective for burning fat and how much and when to eat, people can get rid of the excess weight much quicker than you could have ever imagined! Have you ever lost 5 lbs. in 2 weeks while eating your favorite foods and not starving yourself? I didn't think so. It sounds too good to be true, but I promise you it isn't. This simply works.

This special weight loss plan will teach you all about "shifting calories", which may not make much sense to you now, but it will when you embark on the program. This is a program you can live with for the rest of your life - being overweight will be a thing of the past. Plus, your total health will be much improved!

If your goal is to lose weight fast, I implore you to check out this program. This online plan offers you all the information and everything else you need to quickly get your weight under control. This truly is the better diet for swift weight loss. You'll see.

Lose Weight Fast and Not Feel Hungry - This Works!

2010-05-27T23:04:00.000-04:00

Are you looking for a weight loss plan that works and not leave you experiencing dizziness? Nearly every system available promises rapid weight loss, and some of them work. But for how long will you maintain yourself on a 300 calorie diet plan that have just enough food for a kid? There is an easier way.

The vast majority of weight loss strategies require you to count calories or carbohydrates and are pricey because you have to invest in particular foods or supplements. There is a weight loss diet system on the web that has helped many lose weight very fast without ever counting a calorie or purchasing any special foods.

What is this program called? The Truth About 6 Pack Abs. I know, the name sounds threatening, but when you see how the system works, you will understand how the name came about. This program shows you how to re-train your body to burn excess fat and calories like crazy!

What's so great about this package? You don't count calories, and you don't have to shop for special foods and supplements. This fat loss program shows you how to achieve quick fat loss using REAL foods you eat every day!

The truth is, this fat loss plan shows you a little method called "calorie shifting". You stay on the program for eleven days, then have a three day cheat period. On those days that you are working out, you continue to consume regular foods, you just eat them in a special way that increases metabolism and burns fat.

This weight loss plan is unlike any other you have come across before! By learning how to blend your foods at meals, and when to eat, you can lose the pounds like crazy without ever feeling hungry. Part of the trick is eating MORE often!

If you are sick of expensive programs that just don't work, I suggest that you try this one. You will not be dissatisfied!

With Daily Exercises You Can Whip Your Family Into Shape

2010-04-28T15:30:00.000-04:00

Recently we've been told of research after research which reveal the fact that most of us are obese and out of shape, and this lifestyle is being passed on to our kids. An alarming number of children are heavyset, and if no intervention is made, the majority of them will remain overweight into adulthood. If parents are also included in regular physical activity and are good leaders, then their children are more inclined to be active as well. The exact opposite can also be true. If grown-ups are lazy and have a lousy diet and eating pattern, this gives the child little motivation to change his or her behavior.

It’s wise to start encouraging kids when they are at that tender age to make physical activity a standard part of their day. Allot responsibility around the apartment, i.e. vacuuming, moping, raking leaves, or shoveling snow. Things that get the heart pumping will be helpful and can be made into a fun activity.

Parents should pace the level of activity so no one gets cranky and the fun of doing something as a family isn't spoiled. It's important to ensure that everyone will want to do the activity on a regular basis, so don't rush it. And remember to keep everything you do fun and light.

When a project or chore becomes boring, which is likely to happen based on the attention span of young people, make slight changes in the routine to keep it exciting. Outdoor activities can be the easiest way to turn a project into something fun and less of an actual chore.

Check these out:

• Make sure the activities are ones that everyone can participate in.

• Scheduling is key. Don't make it a "do or die" session, and take into account that sometimes schedules change without notice.

• Important to warm up and cool down, either by doing a few stretching exercises before the activity, or simply walking for a few minutes at the beginning and end.

• Stimulate each other. When someone in your group accomplishes something new, like, swimming a lap around the pool without stopping, give them a high-five.

• Document your family's fitness activities.

Morning Exercise: Your Body Will Thank You Later

2010-04-13T17:10:00.000-04:00

The conclusion is that 500 calories burned are exactly the same whether they are burned in the morning or in the evening, but there are certain rewards of morning workout that you hardly get when you exercise in the afternoon. Read on to find out how easily the unwanted stomach fat will disappear.

1. Physical training early in the morning “jump-starts” your metabolism, keeping it beefed-up for hours, occasionally for up to 24 hours! In effect, you’ll be burning more calories all day long, just because you worked out early in the day.

2. Physical activity in the morning energizes you for the remainder of the day, not to mention that gratifying feeling of virtue you have knowing you’ve done something self-controlled and good for your body.

3. Reports have shown that exercise significantly boosts mental acuity — a benefit that lasts four to ten hours after your exercise ends. Working out in the a.m. means you get to manage that brainpower instead of wasting it while you’re resting.

4. Assuming you make exercise a true preference, it shouldn’t be a major obstacle to rise half an hour to an hour sooner— especially since routine workout generally means a better quality of sleep, which inevitably means you’ll probably require less sleep.

5. Some individuals find that early morning workout has a tendency to regulate their appetite for the rest of the day. Not only do they eat less, they also choose more reasonable portions of healthier foods.

6. People who regularly workout discover, sometimes to their astonishment, that the designated time every morning grows into something they look forward to. Apart from the satisfaction of taking care of themselves, they find it’s a good time to plan their day, pray or just think more clearly — things most of us often don’t get to do otherwise.

7. More than 90% of those who workout consistently have a morning fitness routine. If you want to exercise daily, the ball is in your court if you squeeze your workout into the early morning.

Good Fat or Bad Fat

2010-04-08T18:13:00.000-04:00

Not all fats are bad, and in order to lower your cholesterol levels and decrease your chances of cardiovascular disease, it is not necessary to avoid all dietary fats—just the bad ones. Good fat in fact lowers high cholesterol and keeps your cardiovascular system safer.

Bad Fats

• Saturated fat:- This category of fat is what can lead to high cholesterol caused by diet. This is a harmful fat discovered in animal products like beef, lamb, pork, butter, cheese, cream and other whole-milk dairy products. Various plant oils, like coconut oil, also consist of saturated fat.

• Trans fats:- Trans fats and hydrogenated fats are dietary fats created when refined; fattening ingredients like margarine and shortening are made. Many treated foods, commercially prepared baked goods, and fried foods contain trans and hydrogenated fats, which when consumed lead to high cholesterol.

• Cholesterol:- Cholesterol is really a fat-like substance that we get in our diet by eating chicken, beef, pork, eggs, and whole-milk dairy products—many of the same foods that contain saturated fats. Limiting intake of foods with high cholesterol content boosts heart health and lowers cholesterol.

Good Fats

• Polyunsaturated fat:- This unsaturated fat is found in healthy, cholesterol-lowering foods like flaxseeds, sunflower seeds and walnuts. Omega-3 fats are a type of polyunsaturated fat. You can bulk up on this good fat by consuming fish two to three times a week; try great sources like salmon and mackerel. Plant oils are also a good source of polyunsaturated fats (sunflower, corn and soybean oils).

• Monounsaturated fat:- This unsaturated fat is also found in various plant oils, such as olive and canola oils. You can also get this good fat in your diet by eating nuts (such as pecans, almonds and hazelnuts), seeds (including pumpkin and sesame) and avocados.

If you have high cholesterol, make these smart and delicious adjustments to your meals to satisfy your heart and your appetite.

• Get butter out of the pan.

• Ditch the beef.

• Choose fish.

• Snack crunchy, not greasy.

• Add avocado.

• Slim down your dairy.

• Enjoy egg whites.

Say NO to Belly Fat on the Family Vacation

2010-04-04T17:25:00.000-04:00

Staying active, visiting new surrounds and reconnecting with loved ones, is what time away with family means. Whatever your budget and whatever the ages of your youngsters, with a little preparation you can plan family travel that includes fun activities, exercise and new experiences for everyone.

If exercise is part of your daily routine, there’s no reason why it should be overlooked just because you’re traveling. To begin with, one of the best ways to de-stress is to exercise. So since relaxing is a big reason that you take a vacation, keeping active will most likely keep any stress away.

For your getaway to be an active one, start by choosing a destination that offers a number of activities that will be fun for the whole family. This can be as simple as choosing something that no one in the family has done before. This way, everyone will be eager to test it.

Exercise can involve anything from exploring the streets of a new city to snorkeling. There are many opportunities to get in some exercise while bonding with family. Depending on your vacation spot, these activities can involve everyone:

• Tennis — Singles or doubles

• Hiking — In any season

• Frisbee — On the beach or in a park

• Swimming — Indoors or outdoors, pool, lake or ocean

• Beach volleyball — Rent a net and ball or bring your own

• Skiing — Cross-country or downhill

• Walking — Great for any age

• Biking— Great for almost any age

Traveling as a unit can have its ups and downs, and expectations can make or break a vacation, especially if they’re too high, so set reasonable expectations. If your destination is a sports resort, check the activities schedule during the planning stage of your trip, to see what's going to be available while you're there and which activities your children will be eligible to participate in.

It’s also important that children know beforehand that they might need to be flexible about the activities you’ve planned. Factors beyond anyone’s control, like weather, could ultimately affect what you are all able to do.

With proper planning, you can make your next family trip a great, active experience that everyone will remember fondly for years to come.

Boost Your Metabolism In 10 Minutes!

2010-03-28T16:50:00.002-04:00

Rev up your metabolism and lose stomach fat with this blend of gradual strength moves and intense plyometric exercises!

Swift motions and jumps give your metabolism an instantaneous kick while building muscle in the long term. Add this power-packed routine to your frequent workout three times a week, and you’ll burn over 100 calories in each 10-minute period. Shedding that unwanted belly fat is now in sight. Here’s how:-

Minutes 0:00 – 2:00: Single-Leg Squat

Targets: Core, Quads, Glutes

Lift right leg off floor, bending knee 90 degrees, and place hands on hips.
Bend left knee, lowering into a squat.
Hold for 1 count, straighten leg, then repeat.
Do 1 minute per leg.

Minutes 2:00 – 4:00: Crunch Ball Toss

Targets: Abs, Chest, Shoulders, Triceps

Lie on back holding a medicine ball with both hands at chest level, knees bent.
Crunch up and toss the ball a few inches above you; freeze in that position until the ball falls back into your hands.
Slowly return to start and repeat.

Minutes 4:00 – 6:00: Single-Arm Diagonal Clean and Press

Targets: Shoulders, Biceps, Triceps

Holding a 5-pound dumbbell in right hand, bend knees 90 degrees and lower weight toward left foot.
With an explosive lift, stand and swing the weight up to your right shoulder.
Extend arm overhead; return weight to shoulder.
Repeat 10 times on each side.

Minutes 6:00 – 8:00: Explosive Jump

Targets: Quads, Calves, Glutes

Stand with knees bent 90 degrees.
With arms by sides, bend elbows, bringing fists just below chest.
Keeping abs and glutes tight, jump as high as you can.
Land with knees slightly bent.
Return to start.
Do 12 times; rest for 30 seconds and repeat.

Minutes 8:00 – 10:00: Metabolic Bike

Targets: Obliques, Core

Lie on back with knees bent, feet on floor.
Place hands lightly behind head.
Raise upper body and extend legs about 12 inches off floor.
Bring left elbow and right knee toward each other.
Continue, alternating sides.

Tips on How to Keep the Weight Off

2010-03-23T23:51:00.000-04:00

At around age 40, the average woman gains about a pound every 12 months. Initially, the system is simple arithmetic: Consume more than you expend and eventually your clothes will be tight. But other factors can complicate the equation. Knowing more about the four most popular changes will help you lose stomach fat and stay in shape.

Problem 1: You Start Losing Muscle - Muscle burns about three times as many calories as fat, even at rest. And, with age, muscle tissue doesn't work as efficiently so you're not able to exercise as hard.

Solution: Weights - Few exercises battle the loss of muscle mass better than strength training with hand weights, resistance bands, or your own body weight. It increases muscle tissue and improves bone density, which helps you stay active longer and work out harder.

Problem 2: Your Hormones Fluctuate - Over the decades, women's bodies generate less of certain hormones like estrogen, which typically starts ebbing in the 40s. Since estrogen has appetite-regulating properties, many women are hungrier as their hormone levels drop. Estrogen also affects how body fat is distributed, migrating it from the hips and the thighs to the waist, where it's tougher to burn.

Solution: Eat Well and Reduce Stress - A sensible diet and an exercise regimen can reduce the spread, as can reducing stress by getting enough sleep

Problem 3: You're Eating More - Studies have shown that marriage tends to lead to weight gain, possibly because women dish out portions equal to their husbands'. As a matter-of-fact: In your 20s, you burn about 2,000 calories a day. By your 50s, you burn only about 1,600 calories.

Solutions:

* Hop on a Scale. People who weigh themselves daily are, on average, seven to eight pounds lighter than those who don't. Tracking your weight helps you cut back on meals or step up activity.

* Eat Mindfully. Break-up that barrel of pretzels into snack bags. Little adjustments may pare 100 to 200 calories from your daily diet.

Problem 4: You're Slowing Down - A recent study followed more than 9,000 people for 10 years and found that the least active people were seven times more likely to gain weight.

Solution: Become More Active - Experts suggest doing 50 to 60 minutes of exercise, five days a week.

How to Feel Full with Fewer Calories

2010-03-17T16:10:00.001-04:00

Duplicate these easy tips and tricks to avoid overeating, and figure out which meals make you feel full longer without extra calories, this way avoiding a jelly-belly.

1. Fiber - a must:- One way to do this is by eating foods that contain fiber, such as most fruit, veggies, beans, and whole grains.

2. Soup up your dishes:- Ever noticed how filling a warm bowl of soup can be? When you eat water-rich foods (such as soup), you'll feel fuller without consuming extra calories. But be careful—some soups and chilis can load on the cream and sodium before you realize it.

3. Stay away from seconds:- Instead of placing extra food on the table, leave those mashed potatoes on the stovetop. This way, you'll become more conscious of the fact that you're getting up from the table to get a second helping of food. That simple awareness might help you refrain.

4. Stick to planned serving seizes:- When you know what one serving looks like, it makes it easier to control your portions. For example, 3 ounces of meat, fish, or poultry is about the size of a deck of cards, and one serving of potatoes, rice, or pasta is about the size of a tennis ball.

5. Lean protein a must:- Lean protein, such as fish, skinless white-meat poultry, fat-free dairy products, and egg whites, are great examples of food that may help you feel fuller with fewer calories.

6. Fool your eyes to fool your stomach:- Use smaller plates and utensils. When the food fills the entire plate or bowl, it seems like you're eating more. And using a smaller fork or spoon means you'll have to take more bites.

7. Don't eat straight from the package:- When snacking, put the amount of food you plan to eat in a bowl or container instead of eating straight from the package. When you portion out your food ahead of time, you're less likely to overdo it.

Now we can live healthier, longer.

Green Tea Extract Fights Fat

2010-03-10T14:51:00.001-05:00

For those of us still fighting the battle of the bulge, there is some hope in this recent study of the effects of green tea on that ridiculous belly fat which sometimes lead to obesity.

It was disclosed that researchers in Tokyo, Japan noted that the daily consumption of green tea containing 690 mg catechins for 12 weeks reduced body fat, which suggests that the ingestion of catechins might be useful in the prevention and improvement of lifestyle-related diseases, mainly obesity.

Catechins, a natural components of green tea, help people lose weight by improving the metabolism of carbohydrates, preventing fat deposition and promoting heat loss.

This Japanese study showed that drinking a bottle of green tea extract containing 690 mg of catechins per day for 12 weeks helped test subjects decrease body weight, body mass index, waist circumference, body fat mass and surface fat area compared to a group that drank a daily bottle of tea containing only 22 mg of catechins.

Participants taking the green tea extract lost more than three pounds of total body fat and seven inches of surface fat, leading researchers to believe green tea extract may be an effective way to lose pounds and inches.

Is Long Term Weight Loss For Real?

2010-03-04T00:26:00.000-05:00

You dedicate yourself to lose weight, and you labor, and you eat smarter, and finally, those extra pounds are gone! But, how easy is it to uphold your hard-earned success?

It was revealed in a recent study that persons who lose weight and want to keep it off might benefit from communicating at least monthly with a fitness/nutrition expert to help them stay on course.

In a test of three ways that might help people manage weight loss, those who got monthly personal counseling were best at keeping off excess pounds. Overall, almost 50 percent of the study members maintained at least a nine pound weight loss for 30 months. This study is the longest and largest to test strategies for extended weight loss maintenance, and it signifies that long-term weight control is an attainable goal.

The United States is in the midst of an obesity pandemic, one that indicates serious future health repercussions. Obesity is the primary cause of high blood pressure, diabetes and abnormal cholesterol, which are in turn the foremost causes of cardiovascular disease and death in this country.

The 3-year study consisted of 18-25 members; experienced counselors stressed three key issues to weight loss: consuming fewer calories, boosting fair to middling physical activity, and having a healthy diet rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grain/high fiber foods and fat-free dairy products.

Researchers randomly appointed the participants to one of three groups:

•Personal contact - Participants communicated with an interventionist monthly,( 9 times by telephone and three times in person each year) who offered personal counseling and encouragement.

•Interactive technology - Study members had access to an interactive website on which they could record and track their exercise and calorie consumption; set goals and monitor their progress toward them.

•Self-directed - Members were encouraged to maintain their weight loss and then sent off without further intervention.

Overall, 71 % weighed less than when they got started.

The research results also noted that even when volunteers did not necessarily lose a great amount of weight, even smaller amounts had potential health benefits.

Eat Green and Save Some Green

2010-02-28T02:55:00.001-05:00

Even though it's so soon in the New Year there is still time for that New Year resolution you made to lose weight. For some of us consuming green products but not break the Bank was part of our plan, so pick which of the suggestions below will be a fit for your household.

Plan ahead: At least, plan your weekly menu or list a few main dishes that you would like to eat all through the week. This will definitely save you cash on your food bill by keeping you from buying groceries you don't want.

Buy generic: Often store-brand items are just fine, but less costly. Store-brand products are offered for just about every item you can think of, so be on the lookout for them.

Make substitutions: Think about what you eat, and then determine what is a less expensive and just as healthy alternative. Like breakfast cereal? Oatmeal is usually more affordable.

Try Whole Foods: Examine the unprocessed whole food that a product is made from and focus on if you can consume that whole food as is or utilize it to produce your own sauce, cereal or juice.

Consider non-meat sources of protein: Try swapping one meat meal occasionally with a vegetarian meal to conserve cash and benefit your well being. Beans, eggs and tofu all provide high-quality protein for a fraction of the cost of meat.

DIY: Inform those pastries in the bakery case that are screaming your name to clam-up. Then rustle up a batch with whole grains, blueberries and honey at home that would outshine the store bought ones.

Buy seasonally: You might wonder about not having tomatoes in the middle of winter, but the fresh, perfect tomatoes of summer taste better, cost less and are more nutritious anyway.

When considering saving dough on groceries, you often have to sacrifice more of your own time—preparing, cooking, growing and cutting coupons—but a lot of people agree that it's worth the time spent. All of these tasks will become less stressful and more efficient with time. You may find that shopping, preparing and consuming will become that much more rewarding, and not just for your wallet!

Maximize Your Metabolism

2010-02-17T20:49:00.004-05:00

Maybe, you do not need a rocket scientist to reveal to you why you are having a tough time losing stomach fat. Your metabolism slows with age. But middle age weight increase isn't really inescapable: There is a diet plan that will tackle these changes.

This specialized metabolism-boosting routine will help you shed unwanted abdominal fat. Most important, you'll build firm, lean muscle tissue, the trick to a strong metabolism. Don't wait for tomorrow, get moving now and you'll rest better, have more drive, feel firmer, and observe your outfits are looser in as little as 14 days. Here's how:

EAT JUST ENOUGH: When you consume less than you need for essential biological activity your body throws the brakes on your metabolism. Consume just enough so you're not starving.

REV UP IN THE MORNING: Having breakfast kick starts metabolism and keeps energy elevated all day. It's no coincidence that women who skip this meal are 4 1/2 times as likely to be overweight. If nothing else, pick up a yogurt.

DRINK TEA: A mug of brewed tea can raise your metabolism by over 10%, according to one Japanese study. Researchers believe the antioxidant catechins in tea provide the boost.

BATTLE FAT WITH FIBER: Studies from research find that women who consume the most fiber gain the least weight over time. Aim for about 25 g a day--the amount in about 3 servings each of fruits and vegetables.

BUY THE BIG BOTTLE: Researchers revealed that drinking 6 cups of cold water a day can boost resting metabolism by about 50 calories per day--enough to lose 5 pounds in 12 months.

GO ORGANIC: Always decide on organic when buying peaches, apples, bell peppers, celery, nectarines, strawberries, cherries, lettuce, imported grapes, and pears; non-organic produce tend to have the highest levels of pesticides.

NEVER OMIT PROTEIN: Your body needs protein to maintain lean muscle. Add a serving, like three ounces of lean meat, 2 tablespoons of nuts, or eight ounces of low-fat yogurt, to every meal and snack.

EAT IRON-RICH FOODS: Until menopause, women lose iron each month as a result of menstruation. Unless you replenish your supply, you run the risk of low stamina and a sagging metabolism.

DRINK MILK: Research shows that acquiring calcium by way of dairy foods such as fat-free milk and low-fat yogurt may cause a decline in fat absorption from other sources.

The Weight-Starch Connection

2010-01-21T16:12:00.000-05:00

Anyone who’s tried to lose weight within the past decade has asked themselves one common question: “Can I eat bread?”

Well, guess what? Yes, there’s certainly room for bread in your weight loss plan - there's a simple rule you can use to help you wisely choose a loaf.

So, what’s the connection? Starches, such as breads and baked goods, usually contain a standard amount of calories by weight, about 80 calories per ounce, whereas heavier breads are going to contain a higher calorie count.

One nutrition expert explained that most slices of regular bread weigh about an ounce, around 80 calories, while a slice of dense, all-natural bread, might weigh 2 or even 3 ounces, between 160 to even 240 calories. Those heavier loaves of bread may look and sound like they're healthy, but their density signals that they probably contain more calories than most other loaves. Plus, they're typically made with simple sugars like high-fructose corn syrup, dextrose and maltose that will add even more calories.

You may be wondering about where other baked good weigh in? Well, similarly, treats like banana breads and plain cakes contain roughly 125 calories per ounce. If you pick up a “healthy,” “all-natural” bran muffin and it feels like a brick, consider the caloric consequences: A standard 4-ounce muffin weighs in at around 500 calories, almost the equivalent of 7 slices of standard bread.

So remember to check out whether those breads and starches tip the scales before you buy them - it's easy, free and could save you a ton (of calories) in the long run!

The 7-Day Cleansing Diet

2010-01-20T23:50:00.000-05:00

If the holiday season left you with a jelly-belly, feeling heavy, bloated, and ready to make a change, try this seven-day cleansing diet plan to purify your body, melt away fat, banish bloat, crush cravings and leave you feeling refreshed and energized!

Get ready!

Do Not:-

Add sugar, other natural sweeteners or artificial sweeteners to anything.
Add salt to anything. Eating foods with a lot of added salt causes you to retain water, which drives up the number on the scale and makes you feel uncomfortable.
Eat starches with dinner (including bread, rice, pasta, peas, beans, corn and potatoes
Drink alcohol. Alcohol adds a lot of empty calories to your diet, plus it lowers your inhibitions so you're more likely to veer off plan and make unhealthy food choices.

Do:-

Eat on a schedule. Enjoy three meals and at least one snack each day.
Drink lots of water throughout the day.
Enjoy water alternatives in unlimited quantities at any point during the day.
Begin dinner with a healthy appetizer.
Eat fruits and veggies at any time throughout the day, particularly when you get hungry between designated meal and snack times.
Exercise. Engage in 30 to 60 minutes of aerobic exercise everyday (walking is fine).

Don't Believe Those Diet Myths

2010-01-19T22:21:00.000-05:00

It’s one of the biggest weight loss myths ever: the idea that it’s “not safe” to lose more than two pounds a week.

It all boils down to simple mathematics. There are 3,500 calories in one pound of fat. Thus, in order to lose one pound of fat, you must create a caloric deficit of 3,500 calories. This can occur over a week’s time by cutting back 500 calories per day (7 days X 500 = 3,500).

Or, to put it another way, you can increase your physical activity such that you burn 500 more calories per day than what you’ve been burning. This can be accomplished by an inactive person committing to one hour a day of rigorous exercise.

If you’re eating 2,000 calories a day and especially if you’re not exercising, your body has no reason to start feeding off its own muscle. It gets plenty of protein from your broiled chicken and fish, beans and whole grains.

You will lose on average six pounds a week, for a number of weeks. And it will be safe. However…this doesn’t mean that this weight loss will persist until you get down to 130 pounds. In fact, if you don’t exercise, this weight loss will come to a halt at some point, leaving you with still extra fat to lose. You may end up losing only 40 pounds off a 250-pound body if you don’t exercise (or only 20 pounds off a 190-pound body). And you’ll still look flabby. This is why exercise is so important.

Do You Burn More Fat in the Winter?

2010-01-18T22:59:00.000-05:00

So, does weather help control how many calories you burn?

Yes and no. Both warmer and colder climates have positive and negative aspects when it comes to weight loss, particularly when it comes to certain seasonal behaviors that are crucial to maintaining an ideal body weight. Consider the fact that in warmer weather, people tend to be a little more active, and are more conscious of their bodies since they’re wearing less.

But that’s not even the whole story.

Most of the frustration regarding fat loss is caused by the fact that we’re actually battling with our body's innate ability to protect itself. This is because one of the primary protective functions of our body is to maintain a temperature close to or equal to 98.6. The body has an extraordinarily complex set of procedures to accomplish this goal, particularly by controlling the body’s metabolism.

Fat plays three major roles in regards to the metabolism:

• Fat is the preferred fuel source used for body temperature regulation.

• Fat is an insulator that helps retain heat in cold environments.

• Fat provides the whole body with a long term fuel source, which during extended cold spells, allowed our ancestors to survive and forage for food.

The metabolism slows down when it’s hot. The slower our metabolism gets, the less we use fat as a fuel source. But, as stated before, this is balanced by the idea that we tend to eat less and exercise more in warmer months.

On the flip side, the body's ability to generate heat during cold times is done by increasing the metabolism. The metabolism requires a tremendous amount of fuel during this time and burns more fat.

So, yes, technically, colder weather does indeed help burn more fat!

Just Why is Soda So Bad?

2010-01-16T23:29:00.000-05:00

Of all the possible drinks out there, soda probably has one of the worst reputations, next to alcohol, for those trying to lose weight. Unlike alcohol however, there’s been no attempt to create a constitutional amendment banning it.

But what exactly is so very unhealthy about this favorite beverage? We should start with a basic rundown of the common soda suspects:

A standard soda contains caffeine, phosphoric acid, high-fructose corn syrup, sodium benzoate, carbonated water and added colors and flavors.

Caffeine:- Thanks to caffeine, soda acts as a dehydrating diuretic, particularly when combined with sugar and mixed with the carbonation that provides those bubbles.

Phosphoric Acid:- Soda, whether it’s caffeinated or not, is the most acidic beverage you can buy, about equal to vinegar, thanks to phosphoric acid.

Refined Sugar:- Sugar refining is the process of extracting out the sugar (sucrose) from plant materials and then removing other unwanted materials from the extracted raw sugar. Completely refined white sugar contains no nutritional value, meaning no vitamins, no minerals, no proteins and no fiber.

Preservatives:- A new health scare erupted over soft drinks recently amid evidence that sodium benzoate and other common soda preservatives may cause serious cell damage.

We know, soda tastes great. And as a society, we’ve been drinking it for so long that the idea of going without is almost painful. But, know that there are some tasty alternatives out there; including pure water flavored with anything from basil and mint to lemon and orange slices, even with a little honey.

The Secret to Fast Weight Loss

2010-01-14T21:27:00.000-05:00

Ever heard of super weight loss foods? Probably not, as most diet plans don't show you how to use foods to lose weight fast. They only have you count calories, carbs or fat grams. Some foods actually cause your body to burn fat and calories. Let me tell you how eating certain foods can cause weight loss.

Foods like apples, which contain pectin, are extremely effective at raising your metabolism, which in turn burns calories. Other foods like nuts, avocados, whole grains and dairy foods also burn fat. Olive oil, cayenne pepper, ginger, and cinnamon are great for seasoning foods, as they are also super weight loss foods.

Another factor that is very important for fast weight loss is how often you eat, and when. Most people are used to the basic concept of breakfast, lunch and dinner. However, you will find that it is much more effective to eat smaller portions and eat more often to lose weight.

If this knowledge had existed a decade ago, there wouldn't be nearly so many obese people in the world as there are now. This routine is easy, you will never suffer hunger pangs, and you will keep the weight off for good.

The Best Diets to Lose Weight

2010-01-13T17:11:00.000-05:00

No doubt you've seen dozens of diets to lose weight that claim to be the best. Have you tried any of them? If so, you probably know that on these plans you can't eat much food, and eventually the weight comes back. Some of the best diets to lose weight are plans you have more than likely never heard of.

You've seen endless commercials for diets to lose weight on television. Some of these plans are Jenny Craig, Nutrisystem, and Slim Fast. These programs are surely all good, but they also have you eat special meals that are expensive and not very filling.

Healthy, everyday foods are the best way to lose weight quickly. You don't need special foods or diet supplements. You just need to learn:-

How to use REAL foods in a way that increase metabolism and calorie burn.
What you should eat at meals, and how to combine them to burn fat efficiently.
Why the number of times per day that you eat makes a huge difference
How to exercise WITHOUT spending hours per day in a gym. You don't need excessive exercise to lose weight quickly.

By learning the proper way to experience quick weight loss, you will never have to try other diets again. You also don't have to worry about the weight coming back!

With some methods like fasting or starvation diets, you lose weight quickly in the first few days. Why? It's water weight. After that point, your weight loss stops. This is because you need calories in order for your metabolism to work properly.

Simple Ways to Increase Metabolism

2010-01-12T19:49:00.000-05:00

Looking for ways to increase your metabolism? You already know that having a high or fast metabolism helps speed weight loss. There are many methods you can use to do this, but simple diet and exercise work best. Diet pills are dangerous and can cause many unwanted side effects. Here is some information that will interest you if you need to shed some pounds and want to do it easily.

One of the most effective ways there are to increase your metabolism is by eating fat burning foods. Exercise is great as well. By combining both, your fat burning ability will go through the roof! So, what are some of the best foods and exercise to accomplish this? Here are some examples.

Fat Burning Foods:- Fresh fruits and vegetables, lean proteins, beans, whole wheat products and dairy foods. Calcium is a super fat burner! By eating the right foods in the correct manner, your metabolism will work at its peak constantly.

Exercise:-The best type of exercise to raise your fat burning ability is weight bearing exercise. Building muscle replaces fat, and boosts your metabolism tremendously.

These are just a couple of effective ways to increase metabolism. They are the most effective, and you can lose weight quicker than you ever will with fad diets and special diet foods.

Detoxing: A New Year, A New You

2010-01-11T23:15:00.000-05:00

It was quite the happy holiday, and you rang in that New Year just right: you’re stuffed with appetizers and saturated with alcohol. Now what? You probably have new health resolutions to kick start. One great way is by renewing the body with an internal body cleanse.

Your digestive function is made up of numerous organs all working together to break down, absorb, and process all of the nutrients in the food you eat. Without healthy digestion, you can become malnourished and toxins will build up in your body, leading to degenerative diseases and rapid aging down the road.

The following remedies will get your digestion on the right track:

Walk:- After a large meal, take a 10- to 20-minute stroll.

Herbal Tea:- Drink after each meal to soothe and prevent bloating.

Apple Cider Vinegar:- This is traditionally used to remedy digestive distress, support liver detoxification, normalize digestive juices and reduce intestinal bloating.

Alcohol Overload:- The liver has the ability to regenerate itself, but the effects of alcohol eventually wear down the liver.

Ginger Tea:- Ginger has been found to soothe the digestive lining and balance gastric juices, making it a great remedy for overeating, too.

Drink up:- Alcohol dehydrates your system, so drinking plenty of water will help combat some of your unpleasant hangover symptoms, rehydrate your body and flush out toxins.

Lemon Water:- Lemon activates your liver to release toxins and helps to cleanse and move the roughage that stays behind in your intestines. Throughout the day, drink at least eight 8-ounce glasses of water to flush your system.

Detoxify With Tea:- Try various herbs in teas to cleanse and prevent a buildup of toxins and wastes in your body.

Are You Really Hungry for Food

2010-01-10T20:29:00.000-05:00

Our appetites can be quite the pranksters. They often fool us into thinking we’re hungry, when often, we may be suffering from something completely different. Knowing when your body really needs food and when it needs something else will help you avoid unwanted belly fat, and even improve the quality of your emotional life.

1. Hunger Due to Eating the Wrong Food. Symptoms include craving high sugar foods or feeling hungry soon after eating a meal.

2. Emotional Hunger. Sometimes, our appetites can go haywire when we are experiencing boredom, fear, anxiety, stress or loneliness.

3. Hunger Due to Sleepiness. Daytime fatigue may lead people to overeat (often, high-sugar, nutrient-poor foods) in an attempt to get an extra surge of energy. This is equivalent to placing a Band-Aid on the true problem. It provides only temporary relief, which is soon followed by a crash in energy levels and a resurgence of “hunger” leading to more snacking.

4. Hunger Due to Thirst. We often mistake thirst for hunger. Try drinking a glass or two of water to identify whether you are truly hungry or just slightly dehydrated, in which case water is the perfect antidote!

When you're truly hungry however, it's pretty clear to identify. For instance, a growling stomach will cause us to be cranky and unfocused…until we get some food, that is! If it's been four hours since your last meal or snack, you may very well be hungry. Never ignore true hunger, as doing so may exacerbate it and cause you to overeat to compensate for the missed calories.

Get Fit in The New Year With Five Simple Exercises

2010-01-09T22:02:00.000-05:00

The holiday office party and the New Year's Eve festivities with family and friends will probably do nothing for your figure. Ladies, if you're not quite ready for that new party dress--or men, if you want that shirt tucked without the jelly-belly bulge--don't fret. Here are five simple exercises you can do at home, or even at your office, to get yourself looking spectacular in the new year.

Dancing. Dancing is an excellent cardiovascular exercise and it doesn't require a lot of work to do.

Lower Body Exercises. These exercises are simple to do and don't require fancy equipment. Just make some space, grab a chair, and let the lower body toning begin.

Upper Body Exercises. If you're going to be showing those arms, these exercises are crucial.

Stretching. You can do some basic stretches at home that will give you the same calming results as yoga. Try this first thing in the morning or after a long day. You'll love it.

Abdominal/core exercises. There are many ways to work your mid-section that are perfect for flattening your front.

Most importantly, keep in mind that the holidays are a time of good cheer. Use the merriment of the season to rejoice in your loved ones and yourself. It's never too late to begin to change your life, so start today by adding these simple moves to your routine and jump-start your new year!

Get a Mid-Workout Energy Boost

2010-01-08T18:10:00.000-05:00

You look to the left of you and you see a man on a treadmill jogging and singing an up-tempo song that’s blaring through his Ipod. You look to your right and you see an upbeat personal trainer, ready to assist at a moment’s notice. You're partway through your workout, and feel exhausted and unmotivated. Is it a crash in progress? Are you low in energy? Maybe just distracted?

Mid-workout slumps happen to even the most committed exercisers. Learn how to avoid these feelings so you can push through to your weight loss goal, instead of heading to the locker room early.

Eat for Energy:- A well-balanced diet is necessary for any healthy lifestyle, but it becomes increasingly important when you're exercising.

Don't Skimp on Carbs:- Carbs are your body's preferred source of fuel, powering everything from your brain to your muscles.

Pump Iron:- Iron is a trace mineral that helps blood carry oxygen to the muscles throughout the body, keeping them powered up during a workout.

Drink Up:- When you exercise, sweating cools your body down, but it can also be detrimental if you're not replenishing the fluids you lose.

Be a Planner:- Try to schedule your workouts for the times of day that your energy is at its peak.

Rest Up:- Whether you're skimping on sleep or you're exercising too much, a lack of rest and recovery can zap your energy levels and hurt your progress, too.

Deal with Stress:- Just as your mental to-do list can keep you awake at night, other life stressors can creep into your mind during a workout and distract you from the task at hand.

Banish Boredom:- Whether you take your indoor workouts outside or try a new fitness class, variety will keep boredom at bay and help you get better results, too.

If you feel run down all the time or exercise results in you suffering from major fatigue, make an appointment to see your health care provider to find out why.

The Best Time of Day to Do Cardio

2010-01-07T23:20:00.000-05:00

The question is always asked. When is the best time of day to do cardio when trying to lose belly fat, and why? Well, most people do cardio "whenever they get a chance." Sometimes during the middle of the day, sometimes before bed, sometimes directly after your weightlifting workout, sometimes directly before the weightlifting workout and sometimes first thing in the morning. The truth is, all of those times will get results. It doesn't matter what time of day you do your cardio workout, you will be burning calories every time. BUT, the real question is, which of those times is the most effective? And the answer is.... first thing in the morning!

Doing cardio first thing in the morning, on an empty stomach, before you eat anything, is by far, the most effective. Whether you run, jog, walk, swim, jump rope, take an aerobics class, ride a bike, etc., doing it first thing in the morning is the best time for maximum fat loss. Why? It’s simple. When you do cardio first thing in the morning, you haven't eaten anything for the last 8 or so hours because you were sleeping. So, when your body sees that there are no carbs to burn, it goes directly to stored bodyfat, which is the fat that you want to lose!

Understand how it works? When you do your cardio sometime during the day other then first thing in the morning, you spend most of that time burning off carbs that you already ate that day. When you do it first thing in the morning, there are no carbs to burn, so all your body can burn is body fat!

Sit-Ups With No Pain

2010-01-06T18:43:00.000-05:00

One of the biggest complaints people have about doing sit-ups is the back pain. Yes, it can be painful if proper form is not followed or what other exercises are incorporated.

Most people try to have an ab regimen each and every workout, especially if the intent is to lose stomach fat. Well,if you just have to get abs in, understand that sit-ups involve your hip flexors heavily. Hip flexors extend from the bottom of your thigh, to the top of your abdominal cavity, and attaches to your spine – which becomes especially tight when fully contracted becomes increasingly tight. A tight hip flexor will pull on your lower back, causing pain. Stretching hip flexors in between sets on the following day can help.

On days that you incorporate heavy cardio or on a leg day, you might want to consider an ab workout that focuses on Swiss-ball crunches, machine twists, and stomach vacuums as a healthy alternative.

Good luck!

Stay Fit For Life

2010-01-05T22:23:00.000-05:00

A balanced diet and regular physical activity are the building blocks of good health. Poor eating habits and too little physical activity can lead to a jelly-belly and related health problems. By eating right and being active, you can stay at or reach a healthy weight.

The basis of a healthy diet is eating a wide variety of foods. Every day, you should try to eat:

*6 to 11 servings of bread, cereal, rice, or pasta. One serving equals one slice of bread, about 1 cup of ready-to-eat cereal, or 1/2 cup cooked cereal, rice, or pasta.

*3 to 5 servings of vegetables. One serving equals 1 cup of raw leafy vegetables, or 1/2 cup of other vegetables, cooked or raw.

*2 to 4 servings of fruit. One serving equals one medium apple, banana, or orange; 1/2 cup of chopped, cooked, or canned fruit; or 3/4 cup of fruit juice.

*2 to 3 servings of milk, yogurt, or cheese. One serving equals 1 cup of milk or yogurt, 1 1/2 ounces of natural cheese (such as Cheddar), or 2 ounces of processed cheese. Choose low-fat or fat-free products most often.

*2 to 3 servings of meat, poultry, fish, dry beans, eggs, or nuts. One serving equals 2 to 3 ounces of cooked lean meat, poultry without skin, or fish. You should eat no more than 5 to 7 ounces per day. One half cup of cooked dry beans, one egg, or 1/2 cup of tofu counts as 1 ounce of meat. Two tablespoons of peanut butter or 1/3 cup of nuts counts as 1 ounce of lean meat.

The larger number of servings is for active men. Eat a smaller number of servings if you are a woman, inactive, or trying to lose weight.

True Facts About Abdominal Exercises

2010-01-04T22:30:00.000-05:00

There are MANY abdominal exercises... crunches, leg raises, situps, hip thrusts, side bends, weighted situps, crunches with your legs bent, not bent, straight up in the air etc. The list goes on and on. But why do you want more information about abdominal exercises? Is it because you want to get rid of that stomach fat so you can have washboard abs?

The truth is, every one of those abdominal exercises will NOT help you have a perfect 6 pack. EVERY one of these abdominal exercises will only help to strengthen and build your ab muscles. BUT, that won't do a thing for you if you have a layer of fat covering them! You see, no abdominal exercises burn fat. None of the ones you see in infomercials, none of the machines you see in your gym, no special ab workouts, and even good old crunches and situps, none of these abdominal exercises will burn the fat on your stomach. All they will do is help make your ab muscles stronger, and help build them. You can make your abs as strong as you want, and build them as nice as you want for as long as you want, but as long as you still have fat, even the slightest amount of fat on your stomach, your abs will not be visible.

You see, nothing will burn the fat off of your stomach to let your abs become visible except for a perfect diet and enough cardio/aerobic work. The key to getting perfect abs is having a low bodyfat. That is it right there, if you have a low bodyfat, then you have visible abs.

Breakfast on the Run

2010-01-03T12:53:00.000-05:00

When trying to lose unwanted belly fat, it is common to excuse yourself for not having breakfast by claiming that there is not enough time before heading out the door. However, the importance of breakfast doesn’t diminish even with a busy schedule that keeps you from sitting down for a hot meal. Try these choices:

• Make and bag your own granola ahead of time for an on-the-go breakfast. Do-it-yourself mixes with dried fruits, nuts and seeds help you limit the additional sugars in some pre-packaged varieties.

• Make and freeze low-fat breakfast muffins that you can grab as you run out of the house. They’ll thaw by the time you reach your desk.

• Slap together a good-for-you breakfast sandwich, such as a whole-wheat English muffin or pita pocket with one ounce of lean turkey or ham and mustard. Add a piece of fruit along with a low-fat yogurt drink.

• Cut open a small bran muffin and top it with a spoonful of yogurt and fresh berries for a muffin sandwich to go.

Breakfast choices can go well beyond cereal and eggs to include any foods that you like, even if they’re not thought of as traditional breakfast choices. Just pick healthy foods you enjoy and you’ll get the energy you need for the best start to your day.

Important Not to Skip Breakfast

2010-01-02T21:11:00.001-05:00

Since our first day of grade school, the importance of breakfast has been emphasized, but why? Well, beyond its nutritional value, breakfast keeps us moving forward throughout the day, and actually helps control unruly stomach fat.

The importance of breakfast can’t be denied. But some people avoid breakfast to cut down on calories. Others say they’re just not hungry in the morning. And then there are those who say they don’t like breakfast foods. However, if you skip this key meal after 8 to 12 hours of fasting, you’re denying yourself the fuel you need for a sharp mind and productive body.

The American Dietetic Association reports that people who don’t eat breakfast tend to be tired, restless and irritable in the morning. Those who do eat breakfast are better able to concentrate and have more strength all day long. The importance of breakfast boils down to this: Breakfast eaters are simply more productive people and have better attitudes at work or school.

A good breakfast should include grains, fruit and protein. There’s nothing better than an egg for pure protein, but note that’s just one egg. Eat it along with whole-grain toast, fruit juice and a glass of fat-free milk for a perfect breakfast at home. Here are some other ideas:

• Try a new twist with cereal by mixing it with dried fruit and yogurt.

• Have a grilled cheese on whole-grain toast with sliced tomato using low-fat or fat-free cheese—just go easy on the butter or oil for grilling.

• Make a shake with frozen fruit, such as strawberries and banana slices, plus fat-free or low-fat milk. Enjoy it with a whole-grain or whole-wheat bagel for a quick breakfast.

Welcome 2010

2010-01-01T14:35:00.002-05:00

Happy New Year

From all of us at Unwanted Belly Fat

We’d like to extend our warmest wishes for a happy, healthy and magical New Year to you and your family.

We’d also like to take this opportunity to thank you for being a part of our community over the past year, as we look forward to sharing more information with you throughout 2010.

Thank you!

Eat Fast And Healthy

2009-12-31T22:56:00.000-05:00

Today’s working men and women already live fast-paced lives. So, during the hectic holiday season, while balancing rushed, holiday vacation work schedules, last-minute shopping and preparing for guests, it's not unlikely that their go-go-go lives often force them to go-go-go to the drive-thru for a quick bite to eat.

There was a time when all fast foods were considered unhealthy(not for those trying to lose weight), but nowadays, many chains have gotten with the times and are serving nutritious and low-fat counterparts to their traditional calorie-laden meals.

Following is the major fast-food chains and the best foods to indulge in.

Burger King

The wonderful folks who brought you the heart-stopping Original Whopper finally offer some healthy fast-food options.

Best picks:

BK Veggie Burger (no mayo)

Tender grill Chicken Sandwich (no sauce)

Original Whopper Jr. (no mayo)

Hamburger (no mayo)

KFC

A piece of chicken (without skin), mashed potatoes and a vegetable provide an entire meal with 10 g or less of fat.

Best picks:

Tender Roast Sandwich: Ordering it without sauce will save you 70 calories and 14 g of fat.

Baked Beans and Small Corn on the Cob

Original Recipe Chicken Breast: Removing the skin and breading saves 240 calories

Large Popcorn Chicken

McDonald's

In addition to their top three healthy meals, the Vanilla Reduced Fat Ice Cream Cone deserves mention for its very reasonable 150 calories and 3.5 g of fat.

Best picks:

Fruit ‘n’ Yogurt Parfait with Granola

Premium Grilled Chicken Classic Sandwich

Caesar Salad with Grilled Chicken (with 1/3 of a packet of Newman's Own Creamy Caesar dressing)

Foods That Help You Lose Weight

2009-12-30T23:01:00.000-05:00

Thirty billion a year -- that's about how much Americans spend on slim-down products, many of which don't even work. New research points to more than a dozen foods, from beans to beef, that can help you fight hunger, kick your candy addiction, boost your metabolism-and ultimately lose weight.

1. Eggs, which are full of protein, will help you feel fuller longer-a lot longer.

2. Beans contain a digestive hormone which is a natural appetite suppressant. As a result you feel fuller for a much longer period.

3. Salad. Control that calorie intake by starting your meal with a large salad (but hold the creamy dressing).

4. Green tea has an antioxidant called catechin which helps speed metabolism and fat burning, resulting in a significant drop in the body mass index.

5. Pears are now recognized as having more fiber than was previously reported.

6. Soup. A cup of chicken soup is as appetite blunting as a piece of chicken.

7. Lean beef has the amino acid leucine, which is abundant in proteins like meat and fish as well as in dairy products, can help you pare down while maintaining calorie-burning muscle.

8. Olive oil, being a monounsaturated fat, will help you burn calories. It works well in salad dressings, as a bread dip, or for sautéing.

9. Grapefruit. Studies have found that eating half a grapefruit before each meal or drinking a serving of the juice three times a day helped people drop more than three pounds over 12 weeks.

10. Cinnamon. Sprinkle it on microwave oatmeal or whole-grain toast to help cure those mid-afternoon sugar slumps.

11. Vinegar. Acetic acid in the vinegar may slow the passage of food from the stomach into the small intestine, so your tummy stays full longer.

12. Tofu is an appetite-quashing protein.

Best Way to Lose Belly Fat

2009-12-29T22:49:00.000-05:00

Finding the best way to lose belly fat isn't always easy because there is so much information about and much of it is conflicting. There are some experts telling you to do one thing, another expert saying you need to do something else. Then there are all the adverts about fat burning pills that promise you'll lose a huge amount of fat in days without doing anything

It can be very confusing for many people and all they want is to lose their belly fat. Perhaps you're sick and tired of looking in the mirror and seeing your belly fat wobbling back at you or feel uncomfortable in clothes because you don't feel attractive while you're carrying this excess fat. Let me share with you the best way to lose belly fat, that doesn't include harmful pills or difficult restrictive diets.

Ab crunches aren't the answer.

Fat burning workouts:- To lose the fat on your stomach you need to be doing exercise that stimulates your body’s ability to burn fat.

Stop dieting:- Diets don't work. They are too restrictive and leave you feeling deprived. When you feel deprived it becomes a huge struggle and hard to stick to. So, what can you do? Making sure that you're eating plenty of healthy and nutritious foods is an essential step in losing belly fat.

Changing your eating habits doesn't have to be done in one go. In fact one of the best ways to change to eating healthier is to make smaller changes and one at a time.

A Great Way to Lose Weight Fast

2009-12-28T23:37:00.000-05:00

Chances are if you're overweight, you are looking for ways to lose weight fast. There are some safe and healthy ways to do this, without resorting to diet pills or starvation diets. No fad diets or fasts are necessary!

There are several good diet plans out there, but for long term weight goals none of them are really very effective. Sure, you can lose weight rapidly, but will it stay off? Not likely - it's hard to stay on 800 calories for the rest of your life. But there are ways to drop that fat.

Have you ever heard of "calorie switching"? This is amazing - you can actually fool your body into burning fat by switching the meals you eat. By eating less at one meal and more at another, and eating more often, your metabolism increases causing calorie burn. Of all the ways to lose weight fast that you have seen before, nothing compares to this!

Thousands of overweight people are now thin thanks to such a regimen. The great thing about it is that it changes your way of eating forever, and you can keep the weight off easily. In fact, most people who try this, lose an average of 9 pounds in the first 11 days - and never feel hungry!

A Fat Loss Diet Program that Won't Leave You Hungry

2009-12-27T21:34:00.000-05:00

Are you looking for a fat loss diet program that works without leaving you feeling faint? Nearly every diet out there promises fast weight loss, and some of them work. But just how long can you sustain yourself on those 300 calorie diet meals that contain enough food for a 3 year old? There is a better way.

The majority of weight loss plans require you to count calories or carbohydrates and are costly because you must buy special foods or supplements. There is a fat loss diet program online that has helped thousands lose weight very fast without ever counting a calorie or purchasing any special foods.

What's so great about this plan? You don't count calories, you don't limit food portions, and you don't have to purchase special foods and supplements. This fat loss diet program shows you how to achieve rapid weight loss using REAL foods you eat every day!

This fat loss diet program is unlike anything you have seen before! By learning how to combine your foods at meals, and when to eat, you can drop the pounds like crazy without ever feeling hungry. Part of the trick is eating more often! You won't be disappointed!

Before Using Fat Loss Diets

2009-12-26T18:34:00.000-05:00

You must have heard so many things about the choice of a fat loss diet, the low calorie foods, the acceleration of metabolism, and many more, that you wonder why there are no obvious results and some real progress with weight loss. The truth is that a fat loss diet has more chances to fail than to succeed for a very large number of reasons.

People expect miracles! Results are never achieved overnight because the mechanisms of good weight loss programs are more far-sighted than that. Speed is the issue here, but metabolism takes time to adapt to food changes. Then, the response of the body depends on how you stimulate it physically by activities. A fat loss diet has to be tailored to the person’s individual needs and should not be based on the administration of weight loss supplements.

Many people take up a fat loss diet without understanding or finding the real causes that trigger weight gain. First find out what makes you overweight and then act. Sometimes the culprits are not only overeating and lack of physical activities, but also some hidden health problem that has passed undetected. Talk to your health care provider and he/she will know what medical exams to perform.

Good luck!

How to Lose Ten Pounds Quickly

2009-12-24T18:46:00.000-05:00

A lot of times, the last ten pounds are the hardest to lose. Maybe you don’t want to put forth the effort. Exercise may not be high on your favorites list. Or maybe it is, but it just isn’t denting that last bit of weight. If you try these simple steps, you can lose ten pounds in five weeks.

One straightforward tip to helping you cut back calories is to skip the salad dressing on your salad. Normally a salad has five tablespoons of salad dressing, and each tablespoon usually contains about 80 calories. That is 400 calories per salad. For people who eat a salad every day, this adds up!

Exchanging skim milk for whole milk in your diet is another effective method in cutting back on calories, especially if you drink more than one cup per day.

Another glorious tip is to eat your sandwiches as open-faced sandwiches. In other word, avoid the top piece of bread on your sandwiches. If you do so, you will save about 8o calories per sandwich. If you eat one sandwich a day, you will save over 500 calories in a week.

Most of us drink beverages that have about 250 calories in each serving. If you can just cut out 250 calories of liquid a day, by the end of one week, you will have cut out 1750 calories.

Eat slower, allowing yourself to feel when you are getting full. Do it for all three meals during the day, and that is 180 calories per day, or over 1200 calories per week!

By following these easy steps, you can lose the last bit of weight without working out or drastically changing your dieting habits.

Successfully Control Your Food Cravings

2009-12-23T21:49:00.000-05:00

The most difficult part for many people trying to lose unwanted fat, is the challenge of overcoming food cravings. You may have a friend or two that can just say “no” and control food cravings just with determination, but for most of us it is not that easy. Here are several tips to help you achieve your goal by winning over your food cravings:

1. Plan your diet:- You can plan your diet ahead with a list of the food and drinks that you are allowed to consume.

2. Make it a habit to avoid bad foods:- One practical way to avoid the food that is not good for you, is to clean your fridge from these foods. Be sure to only stock up on those that are on the “allowed foods” lit.

3. Eat some nuts:- Studies show that food cravings tend to pass by if you snack on nuts and drink water in between meals. Be sure to stock up on nuts and bottled water at home, in the office and even on the go.

4. Take that afternoon nap:- You should take power naps because food cravings actually sneak up when we are tired. Make sure that you do not reach the end of the line when it comes to physical and mental tiredness.

5. Distractions:- When you feel the craving sneaking in, do something you like - read a book, call a loved one, exercise, listen to music or meditate.

6. You can “cheat” sometimes:- When you avoid your favorite foods for long periods, you can crave for more because of the feeling of self deprivation. You can indulge in small portions of your favorite foods at set times.

Improving Joint Strength Results in Six Pack Abs

2009-12-22T17:20:00.000-05:00

In these times of gourmet ice cream, gourmet coffee and uh, ‘gourmet fast-food’, it’s becoming increasingly difficult to stay fit and lean. Unless you’re a native of Miami Beach, it seems like six pack abs are becoming rare- a common sight only on Baywatch reruns.

It’s not because of lack of trying. There’s a high attrition rate among folks who start working-out to get six pack abs because of misconceptions about how to exercise effectively. The wrong exercises bring slow results and loss of motivation.

Contrary to the perception of the general public, the path to six pack abs doesn’t rely on countless sit-ups and crunches. In fact, focusing too much on the abdominal muscles can even lead to strain on the lower back.

As any weight-loss expert will tell you, getting rid of unsightly belly flab naturally without the use of scalpels requires burning-off the vast amounts of calories we get from the food we eat. Getting lean enough to get a tight, well-defined stomach takes tons of hard work and discipline, but not really impossible for those that really want it.

Creating the daily calorie deficit needed to bring about fat loss and six pack abs requires a combination of body fat busting cardio exercises and weight-training to build all-around muscle tissue and increase metabolism. A high metabolism will let our bodies continue to burn fat even while we’re watching TV.

The development of muscle that results from regular exercise enforces the joints in our body by strengthening the tissues around them. The constant activity also leads to the production of natural lubricants that prevent friction and cartilage damage.

7 Health Foods To Avoid

2009-12-21T22:40:00.000-05:00

Of course, we don’t mean all healthy foods. Instead, recent studies by food industry experts have targeted a few foods that, while they certainly have healthier reputations, are potentially hazardous to those trying to lose weight, because of the ways they are raised, grown and sold.

Below is listed seven of the potentially worst offenders, as well as some healthier alternatives.

1. Canned Tomatoes: The linings of the tin cans used for canned tomatoes contain a synthetic estrogen linked to ailments ranging from heart disease to obesity.

Easy alternative: Choose tomatoes in glass bottles. You can also get several types in Tetra Pak boxes at stores such as Trader Joe's.

2. Corn-Fed Beef: Farmers today feed their animals corn and soybeans, which fatten up the animals faster for slaughter.

Easy alternative: Buy grass-fed beef, which can be found at specialty grocers, farmers' markets and Whole Foods.

3. Microwave Popcorn: The microwaving process causes the chemicals in the lining of any given popcorn bag to vaporize and migrate into your popcorn.

Easy alternative: Pop natural kernels the old-fashioned way: in a skillet or a pot on the stove.

4. Nonorganic Potatoes: Root vegetables, like potatoes, absorb herbicides, pesticides, and fungicides that wind up in soil. They are then sprayed with herbicides to kill off the fibrous vines before harvesting.

Easy alternative: Buy organic potatoes. Washing isn't good enough if you're trying to remove chemicals that have been absorbed into the flesh.

5. Farmed Salmon: Farmed salmon is lower in vitamin D and higher in contaminants, due to being fed with the likes of soy, poultry litter and hydrolyzed chicken feather. As if all this wasn’t bad enough, there is also concern about the high level of antibiotics and pesticides used to treat these fish.

Easy alternative: Switch to wild-caught Alaska salmon. If the package says fresh Atlantic, it's farmed.

6. Milk Produced with Artificial Hormones: Most milk producers treat their dairy cattle with growth hormone to boost milk production.

Easy alternative: Check labels for products that are produced without artificial hormones, or buy organic milk.

7. Conventional Apples: They are individually descended (or grafted) from a single tree, so that each variety maintains its distinctive flavor. Because of this, apples don't develop resistance to pests and are sprayed frequently.

Easy alternative: Buy organic apples. But if your wallet just can’t quite manage that, just be sure to not only wash them carefully, but peel them as well.

Foods That Will Wreck Your Diet

2009-12-20T14:54:00.000-05:00

There are a ton of foods out there that will make you so hungry that you'll feel hollow inside. These foods can be detrimental to weight loss. They include any food that has been stripped of its fiber, such as white bread; food that turns to sugar quickly in the body, such as white potatoes; and food loaded with sugar, starch, and fat.

Some examples include:

• White bread

• White pasta

• White potatoes

• Pastries

• Doughnuts

• Cookies

• Cakes, pies, and other sugary baked goods

• Candy and candy bars

• Potato chips and other packaged and fried snacks

The more fiber is removed from your food, the harder and more rapidly it hits your bloodstream. The sugar and refined starch it contains cause your blood sugar to soar sky high.

Tips on Weight Management for the Holidays

2009-12-19T12:45:00.000-05:00

It seems like every season, there's some kind of focus on weight loss. Bikini season in the spring, staying in bikini season in the summer, and now during the holidays, keeping the pounds away when you're tempted to gorge on a delicious seasonal-inspired dessert buffet.

But one expert has graciously shared some New Year's Resolutions that can help us all release that nagging weight - whether it's holiday or otherwise.

1. Stop thinking of weight in terms of "loss." When we focus only on losing the weight without dealing with the underlying purpose those behaviors have served, we're apt to find it again.

2. Stay in the safe zone. Buffet lines, bakeries, chocolatiers... we all know our danger zones, but that makes it easier to stay away from them. Identify some "safe zones" - areas or people with whom you feel safe. Establish who might be allies in your weight release journey and find places where you feel comfortable being yourself.

3. Minimize bad days. For many of us, bad days can quickly translate into bad days of eating. Practice unplugging from negative people.

4. See slips as teachers. When you catch yourself in a negative pattern around food, don't slide into self-criticism. Instead, ask yourself what's going on with you that wants to be addressed.

5. Change something - anything. Make a change, preferably something you have resistance to, that has nothing to do with food, diet, or exercise - for example, rearrange your bedroom. Note how the mere act of changing something affects you emotionally."

6. Plan to snack consciously. Buy and prepare foods you can snack on throughout the day. Schedule in snacks twice or more per day; don't wait until you're starving.

7. Eat before you eat out. Before you go out to dinner, eat a healthy snack so you're not motivated by hunger when ordering.

Survive the Office Party and Stay on Your Weight Loss Plan

2009-12-18T20:59:00.000-05:00

This is the season for parties, whether at people's houses, at a restaurant, or in the office. Belonging to a number of organizations can means lots of parties over the next couple of weeks. How does one survive them without gaining that jelly belly?

Here are 3 easy tips to stay in control.

1. Be the one in charge of the food! If you can't be in charge, then volunteer to be on the food committee. You will have more control over what is served, thereby helping you stay on your plan. Keep the desserts down to 100 calories a serving, and you will be able to wake up the next morning knowing that you stuck to your plan.

2. Arrive early and leave early, or arrive late, when a lot of the food will be gone. Focus on talking to people rather than eating. Do NOT hang around the food tables. Eating while standing up is a deadly habit that can sabotage the best of plans. Finger food is dangerous. Drink a large glass of water 20-30 minutes before you go to the party.

3. Add an extra 5-10 minutes to your daily exercise during this month.

Finally, remember that you don't have to go to ALL the parties. All that food will be back next year, so you aren't missing a thing except not consuming an overdose of calories.

Tips for Getting Great-Looking Abs

2009-12-17T23:38:00.000-05:00

Can you see yourself walking down the street at your best-loved location looking and feeling great? Or as you stroll down the beach you detect a person glance over their shoulders to admire your fine-looking ripped abs. You pinch yourself and realize that you have arrived.

You see, everybody on this green earth would love to have six pack abs and be entirely healthy. But life is not fair. We can begin our day very positive, but by the end, if we’re not totally focused on our objective and not think of our aspirations, you can be a victim of procrastination.

Here are helpful mindsets that will assist you to get back on track from time to time.

1. Always tell your friends and family regarding your goals. Telling your acquaintances about your goals is great. The reasoning behind this is that they can aid you back on track.

2. Setting goals with a partner or friend. Frequently having a workout partner or a dieting partner will make things better for everyone. Oftentimes a small competition or a small encouragement from a workout buddy makes a big difference.

3.Writing down your aspirations and visions. Get a notepad right this moment and jot down all of your goals and aspirations. On a piece of paper make a line down the middle. On one side have your "goals" and the other have "aspirations" example. Goal #1: Lose 10 pounds this month. Aspiration #1: Lose 10 pounds so I can purchase a new pair of jeans, and so on.

Being in top shape is harder than it looks. It takes discipline and full loyalty. Its rewards are worth the amount of self-confidence you get when you’re watched or checked out.

Cycling for Ultimate Weight Loss

2009-12-16T14:17:00.000-05:00

In many retrospect, your body can be compared to that of an automobile; an invaluable piece of machine that should be treated with respect and pride. When you mistreat or abuse your car by not replenishing the necessary fluids, replacing worn out parts, you end up paying a high price when things fall apart.

If you follow a maintenance manual as do manufacturers of automobiles, you prolong your career, health, and life expectancy. To properly maintain your body, a total body cleanse is recommended to remove free radicals and other forms of toxic materials from tissues, cells, muscles, and digestive system is required.

The intake of electrolytes, minerals, and liquids, as well as the right physical exercise are needed if you are to ride at your highest potential. By taking a proactive approach to preparing yourself adequately, you will improve faster, experience less wear and tear and be more informed than the average cyclist.

Cycling is a physical activity that can be performed just about anywhere. Furthermore, there are cycling organizations all across the United States and most of the entire world for that matter. As a new or continuing cyclist, here are some vital information to keep in mind to mitigate potential accidents,; adhere to the rules: make every effort to ride with a partner or in small groups. Embrace and acknowledge the traffic regulations; wear bright/visible clothing at night time. Sun rise and sun set times have changed and don’t forget to bring along proper lighting if you ride late.

Trick Yourself Into Losing Weight

2009-12-15T16:38:00.000-05:00

For breakfast, you had chips from the vending machine. Half an hour later, you're munching on skittles. If you ate foods that you associate with meals--a hard-boiled egg, or a turkey-and-cheese roll-up—instead of snacking, you'd feel full longer and be more inclined to lose unwanted fat.

A recent study, performed by scientists from the State University of New York, found that undergrads who labeled meals as "snacks" ate 87% more at dinner than those who ate identical 2:30 pm foods but classified them as "meals." If you choose items that you think of as meals--real foods, rather than treats--they'll more likely satisfy your appetite, and that can translate into weight loss.

Choose a 150-calorie mini-meal if you normally eat three substantial meals and two snacks every day; while a 250-calorie option is for those who usually spread their daily calories over five or six small meals.

The Reasons Why You’re Still Fat

2009-12-10T15:15:00.000-05:00

Yes, the title of this article is harsh, but it’s straight to the point and honest. You’ve been trying and trying to lose weight to no avail. Instead of sitting around sulking, attack your problem head on.

1. You're Starving:- Slashing too many calories, particularly protein calories, pushes the body to conserve calories rather than burn them.

Solution: You need to make sure you're eating at least 1,600 to 1,800 calories each day to keep your metabolism from shutting down.

2. You Inhale Food:- You probably eat so fast that your stomach hardly has time to alert your brain to tell your mouth to quit chewing before your stomach explodes.

Solution: On every bite, chew, swallow, put down your fork, and take a sip of water. See how long it takes you to eat. Now, during subsequent meals, take just as long to eat, only without the drill.

3. You're Too Refined:- Most processed breads and cereals contain little fiber, the calorie-free component of plant foods that fills you up, not out. Plus, foods rich in fiber help control blood glucose and insulin levels.

Solution: Cut back on potatoes in any form. Experts say potatoes raise blood-glucose concentration quickly, as do snack chips, white bread, low-fiber breakfast cereals, and breakfast bars. Whole-grain cereals, nuts, and beans are blame-free, if not calorie-free.

4. Your Eyes are Wide Open:- Researchers found that healthy men who snoozed only 4 or 7 hours a night for 6 nights in a row had higher glucose and insulin levels in their blood.

Solution: Hit the sack for 8 hours each and every night. And try to hit it for the same 8 hours. That is, establish a regular bedtime and waking hour

5. You Think Fitness Trumps Fatness:- A recent study of military personnel who increased their exercise during a 3-year period found that they gained weight despite their extra efforts. Why? Food, most likely.

Solution: Controlling portion size is absolutely essential to weight loss. And the best way to control portion size is to limit how often you eat out.

What You Need to Do After a Workout

2009-12-08T23:11:00.000-05:00

Before you go to the gym, you probably get yourself hyped up and motivated. Once you hit the gym, you’re fired up and ready to go. You engage in few stretches and thoroughly warm-up your body. Next, you jump on your machine of choice or walk into your aerobics class and you vigorously give it your all for approximately 30 minutes to an hour. You feel energized and excited after you’ve completed your workout and you leave the gym feeling like your six-pack is on the way.

This sounds absolutely great… well almost. One very important factor was left out of the above mentioned scenario, the after-workout routine. You may have done the majority of the work, but how you treat your body in the minutes and hours after you exercise has a direct effect on muscle soreness, muscle strength and growth, and staying hydrated.

Cool Down:- After your last exercise, your workout is not over. The first thing you need to do is cool down. Even if running was all that you did, you still should do light cardio for a few minutes. This brings your heart rate down at a slow and steady pace, which helps you avoid feeling sick after a workout.

Stretch:- After a workout, muscles naturally contract. Stretching again prevents them from shrinking. It allows your muscles to rebuild, growing bigger and stronger, thus allowing you to get the full benefit from your efforts.

Drink Water:- Even when you are actually done exercising, you need to keep replenishing your fluid levels. It’s recommended that you drink another 2-3 cups within two hours after you have finished. Then, drink water regularly afterwards. You may not feel thirsty anymore, but you still need to replenish yourself to avoid getting dehydrated.

Refuel:- Eating is one of the last, but one of the most important items to do after a workout. You have not only burned hundreds of calories and lost carbohydrates, but you have also actually torn your muscles. You need to repair your muscles and boost your energy level, and you need to do it fast. It’s recommended that you eat within 90 minutes of your workout, but the sooner the better.

Next time you put down the dumbbells and think your work is done, remember these after-workout necessities to maximize your efforts and get the most out of exercising.

Happy Holidays, Without the Extra Pounds

2009-12-07T23:28:00.000-05:00

From now until New Year's, it's a season of eating, drinking and, well, more eating and drinking. And worrying about how all those extra calories will translate into extra stomach fat the next time you dare to step on the scale.

Well relax. It doesn't have to be another holiday of nail biting between nibbling. All you need is the proper attitude and proven strategies that work to keep your calories-in, calories-out equation balanced.

Anyone who's fought with the scale over the holidays knows the basic tricks: Drink water or eat an apple before heading out to a party. But other strategies and perspectives may be new to you.

The holiday season is not the best time of year for weight loss. Focus instead on maintaining a healthy weight, not on losing. Keep that focus when you're faced with a huge buffet or Mom's homemade cooking. Don't deprive yourself, but don't give free rein to your gastronomic impulses, either.

Remember the "calories-out" part of the equation. Always look for opportunities to move. Make sure getting some daily physical activity during the holidays remains a priority. It can be challenging with shorter days and hectic schedules to keep physical activity on the calendar, but now is not the time to go sedentary.

If you have young kids, you can build physical activity into your day by suggesting a walk to the park or a snowman-building contest or other winter fun. Or you might buddy up with a co-worker and hit the health club or a walking path at least three times a week, after work or during lunch. Good luck all!

Six Benefits of Stretching

2009-12-04T23:36:00.000-05:00

The body is supposed to be flexible. You must be able to bend and reach that something you dropped on the floor. You must be able to zip the back of your favorite dress on your own. You must be able to reach that book at the top shelf.

These are simple activities. However, if there are difficulties in doing such simple motions, then you have to stretch your limits. You already need a stretching program.

How Does One Do the Stretching?

Stretching is fairly easy regardless of age. However the extent of stretching and flexing differs. The muscles tighten as a person ages. The range of joint movements can be minimized. This can very well obstruct an on-the-go lifestyle. That is why as the person grows older, bending or flexing becomes more limited. This is why stretching regularly, as part of a routine is very important.

Stretching exercises can be done while training. Actually, stretching is an essential part of any training or sport. It must be done first before anything else. Stretching the body and the limbs is a good preparation for a more rigorous activity.

Most athletes would do the sit and reach position on the floor, extending their legs and reach the tip of their foot with the tip of their hand. Actually, most trainers actually require their athletes to really do the stretching before playing.

What Are the Benefits of Stretching?

1. Increase the Range of Movement

2. Increased Ability to Perform Skills

3. Injury Prevention

4. Reduce Muscle Tension

5. Enhance Energy

6. Reduces Cholesterol

Incorporate stretching in your everyday lifestyle. It has benefits you cannot say no to. It can be your usual activities, bending and flexing every now and then. After all, your fitness is everything so do what it takes to keep the body healthy.

Ways to Overcome the Plateau Effect

2009-12-03T17:27:00.000-05:00

It’s inevitable. At some point during your exercise program your body will fail to respond to the exercise and diet that has guaranteed you results in the past. This state, known as “the plateau effect,” is your body hitting the proverbial wall. Strength increases dwindle; fat loss slows; lean muscle gains aren’t as apparent. Life was good at the beginning of the program when your body responded by shedding massive fat, gaining pounds of muscle, and gaining superhero strength almost overnight. Welcome to reality.

So, here’s what can you do to push beyond the inevitable plateau.

1. Clean up your diet:-- As your body fat percentage lowers the body clings to its remaining fat stores making it harder to lose additional body fat. Your diet must remain very, very clean to drop below 10% for males and 15% for females.

2. Cheat or re-feed:-- When you follow a very clean diet your body may need to be shocked. This is when eating pizza, nachos, etc. can actually jumpstart your metabolism and help push beyond your plateau.

3. Rest:-- Vigorous exercise puts a lot of stress on the body. If you’ve worked out hard and consistently for 6+ weeks you should consider taking a week to let your body recover.

4. Variety:-- Try varying the weights and doing more or less reps. Try performing different exercises to work the body in a slightly different manner. Try to adjust timings in your exercise routine. Try adding things like supersets, drop sets, negatives, etc. to your lifts. Try to introduce more intensity into your cardio.

5. Intensity:-- Consider setting a new goal if your problem is mental. Consider supplements such as Creatine if your problem is physical. Consider training with a partner if your problem is accountability. Just remember, you can’t spell “workout” without “work.” Don’t make the gym experience overly social.

18 Ways to Burn 100 Calories

2009-11-30T23:20:00.000-05:00

Sometimes exercising can be a real drag, especially if you are keeping to the same routine every day. Why not get creative with it and incorporate exercise into your daily routine? It is not just about eating healthy, you will need to exercise as well. However, it can still be fun.

So, if you really want to lose that jelly-belly, do five of these creative calorie burners each day to lose 1 to 2 pounds per week:

1. Get off the couch 33 times to change the channel.

2. Play beach volleyball for 13 minutes.

3. Go to the pool and dog-paddle for 17 minutes.

4. Go to the pool and do 250 breast strokes (approximately 10 minutes).

5. Walk up and down 33 flights of stairs.

6. Push a grocery cart for 45 minutes.

7. Carry five grocery bags from the car to the kitchen and put them away, take out the trash, wash the dishes and wipe down the kitchen counter.

8. Eat chili for a couple of days. Research shows that chili peppers boost your metabolic rate, burning 50 more calories a day.

9. Eat four meals with chop sticks instead of a fork. Slowing down can help you consume 25 fewer calories per meal.

10. Take a leisurely walk in the park for 51 minutes.

11. Walk backwards in the park for 43 minutes. For every 8 calories burned walking forward, walking backwards burns 10.

12. Shop during your lunch break while carrying a 7 pound bag.

13. Twirl in your chair at work 123 times, but don’t let your boss see you.

14. Drink 3 cups of green tea in 24 hours.

15. Chug 12 8-ounce glasses of ice water a day.

16. Go 20 mph on your bike for 6 ½ minutes.

17. Walk on a treadmill at 3.5 mph for 23 minutes.

18. Jump rope as fast as you can for 8 minutes.

Your Body Can Burn Fat by Itself

2009-11-29T22:41:00.000-05:00

You probably took one look at the title of this article and said “Yeah right!” But it’s true. Your body can burn fat on it’s own. With a few simple adjustments, your body can become a fat burning machine. Here’s how to maximize your body’s fat burning ability.

1. Exercise in short, intense bursts for effective fat burning after exercise.

2. Increase the amount of resistance/strength/weight training you do, to build more lean muscle. Muscle is ‘metabolically active’ and burns more calories than other body tissue even when you’re not moving.

3. Chill on the amount of food you are eating.

Technically:

1. Our bodies are built to survive, so when you exercise for long periods of time (often and consistently) your body thinks it needs to hold on to fat for energy. Doing short (12-15 minute), intense exercise sessions builds strength and burns calories, but not fat, so it “feels safe” using fat stores for energy after exercise.

2. Resistance training helps build lean muscle mass, and muscle burns more calories than fat.

3. If you are obsessing over things like fat grams and not eating a nutritious diet, your body will reserve energy (store fat) to survive.

Realistically:

1. Varying your exercise is the most effective and efficient way to stay lean and healthy. You must do some longer exercise to build cardiovascular endurance, burn lots of calories, and yes, even burn fat during exercise - your body will not click in to “save” mode unless you exercise for long periods of time, regularly and often.

2. You must do resistance training in order to build muscle and strong bones.

3. Exercise efficiently – two short, very intense training sessions weekly, like a 15-minute fast run/walk, and two moderately long, moderately intense sessions (30-45 minutes) of strong walking, cycling, or yoga, with one long day (60-90 minutes) of a moderately paced walk/hike. That’s a great five-day/week training schedule.

Defy Holiday Weight Gain

2009-11-28T18:57:00.000-05:00

With the combination of cold weather and holiday parties, it’s no wonder that the average American gains unwanted stomach fat over the holiday season. While this may not seem like much initially, over time it adds up. In order to avoid being one of the many who will pack on a few pounds before the New Year, here are some tips:

1. Exercise:- Continue your good habits, especially physical activity. Even if it’s cold outside and you’re busy, be sure to get in 30 minutes of physical activity every day.

2. Eat breakfast:- No matter how tempting, don’t skip breakfast! You will be less likely to overeat when you start the day with a good breakfast and continue to eat small 200-300 calorie meals every 3 hours throughout the day.

3. Don’t arrive at a party hungry:- Eat dinner at home and avoid hanging around the buffet table. If you must have a taste, then grab a small plate and load up on vegetables and fruit first.

4. Count your calories:- Figure out your daily allotment of calories and keep track of your calorie intake via a food journal. Generally, your calorie budget is your weight in pounds multiplied by 10 (i.e., 140 x 10 = 1,400 calories).

5. Limit alcohol:- Many people don’t realize that the average alcoholic beverage is high in calories—sometimes hovering around 200 per drink. Just remember: numbers can quickly add up.

The holidays can be one of the most difficult times of the year, especially for those trying to watch their waistline. Just remember to follow the above tips and you’ll ring in the new year with a smile—and most importantly, without any added weight.

Ever '10 Minutes' is Enough

2009-11-27T22:24:00.000-05:00

Sometimes it’s tough to carve a half-hour chunk out of your busy day. But 10 minutes? Usually no problem. For many people, it turns out, that could be the key to losing unwanted fat and keep it off.

Tips from fitness experts reveal how to get in those mini workouts. Of course, not all of their suggestions will be ideal for everyone.

1. Get off the sidelines: If you have kids who participate in sports like soccer, lacrosse or even hockey, wear exercise clothes to their games so you can take laps around the field or rink.

2. Jump in place: Try those mini trampolines you can set up in just a few square feet of space.

3. Take the stairs: This workout may be available right where you work. It’s easy to change things up by varying the pace or taking two steps at a time.

4. Walk to school: If your community offers the Walking School Bus program, volunteer to become the chaperone who walks kids to or from school.

5. Get your game on: With the introduction of Nintendo’s Wii Fit, using a wireless balance board, Wii Fit lets you go through the motions of everything from tennis to boxing.

6. Note it: Keep a pocket notebook filled with several options for 10-minute exercise routines.

7. Walk the dog: Many people have pets, which provides a natural reason to walk.

8. Kick it up a notch: When you move your legs playing hacky sack, you’re using some of the largest muscles in your body.

9. Push the envelope: To work up to doing 10 minutes of standard push-ups, start by pushing against a doorway from a standing position, then to doing floor push-ups on your knees.

10. Pop in a DVD: You can find exercise DVDs that set up routines in 10-minute intervals.

11. Ride your bike: Most errands are less than 2 miles, so take your bicycle in place of the car.

12. Move to the music: Download several three- or four-song playlists to your iPod as soundtracks for freestyle dancing.

Holiday Eating Without the Guilt -- or the Pounds

2009-11-26T12:48:00.000-05:00

If you love the five-week holiday festivities from Thanksgiving to New Year's, but are already stressing about the added stomach fat you'll have to sweat off come Jan. 1, help is at hand. It's possible to enjoy holiday eating and make it to 2010 weighing the same as you do today. It's all about devising a strategy and thinking about holiday food just a little differently. Try this:

Eat before you go. Starving guests are more apt to load up their plates, so have a piece of fruit smeared with peanut butter or a small container of yogurt prior to heading out.

Think ''pick and choose," not ''sample." Picking and choosing is a great strategy if it involves picking the one dessert or other goodie you love and can't live without. Instead of sampling all three pies at a holiday dinner, decide which one you really like.

Remember, alcohol is loaded with calories. Start off at a party with seltzer water or sparkling water, then switch to alcoholic beverages.

Take control as hostess. Take advantage of that, prepare or serve [ready-make] broth-based soups that are packed with vegetables as a first course. Switch from buffets to meals served by the course to pace eating. It's probable you'll eat less overall that way.

If you love gravy, make it from fat-free broth. Include more casserole dishes -- you can increase the vegetables with hardly anyone noticing.

Move, even a little. Squeezing in a little exercise, no matter how hectic the schedule, will help.

Defend your resolve. Even with the best strategies in play, some people fall apart when face-to-face with those holiday hosts and hostesses who encourage you to eat.

You can resist them with a compliment like: "I love your pie, but I am full."

Real-Life Workout

2009-11-25T22:43:00.001-05:00

You’ve got a gym membership you actually use either to get six pack abs or lose weight in general. You run three miles each weekend. So why does your back ache after you’ve hauled around one too many boxes? Or how come you get a sudden pinching sensation when you reach for something on the top shelf in the kitchen? You may be coming up short in a specific kind of fitness—functional fitness. Fortunately, improving functional fitness is something you can do at home, and it requires almost nothing in the way of equipment.

Agility:- Agility lets you move your body in new and different ways, even when it’s not prepared to do so. If you lack agility, your body will be shocked by sudden moves, and you’re more likely to strain or tear a muscle or tendon in your back, side or leg.

To improve this, try doing lunges while rotating your upper body, walking backward slowly or running side to side quickly, the way football players do during training. Do agility work two to four times a week, alternating with the days you do strength training.

Balance:- Good balance makes it less likely that you’ll fall and break a bone or otherwise injure yourself. It also promotes good posture, which can prevent back pain.

To improve this, try to balance on an unstable surface, such as a balance board, and then balance on a flat surface, like the ground. Once you get the hang of it, add a challenge by standing on one leg and have someone throw a ball to you. Practice balance exercises every day.

Strength:- You want your body to be as strong as possible. It will not only help you do things in everyday life, but strength training is also important for bone health. Plus, strength plays a role in injury prevention. A loss of lower body strength along with poor balance can lead to falls.

To improve this:- Free weights are among the most common ways to build strength, but you can also use resistance from your own body weight by doing exercises such as push-ups or leg squats. Do this two to four times a week, alternating with the days you focus on agility exercises.

Demystifying the Health Club

2009-11-24T23:35:00.000-05:00

Have you been procrastinating about joining a health club because of the fear-of-the-unknown factor? There’s no doubt that the process can be intimidating to first timers trying to lose unwanted fat—the lingo, the classes, the routine. Arming yourself with a little knowledge about what to expect when you walk through the door can help you find a health club where you’ll fit right in.

WHAT TO LOOK FOR

Facilities are just as likely to provide personal coaching, medical-school-trained personnel and day care, as they are to offer sophisticated workout machinery. Every club has a different setup, so you need to look at your needs and your routine. Is flexibility in workout times most important, or would the latest and greatest classes bolster your motivation? Do you require child care, or is proximity to work a must? Questions like these will let you come up with a short list of what you’re looking for in a health club.

TAKE A TOUR:- Pay careful attention to how well the staff listens to your questions and how concerned they seem to be with improving your physical health.

GET STARTED:- Take advantage of introductory programs, such as a fitness evaluation and equipment orientation, particularly if you haven’t exercised in a while, or at all. One-on-one time with a trainer can be key to creating a workout routine that you enjoy and will stick with. If you don’t feel like you’re clicking with your trainer, ask to be reassigned.

Health club employees can’t wave a magic wand to transform members from sedentary to taut and toned. But a good club and a caring staff can make you feel right at home and work in tandem with you to help improve your fitness level. God luck all.

Is Salad The Right Choice For Weight Loss?

2009-11-23T22:36:00.000-05:00

When someone starts a new diet and they go out to eat at a restaurant, the first thing they do is reach for a salad. A recent study had 42 women eating lunch that consisted of a first course salad and a pasta entrée. The salads they ate varied in both the calorie content and the portion size, but all contained lettuce, carrots, tomatoes, celery, cucumber, and Parmesan cheese. The amount and type of cheese and salad dressing was varied to alter calorie amount. Here's what researchers found:

• Women who started lunch with a "low calorie" salad consumed 7% fewer calories during their meal.

• Women who ate the small or large portion of "high calorie" salad increased the total calorie intake of their meals by 8% and 17%, respectively.

• The most effective approach for controlling calories, is eating a large portion of "low calorie" salad before the main entrée. This approach increased fullness while decreasing the total calorie intake of the meal by 12%.

Eating a salad before your meals does more than help you meet your daily veggie quota. Starting with a salad may be an effective tool in helping you decrease your total calorie consumption during lunch or dinner, which can help you achieve that weight loss. But watch your portions and avoid high-calorie salads full of too many extras like bacon, cottage cheese, mayo, and high-fat cheese or dressings.

To start your meal, a 100-calorie salad is recommended. Enjoy 1-2 cups of a low-calorie lettuce and veggies, such as Romaine or leafy greens, onion, radishes, carrots, celery, cucumbers and tomatoes (totaling 25-50 calories); 1-2 Tablespoons of low-fat cheese (25-50 calories); and 1-2 Tablespoons of low-fat or fat-free salad dressing (25-50 calories). ENJOY.

Great Ways to Tone Your Stomach

2009-11-22T18:43:00.000-05:00

First, of course, the standard advice applies. Eat right and don't sit around like a couch potato. You'll need to exercise every day if you want those amazing six pack abs. However, there are some specific things you can do that will help the process along in addition to a good diet.

Swim:- Not only does it provide excellent cardiovascular exercise which will help you lose weight, but it also helps you burn calories since the water temperature causes your body to cranks up your metabolism to help keep you warm, which translates to weight loss.

Easy Does It on the Salt:- Too much salt raises your blood pressure and makes you retain water. When you retain water, you become bloated, and this can hide those sexy abs you want to show off.

Guzzle Some Green Tea- Green tea is loaded with antioxidants, which is great. However, it also has a substance in it that is touted to burn fat. But you don't have to go for any fancy pills. Instead, get some plain old green tea bags from the grocery store, fix yourself up a pot or two of tea, and chug way.

Ramp Up Your Workout:- If you've been sedentary for a while, easy does it. You don't want to be having any heart attacks because you did too much too soon. Also don't want to get injured.

Do Some Interval Cardio:- Interval cardio has you getting your heart rate to 85% of its maximum for one minute, then reducing the intensity by 40% for one minute, then back to 85% of your heart rate maximum for one minute, then 40% for one minute, and so on. Do this for as long as you can comfortably, but work your way up to 40 minutes of this type of interval training as you go along.

Great Tips For a Healthy Thanksgiving

2009-11-20T23:03:00.000-05:00

It’s easy for most of us to pack on at least a pound (some gain more) during the holidays and keep the extra weight permanently, but it doesn’t have to be this way. With a little know-how, you can satisfy your desire for traditional favorites and still enjoy a guilt-free Thanksgiving feast. After all, being stuffed is a good idea only if you are a turkey.

Eat less and exercise more is the winning formula to prevent weight gain during the holidays. Increase your steps or lengthen your fitness routine during the weeks leading up to and especially the day of the feast.

Eat Breakfast:- Experts say eating a small meal in the morning can give you more control over your appetite, so you won't be starving when you arrive at the gathering.

Lighten Up:- Make your recipes healthier with less fat, sugar and calories. Chances are no one will notice the difference if you make adjustments by using lower-calorie ingredients.

Police Your Portions:- Do take in everything you see and before you fill your plate; survey the buffet table and decide what you're going to choose. Then select reasonable-sized portions of foods you cannot live without.

Slowly Savor:- Eating slowly, putting your fork down between bites, and tasting each mouthful is one of the easiest ways to enjoy your meal and feel satisfied with one plateful of food.

Go Easy on Alcohol:- Choose a glass of wine or a wine spritzer and limit drinks containing hard liquor, or enjoy sparkling water, which can still have a festive feel.

Be Realistic:- With busy schedules and so many extra temptations, this is a good time to strive for weight maintenance instead of weight loss. If you can shift to a mindset of weight maintenance, you will be ahead of the game and can ideally avoid gaining any weight over the holidays.

Maintain That Weight Loss

2009-11-19T20:55:00.000-05:00

It’s not uncommon to experience a plateau in weight loss, especially after about six months. The body may require an adjustment period to get used to the weight loss. Keep in mind that most body systems aim to remain in a steady state, or what is known as homeostasis. Perturbing the body with continued weight loss goes against this grain. So you may need to stay in a temporary holding pattern at some point in the future, where you focus on maintaining your weight loss, rather than losing more.

Very overweight people often have unrealistic expectations about how much weight they expect to lose. A 300- or 250-pound person may want to lose 100 pounds, but may find that they seem to be able to lose less than half of that. If you’re physically fit, enough to increase exercise levels dramatically, you may be able to decrease more. On the other hand, if you can diet down and drop more weight, but you constantly yo-yo, it may be better to accept a sustainable weight loss. It’s still healthier to be 25 pounds less and maintain that loss than to lose vast amounts of weight—then regain it. While a smaller, more realistic weight loss may not make you as slim as you wish, you will still have improved your health dramatically. Your medical profile (blood pressure, cholesterol and insulin sensitivity) can improve with as little as a 5 percent weight loss.

The key to maintaining your weight loss is sticking to better eating and regular exercise. To do that, you need to stay motivated. Knowledge is power. And if you keep yourself informed on the latest findings on weight loss, nutrition and fitness, you’ll find the inspiration to carry on. You can succeed and feel better than you ever have before.

True Facts About Long-Term Weight Loss

2009-11-18T22:42:00.000-05:00

The fact of the matter is that most people who lose weight gain it all back, but this doesn’t mean that you are destined to become such a statistic. There are people who do experience with long-term weight-loss success. To be one of them, you need to realize that it is possible to keep the weight off—and even lose more. But since it may be difficult at times, you need to be realistic and plan how you’ll overcome the struggles.

Most people look for the best diets to lose weight. But what scientists have realized is that losing weight is the easy part. Most diets, healthy or not, do work. You can drop pounds fairly quickly, especially the more overweight you are. But no matter how you lose the weight, the real challenge is to keep it off long-term.

If you’ve been overweight or obese for two years, 10 years, or 20 years, a short-term diet or fitness plan won’t solve your problem. Obesity is a chronic disorder which requires a long-term approach. Once you’ve lost weight and you are trying to maintain the loss, or lose even more, you will find that, at times, it will be difficult. But, you will also experience periods where you enjoy eating healthy and your exercise sessions feel easy.

You are going to have to stay disciplined—and keep finding ways to stay motivated to do so. You’ll be faced with temptations and you’ll have to find ways to resist or avoid them. In today’s busy world, environmental factors such as fast-food chains everywhere and too many sedentary activities like TV-watching, driving and using computers, lead you to eat more and exercise less.

One-Minute Weight Loss Secrets

2009-11-17T23:09:00.000-05:00

Yes ladies and gentlemen, it’s true. You can cut calories and burn fat in 60 seconds or less. With about 1,000 waking minutes in every day, you'll find plenty of opportunities to slip these tips into your routine and watch the scale go down. If you've already begun to lose weight, these can maximize your efforts and speed results.

Weight Loss Secrets

1. Mix a juice spritzer:- Combine your favorite juice with plain or sparkling water. You can cut up to 85 calories per glass—and lose 5 pounds or more a year.

2. Pick up the cordless:- Burn calories while you talk: Do the laundry (68 calories), set the table (85 calories), or water plants (102 calories). (Values based on a 150-pound person and half an hour of activity.)

3. Pop a piece of gum:- Researchers recently discovered that chewing sugar-free gum all day increases your metabolic rate by about 20 percent. That could burn off more than 10 pounds a year.

4. Study the wrapper:- At a quick glance, that candy bar appears to contain 220 calories. But a closer look may reveal that it provides two or more servings—which more than doubles those calories.

5. Sip green tea before you walk:- The caffeine frees fatty acids so that you burn fat more easily. And the polyphenols (antioxidant compounds) in green tea appear to work with caffeine to increase calorie burn. (If you have high blood pressure, skip this tip.)

6. Ditch diet shakes:- The calorie savings are only temporary; you just eat more later.

7. Pack a lunch:- Dining out more than five times a week may make you eat more—nearly 300 calories a day—than if you dine out less frequently.

8. Dip your bread:- Use olive oil in place of butter. It's healthier and may also help you eat less. In a recent study, dippers ate a total of 52 fewer calories on average than those who used butter.

9. Sprinkle flax on your cereal:- High-fiber, ground flaxseed can help curb your appetite and eliminate calories. Also add it to yogurt or muffin and bread mixes.

Keeping the Pounds off During the Winter Months

2009-11-16T23:37:00.000-05:00

Congratulations ladies! You’ve done the work and dropped the unwanted fat. Unfortunately, the hardest part is yet to come: keeping off the fat. One of the biggest challenges that ladies experience is maintaining the new weight once the target goal has been achieved. It’s easy to fall off that wagon and takes strength and commitment to keep going. The task at hand becomes even more difficult to carry out when executing it during the winter months. To help you through the hard times, here are some quick tips that may make the road ahead a little bit easier to travel.

Merry Mornings-A study conducted by the National Weight Control Registry showed that those of us who worked to keep the pounds off succeeded better if we ate a morning meal. So no matter how busy you are, take time to eat a bowl of cereal and start your day out right. It may help to curb later hunger binges.

Eat Your Calories-One of the biggest mistakes we can make is indulging in high calorie drinks. So next time you reach for a mocha latte, stop and think whether you wouldn’t be more fulfilled with a glass of ice cold water and a nutritious meal.

Make A Schedule- In order to avoid messy schedules that leave little time for exercise, make sure to pencil in a session at a certain time and date. This way, you’ll be more likely to follow through with your exercise plans.

Have Fun- Remember: exercise is supposed to be fun! That means if you dread climbing aboard the treadmill day after day, you’ll be less and less likely to follow through. Instead, plan on an exercise that you enjoy and will be likely to continue into the future. With all the different choices available in exercise videos, gyms and classes, you’ll have more than enough choices to discover something you truly have fun working at!

Jump Out of Excess Weight

2009-11-15T22:19:00.000-05:00

Rope jumping is second to none when it comes to losing unwanted belly fat, and best of all, it cost almost nothing. The great thing about rope jumping is that you don't need a lot of special gear or detailed instructions. With a quick lesson, good form, and a few ideas to keep it fresh, you'll be on your way to toning up and dropping pounds. The following tips will get you started.

Use good form. With good form, jumping is easier and more enjoyable no matter what your fitness level. The components of the jump look like this:

• The Twirl. Keep your elbows close to your body, your shoulders down, and your upper body steady. Holding your hands level with your hips, turn the rope with your forearms and wrists.

• The Jump. Rope jumping is not a super high impact activity. You should jump only as high as is necessary for the rope to clear the space between your feet and the ground--generally not more than an inch. Keep your knees slightly bent throughout the exercise.

• Cushion your landing. The sidewalk was fine when you were a kid. But your grown-up hips and knees prefer a more cushioned landing surface. Hardwood floors, low carpeting, a thin exercise mat, and even blacktop are safer surfaces.

• Keep the beat. Jumping rope to up-tempo music helps you find your rhythm and makes the exercise feel more like play.

• Run, skip, jump. The classic jump rope move is a single two-footed hop per twirl. So it's twirl, hop, twirl, hop. But you're not locked into this two-step jump. These moves not only add some variety, but also are easier on your body, so you can jump longer without needing a break:

• Single-foot hops. Alternate hopping with just one foot, then the other. Hop right then left for counts of one to three hops on a side.

• Rope jacks. Alternate landing with your feet in a wide or narrow stance, as you would during jumping jacks.

Try these and you can burn almost 200 calories in 15 minutes. Good luck!

Don't Make the Same Mistake

2009-11-14T23:41:00.000-05:00

As a follow up to yesterday’s post, and as we strive to lose unwanted fat, the need to be aware of what we eat has become more apparent. So here are a few more healthy eating tips.

You choose snacks that are "made with real fruit"

Pictures of luscious-looking fruit adorn the packaging, and the labels claim that there is real fruit inside--but don't think you can count these snacks as one of the four to five daily servings the new dietary guidelines recommend. Treat these snacks as candy, which is what they really are, and eat them sparingly. Satisfy your sweet tooth with real fruit instead. If you're looking for convenience, pack a single-serving box of raisins or other type of dried fruit.

You toast your health with a glass of wine

More than 100 studies have found that moderate drinkers have about one-third lower risk of heart disease than those who abstain. But excessive drinking--three or more alcoholic beverages a day, most studies agree--has also been proven to send blood pressure climbing. New evidence shows that even light to moderate drinking on an empty stomach can contribute to high blood pressure risk. It’s better to enjoy that drink over dinner.

You have an after-dinner mint instead of dessert

The cooling taste of mint may sound like just the thing after a heavy meal, but it could spell trouble. According to the National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse, mints are high on the list of foods that can cause heartburn, the telltale burning in the lower chest that occurs when juices from the stomach creep up into the esophagus. Mint seems to relax the muscle that keeps the valve at the top of the stomach clamped down, increasing the odds of reflux. Other surprising culprits: caffeine-containing food and beverages, such as chocolate, soda, and coffee.

Live healthy!

Food Mistakes Many Makes

2009-11-13T23:34:00.000-05:00

You diligently read health reports and you honestly and tenaciously try to eat healthy, keep up with the latest diet trends, and make the smartest choices to lose weight--but are they as healthy as you think? Here's a reality check:

You reach for multigrain bread or cereal

Foods labeled 7-grain or multigrain may seem like the healthiest choices--especially with new findings showing that a diet rich in whole grains protects against heart disease, cancer, and other ills.

To be sure you're getting the grains you want, check the ingredients panel. Whole grains should be the first or second ingredient listed. Luckily, finding whole grain products is easier now that manufacturers supplying at least 16 g of whole grains per serving – what's considered an excellent source – are stamping their packaging with the Whole Grains Council's logo.

You buy bottled water laced with vitamins

It's a measure of how health conscious we've become that water is now fortified with nutrients and even medicinal herbs. But when it comes to so-called enhanced water, I suggest you save your money.

A smarter move is to drink plain, refreshing, calorie-free water when you're thirsty and take a multivitamin daily to make sure you get balanced levels of the essential vitamins and minerals.

You choose veggie chips over potato chips

Dozens of munchies are made from carrots, spinach, kale, and even exotic tropical vegetables. Many of these seemingly healthful snacks are still loaded with calories: A 4-ounce bag of Hain Carrot Chips contains 600 calories, just as much as Lay's Classic potato chips.

When you simply must have chips, look for brands with vegetables at the top of the ingredients list. A tip-off to a snack's healthfulness is its fiber content. If you're counting calories, baked potato chips – at 110 calories per serving – are a better choice. An even healthier alternative? A handful of nuts, loaded with fiber, healthy oils, and vitamins and minerals.

Check back tomorrow for some more tips.

Importance of a Healthy Diet

2009-11-12T22:12:00.000-05:00

It's no secret that obesity has reached epidemic levels globally over the past several years. Statistics show that there are over one billion obese adults around the world, and of those, at least 300 million are considered to be clinically obese. One of the main contributors to such high obesity levels is improper diet.

Super Size?

Fast food is convenient, affordable and in most cases quite tasty. For this reason, fast food is the meal of choice for many on the go parents and for college students who need the most bang for their buck. The problem, however is that fast food usually lacks in nutritional value, containing more empty calories and fat than protein, carbohydrates and other healthy nutrients.

Healthy Diet, Healthy Body

A well balanced diet provides the body with the nutrients it needs to fight off various illnesses and improve physical, mental and emotional wellness. Potassium rich foods aid in lowering blood pressure. The fiber contained in veggies and legumes aid in digestion, which in turn may help to lose weight. In addition to stress relief, vitamin C may aid the body in repair of cuts and wounds. Vitamin A promotes eye and skin health. A diet containing plenty of fruits and veggies lessens the risk of type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure and several forms of cancer.

Conclusion

Obesity, heart disease and several other illnesses while not entirely controllable may be affected greatly by the choice of what we put in our bodies. Something so simple as adding more vegetables to the plate or only eating fast food once per month can lead to a longer, happier, healthier quality of life. The power is ours.

Lose Weight With Half the Effort

2009-11-11T22:53:00.000-05:00

Wanting to lose unwanted stomach fat in a hurry? The magic word is half. These ½ Rules will get you on your way to dropping weight in a hurry.

1. Eat Half Your Plate

In today’s super-sized society, controlling your portions can be the key to losing weight. For example, a bagel from your favorite bakery or restaurant can have anywhere from 300 to 400 calories. Add cream cheese and you’re eating nearly 600 calories for breakfast! Instead, eat half the bagel. You can save the other half for later or even for the next day’s breakfast.

Most food products have their nutrition information printed on the back of the package. Make sure you know what they consider to be a portion size and how many calories it has.

2. Half Veggies

Vegetables are full of proteins, vitamins, antioxidants, minerals, calcium and other good stuff. But what they are not full of is calories.

When you sit down to meals, make sure that at least half your plate is vegetables. Preferably the green leafy kind. Think plain old broccoli is boring? To keep things interesting, switch up your side dishes. Brightly colored veggies like tomatoes, carrots and spring peas will excite your eyes as well as you stomach.

3. Exercise for at Least Half an Hour

Any weight loss plan should include some form of exercise. Aerobic exercises like jogging or playing basketball raises the heart rate and helps burn calories quickly. Taking time during your lunch to go for a walk or to hit the gym will bring fast, lasting results.

Eat Slowly to Lose Belly Fat.

2009-11-10T23:13:00.000-05:00

Sporting a jelly-belly? Some call it their "spare tire." And for women, there's just about nothing as humiliating as being mistaken for being "preggers" when you're not. Does this happen a lot if you're carrying quite a bit of fat around your midsection?

Hearing someone else comment on your size can drive even the sanest person to the nearest fast-food joint to temporarily comfort themselves the only way they know how.

Overeating is one of the main causes of obesity. However, there is a relatively simple way to help you lose belly fat safely. And, the sweetest thing about it may be that you don't have to dish out any dough! You can do it without experiencing profoundly agonizing cravings to "stuff your face more," too.

The scoop on how to feel fuller faster and cease hunger pains sooner is to eat slower.

Perhaps you've been programmed to "hurry up and eat your food before it gets cold." Or, maybe you're from a big family and had to compete for food on the table. Regardless, have faith in yourself -- you can really consume your food more slowly and break your habit of overeating.

Here's how it works: When you put food in your mouth, it takes a certain amount of time for receptors in your brain to receive the message you're being satisfied from it and do not need to eat more. According to additional research, those with obesity have food-satisfaction signals that do not get to their brain until 20-plus minutes after having eaten. Yet, "skinny minnies" who do not rush eating have their brain notified by satiation signals within 12 or more minutes. Hence, such findings illustrate eating slowly ensures that those important messages have time to reach the brain.

The Scale Can Ruin Your Diet

2009-11-09T23:16:00.000-05:00

Today's scales are supposed to help you lose weight by allowing you to document your weight loss, but sometimes they can be more of a hindrance than a help. If you're trying to lose weight, it's important to keep track of how much you weigh, but stepping on the scale too often can ruin your attempt at shedding excess pounds.

Weighing yourself every day, or many times a day, can sabotage your eating plan for getting to a healthy weight. It can be frustrating to see movement on the scale, and it might take you away from sticking with your plan, especially if the numbers on the scale go up.

The problem is that a person's body weight can fluctuate wildly day to day, and even hour to hour. If you weigh yourself first thing in the morning, you're going to have a different weight than if you weigh yourself at 5:30 p.m. You weigh less in the morning because you have an empty stomach, and you're usually a little bit dehydrated.

What you eat also makes a difference. For example, if your meal the night before was high in sodium, you might be a little bloated, with water affecting the weight on the scale. In addition, women's menstrual cycles can play havoc with the amount of water they retain. These hormonal variations can cause the scale to tip in a way not reflective of your overall healthy weight.

An individual should weigh themselves once a week. Once a week is a good time to check in and see if the scale is moving in the desired direction. Weigh yourself at the same time on the same day so there's consistency in your measurements.

The 6 Healthiest Weight Loss Foods

2009-11-08T22:57:00.000-05:00

Losing weight safely takes a realistic approach. This includes changing eating habits and plenty of exercise. A lifestyle based on healthy eating and regular physical activity can help you look and feel better. These top six weight loss foods do double duty when it comes to losing weight and keeping if off. These foods nourish and support cell rejuvenation, help detoxify and eliminate the bad stuff your body doesn’t need.

This list only consists of SIX but there are so many healthy foods out there:

1. Flaxseeds - Are very high in fiber and this helps to keep weight down in several ways: first, high-fiber foods have fewer calories relative to the total weight of the food. Secondly, flax contains high levels of the “good” fat - polyunsaturated fats. Polyunsaturated fats are an essential part of our diet, and should not be cut out.

2. Ginger - Traditionally used as a digestive aid. It helps you lose weight by burning calories. In many cultures ginger was used as a digestive aid with meals. Ginger is known to neutralize the stomach acids that cause nausea, diarrhea, cramping and control inflammation.

3. Watermelon – This fruit can help reduce water retention in tissues. One cup of diced watermelon is about 90% water, and contains 50 calories 44 of these calories do come from sugar (this is a natural, healthy fruit sugar).

4. Salmon and Sardines - Two of the best sources of omega-3 fats. Omega-3s have a positive effect on heart rhythm. Both contain high amounts of protein, plus they are rich in a naturally occurring nutritional compound found in some fish which helps boost energy, fight fatigue and burn fat.

5. Protein (chicken, turkey, fish, legumes, nuts, seeds) - Protein contains the building blocks that your body uses to make hormones and enzymes, but most important protein repair cells. To figure out your protein needs, multiply your weight by 2.

6. Peppers - Both hot and sweet peppers contain substances that have been shown to increase the body's heat production and oxygen consumption for about 20 minutes after eating

Keeping these tips in mind will help you feel better. It’s not about dieting, it’s about eating right!

Strengthen Your Core For a Tight Tummy

2009-11-07T23:23:00.000-05:00

Whether your goal is to lose belly fat by the winter or you want to use exercise to help you lose weight or perform better, here are a few exercises that will strengthen your core muscles. Being a good athlete demands a strong, stable core—all the muscles of your torso and pelvis that support your spine. Like the trunk of a tree supporting its branches, these muscles also help stabilize your body as it moves.

Bun Burner:- Lie on your back on an exercise mat or other soft surface, with your feet on the floor, your knees bent, and your arms at your sides. Press both feet into the floor and lift your pelvis. Squeeze your buttocks together, keeping your navel drawn in and your tailbone pulled in slightly to maintain neutral alignment. Hold for 3 to 5 seconds. Breathe naturally as you lower your pelvis back to the floor. On the descent, let your spine slowly touch the mat one vertebra at a time until your tailbone reaches the floor. Perform the recommended number of repetitions.

Torso Toner:- Kneel and place your hands on the floor, with your shoulders over your wrists and your pelvis over your knees. Maintain neutral alignment, with your shoulders back and your navel pulled in. Lift your right arm and extend it forward. With your right arm still outstretched, extend your left leg out behind you. Then do the exercise with the opposite arm and leg. Continue alternating arms and legs for the recommended number of repetitions. Be careful not to let your pelvis rock out of neutral while lifting your legs.

Tummy Tuck:- Lie on your back on an exercise mat or other soft surface, with your knees bent and your arms at your sides. Place a tennis ball or Hacky Sack on your navel. Inhale. Then, on the exhale, draw your abdomen in, without performing a crunch, to engage your outer and inner abs. Repeat this breathing and movement pattern, using deep, controlled breaths, for the recommended number of repetitions.

Tips to Increase Your Resistance

2009-11-05T22:37:00.000-05:00

Regardless of what your goal is, whether it’s to get 6 pack abs or toned thighs, you need to include strength training into your routine. However, as you progress, the need becomes evident for an increase in that level of training. Here are some tips to effectively increase your resistance training:-

Step 1: Increase the resistance by no more than 10%. For example, if you were currently lifting 50 pounds, you’d increase that by 5 pounds. This should automatically feel more challenging to you, but even if it’s not noticeably more difficult, 10% is a pretty safe place to start. Increasing the weight more than 10% at a time increases the likelihood of injury, so progress slowly.

Step 2: With your newly adjusted weight, aim for 1-3 sets of 8-15 repetitions and 10% increase, you’ll be working harder than usual.

Step 3: Once you can complete 2-3 sets of 15 reps in good form, whether it takes you just a few workouts or even a few months, it’s time to go back to Step 1 and increase your weight by 10% again.

Lastly, accept the fact that you will have good days and bad days. Sometimes you will feel like the Incredible Hulk, where the weight you lift is as light as a feather, and other days you will feel like Pee Wee Herman, when what was easy two days ago feels like a ton today. Take it as it comes and adjust accordingly. Commit yourself to work hard when it is time to workout and you won’t regret that time well spent.

You Need a Lift

2009-11-04T10:57:00.000-05:00

Strength training, if your intent is to lose unwanted fat or to get fit overall, should be about building and maintaining a certain level of strength. You might not be lifting enough weight during one or many of your exercises. So here are some signs that you need to increase your resistance:-

1. The current weight you are lifting isn’t a challenge. Strength training is meant to be challenging, because the whole point is to “overload” your muscles so they get stronger. If the weight you are lifting isn’t as challenging as it used to be (or isn’t challenging at all!), then it is time to increase the resistance.

2. You could go forever. Each strength training exercise you do should cause you to feel muscle “fatigue” within 15 repetitions (or fewer). Muscle fatigue feels like you couldn’t possibly do another repetition in good form. If you can do more than 15 reps in good form, or if you literally feel like you could go on forever because the resistance you’re using is so easy, then it’s time to take it up a notch.

3. You have never increased the weight you lift. When you first started strength training, then the weight you lifted was a starting weight. Continuing to progress in strength training is essential to getting the most out of your workouts—that means lifting more weight as you get stronger over time.

4. The progress has come to a stop. Without making your muscles work harder than they’re accustomed to, they won’t get stronger. As you train, your muscles will grow stronger in order to meet the demands you are placing on them. So, if you keep offering them the same workload, they will keep working the same amount, and progression comes to a grinding halt.

Recognize if you are experiencing any of the 4 signs above by taking the time to pay attention to the level of difficulty and challenge of each of your exercises during your workouts. If you experience any of these signs, then it is time to increase the resistance.

You Seriously Need to Strength Train

2009-11-03T22:25:00.000-05:00

Most people think that strength training is for body builders with 6 pack abs, but that just simply isn’t the case. Strength training improves your balance, strengthens your bones and helps you lose weight, as it makes you look and feel better. Strength training can benefit people of all ages and can be particularly beneficial for those with health issues such as arthritis or heart conditions. Consider the following facts:

1. Strength training protects bone health and muscle mass: After puberty, both men and women begin to lose about 1 percent of bone and muscle strength every year. One of the best ways to stop, prevent and even reverse bone and muscle loss is to add strength training to your workouts.

2. Strength training makes you stronger and fitter: Strength training is also called resistance training because it involves strengthening and toning your muscles by contracting them against a resisting force.

3. Strength training helps you develop better body mechanics: Strength training has benefits that go well beyond the appearance of nicely toned muscles. Your balance and coordination will improve, as will your posture.

4. Strength training plays a role in disease prevention: Studies have documented the many wellness benefits of strength training. If you have arthritis, strength training can often be as effective as medication in decreasing arthritis pain. Strength training can help post-menopausal women increase their bone density and reduce the risk of bone fractures.

5. Strength training translates to more calories burned: You burn calories during strength training, and your body continues to burn them afterwards. More calories are used to make and maintain muscle than fat, and in fact strength training can boost your metabolism by 15 percent, which can really jump-start a weight-loss plan.

The number-one rule here is to be creative. Don't limit yourself to just lifting weights, expensive machines or a gym membership. Push-ups, jump squats, lunges, hiking and even mountain climbing are all examples of exercises that provide strength training.

Fun Fitness Plan For Families

2009-11-02T21:53:00.000-05:00

Fitness should be a group effort. What better way to get fit than to have the support and encouragement of your family? Family exercise will improve the health of your loved ones, make Dad lose stomach fat, and at the same time develop stronger connections between all of you. With a little creativity, you can find a way to make it work for everyone.

First, decide what level of participation your family is ready for. If your entire family is committed 100%, you could go as far as setting up a Family Olympics. If it's a struggle to get your family to do anything together, starting out small might be the better option.

Here are a few other ideas to get your family focused on fitness:

* Combine exercise and household chores. On small pieces of paper, write down chores and body weight exercises. Throw the papers into a couple of hats and have everyone pick one of each. Maybe Dad gets to clean the bathroom and do a set of squats every few minutes until he is finished, while one of the children is cleaning the kitchen and doing forward lunges, etc—the combinations are endless. Mix it up with yard work, seasonal chores, and even some aerobic components like jumping rope.

* Have each family member pick an exercise at the beginning of the week and do as many reps as they can. Then train throughout the week with the goal of improving by the weekend. The family member who has the highest percentage increase is rewarded with something small (but motivating). Keep the focus on the fact that everyone is improving.

* Designate one evening as family fitness night. Each week, a different person designs the family workout that you will all do together. Whether it’s swimming, rollerblading, walking, Frisbee golf, or a two-on-two basketball game—everyone gets to do something they enjoy, and your workout will never become dull.

The Couch Potato Workout

2009-11-01T20:55:00.000-05:00

Is your TV schedule more elaborate than your workout schedule? If that is the case and you cannot get rid of that jelly-belly, then I guess you will have to learn how to get in exercise where it fits in. Every hour-long television program contains approximately six commercial breaks that last 3 minutes each, so you can get a total body workout without missing a scene. Bonus: Exercising during breaks cuts down on snacking. Try this workout routine the next time you tune into your favorite show:

Break 1..Couch Pushups: Facing a couch, kneel on the floor about 2 feet away from it. Cross your ankles, and place your hands shoulder-width apart on a cushion edge. Slowly bend your arms, and lower your upper body until your chest touches the couch. Hold, then press up again.

Break 2..Side Crunches: Lie on a couch on your left side with your legs together and your knees bent. Place your right hand behind your head with your elbow pointing toward the ceiling. Wrap your left arm across your waist. Contracting the oblique muscles along your right side, lift your shoulder off the couch, bringing your rib cage toward your hip. Hold, then slowly lower. Repeat, then switch sides. (If your couch is too soft, you may need to do this exercise on the floor.)

Break 3..Armchair Stands: Sit on the edge of a chair (or couch) with your feet shoulder-width apart. Without using your arms, press into the floor with your feet, and stand, tightening your butt muscles as you rise. Keep your abdominals tight and your back straight. Hold, then slowly lower yourself. Before you touch the chair, stand up again.

Break 4..Armchair Dips: Sitting on the edge of a chair (or couch), place your hands on the edge on either side of you. Move your feet out so that your butt is off the chair, and your knees are bent at 90-degree angles. Bending your elbows so they point behind you, lower yourself as far as comfortable. Hold, then slowly press up again.

Break 5..Leg-up Couch Crunches: Lie on your back on a couch with your knees bent, your feet up on one end, and your hands behind your head. Pressing your lower back into the couch, slowly lift your head, shoulders, and upper back off the couch. Hold, then slowly lower.

Lose the 'Thunder Thighs'

2009-10-31T19:55:00.000-04:00

Research shows that women tend to have higher percentage of body fat than men, and there is a gender-specific difference in fat distribution.

Females tend to accumulate fat around the hips, rear and thighs, while men tend to carry around a jelly-belly. When there is an excess of fat storage in the thigh area, it is sometimes referred to as "thunder thighs."

So, what's the remedy?

Approaching this issue with both nutrition and exercise is important to really see results. This means including a proper diet, cardio vascular exercise and strength training.

That inner thigh machine is not going to take away the saddle bags. Certainly this hip abduction exercise is great for hip flexibility and stretching for anyone, but, not so much for toning and weight loss of the excess luggage compartment.

There is no such thing as spot reducing, and though genetics play a role in placement of fat cells, you can shrink the fat within those cells.

A diet that is high in veggies and protein, and low in sugar will help elevate your metabolism to be in a better fat burning state. Including several servings of greens and plenty of protein for muscle development will keep your metabolism on fire.

Challenge yourself with your exercise routines, but also know your limits. If you are just beginning, it is vital that you take it slow for the first two weeks, keeping your heart rate in the 50-60 percent range, and as fitness level rises, increase by 10 percent at each workout.

Don’t Wait Until New Year’s to Ring in New Fitness Goals

2009-10-30T18:19:00.000-04:00

New Year’s may typically be a time for goals like losing belly fat, but when it comes to leading a more healthful lifestyle, there’s no time like the present. You see, when a person wants to lead a healthy lifestyle, to get in better shape and to have more energy, he or she should not put off starting to achieve his or her goals.

You need to begin by identifying and writing down clear and achievable goals, along with a daily activity and food journal.

Your friends, family and coworkers should be in on your plan and be there to support your new lifestyle.

Before selecting a gym, think about what is important to you from the gym. Is it cardio equipment, group fitness classes, weights, personal trainers, and/or wellness programs you are looking for?

Personal trainers are a plus because they can create efficient and effective workout routines with one’s goals in mind. Because becoming healthier isn’t just about lifting dumbbells or sweating away on the elliptical machine.

Eating right is as important as hitting the gym. Of course, dieting will help you lose weight, but combining it with exercise will make you more likely to keep it off.

Always remember, losing weight the healthy way, and keeping it off for life, takes time. Stay focused and the weight will come off.

Two Moves to Lose Love Handles

2009-10-29T22:15:00.001-04:00

These days it is common for everyone to strive for six pack abs, since a waistline of 35 or more inches puts women especially at risk for life-threatening conditions such as heart disease and diabetes. Smart eating, aerobic exercise, and ab-tightening moves such as the ones below will keep you out of the danger zone.

The moves target the obliques on the sides of your torso. Do two or three sessions a week, with a rest day between workouts.

Seated Knee Drop

Keeping your spine straight, sit back on your sit bones with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor, ankles touching. Place your hands on the floor behind you for balance.

Contract your abdominal muscles, and lower your legs to the left until they are about 6 inches from the floor, keeping your ankles pressed together and your shoulders forward. Your feet will roll, but they should stay on the floor. Hold for a second, and then use your abs to slowly pull your legs up and over to the right. Don't let your knees simply fall to the side; keep the move controlled. Repeat from side to side for 1 minute.

Side Crunch

Lie on your right side with your legs extended. Wrap your right forearm across your waist and rest your right hand on the left side. Bring your left hand behind your head, so your left elbow points toward the ceiling. An easier version: Don't lift your leg; lift your upper body only.

Using the obliques on your left side (not your right arm), pull in your abs and lift your right shoulder off the floor about 2 to 3 inches, while raising your left leg about 12 inches. Hold for 2 seconds, and then slowly return to the starting position. Start with 5 to 8 reps on each side, and work up to 12 to 15. Do one or two sets with 1 minute of rest in between.

Exercise Myths that May Keep You From Your Goal

2009-10-28T23:33:00.000-04:00

We’ve been learning about ways to get rid of belly fat, such as changing our routine periodically, increasing or decreasing reps, sets or pace. When it comes to getting a flat stomach, many myths and misconceptions still exist. To help separate fact from fiction, here are some important guidelines:

• Spot reducing is impossible. An example here would be trying to eliminate belly fat by performing exercises designed to target the abdominal area. Resistance exercise, whether for the abdominals or any other muscle group, is for the purpose of maintaining or building muscle tissue, to help keep your body strong. Losing body fat, and more importantly, keeping it off, requires three components: Adherence to a strength training program that includes all major muscle groups, adherence to regular cardiovascular workouts and adherence to a daily calorie-controlled eating plan. The idea is to change your overall body composition, that is, to gradually gain muscle tissue and lose fat over time.

• If the number of calories you consume is consistently less than the amount needed for daily activity, you will lose overall body fat; if equal to energy needs, you will maintain; and if they are more than you need, you will gain fat. Know that only cutting back on the amount of food you eat but without regular exercise is never the best way to go, as you’ll only end up losing calorie-burning muscle in the process, ultimately slowing down your metabolism. Body fat uses about 2 calories per pound, while muscle uses about 6 calories per pound. Far better to gradually increase activity levels while gradually reducing calorie intake.

• Don’t focus too much on the number on the scale. If you do weigh, use it as only one indicator of progress, because it reflects your total body weight and does not tell you how much body fat is being lost. A better indicator would be to take regular measurements to keep track of inches lost. Place the tape measure around the thickest part of the waist, hips, arms and thighs and record your starting numbers. Repeat and compare once every 3 to 4 weeks.

• Frequency of abdominal exercises. As with any muscle group, the amount of time between workouts is important. The higher the level of intensity, the longer the number of days between workouts. Generally, the abdominals need a day of rest between workouts. With proper training, the muscles are torn down just enough so that they are forced to adapt and grow even stronger. Taking a day off between workouts allows the muscles to adequately rest, recover and repair from the previous workout, enabling you to do 100 percent with each workout.

Good luck.

Your Ideal Walking Workout

2009-10-27T12:32:00.001-04:00

Walking is a wonder exercise. Not only can it help to lose a jelly-belly, it also reduces the risk of developing diabetes, certain cancers, and heart disease. Walking bestows benefits to the brain too, by relieving stress and improving mood. Best of all, walking is free: You don't need fancy equipment or a gym membership to reap the benefits. Here's how to make every step count, no matter how often you hit the pavement.

Begin by walking 10 to 15 minutes on flat ground or on a treadmill at a purposeful pace, or complete 2,000 steps (use a pedometer to monitor your walking progress). You want to cover a mile in about 20 minutes.

• Maintain an upright but comfortable posture, with your neck, upper back, and shoulders relaxed,

• Minimize the sway in your lower back; don't jut your rear out. Instead, maintain a slight, natural arch in your back.

• Gently pull in your abdominal muscles. This helps strengthen your abs while reducing lower-back pain.

Aim to walk at least five days a week. Every second or third week, add 5 minutes. After about two or three months of regular walking, you should be up to 30 minutes. Once you've hit half an hour, add variety to your terrain rather than increasing time or speed. This will boost your enjoyment, encouraging you to keep up the habit.

The Couple’s Guide to Eating Healthy

2009-10-26T22:19:00.000-04:00

Did you know research shows couples tend to share similar body fat levels when they meet--and are likely to stay that way over the years. Similarly, other research shows that if one partner improves his/her habits, the other may follow suit. Here are a few healthy eating tips to live healthfully and lose unwanted fat if necessary.

1. Bond over breakfast: Many studies show that breakfast eaters are less likely to be overweight than those who skip their morning meal. Set aside 15 minutes to eat together before you head out the door.

2. Avoid snacking together: Just because one of you is a snacker doesn't mean you both have to be. Stop and consider whether you're actually hungry or just "eating with company" before digging in, and encourage him or her to do the same.

3. Preplan your portions: If dinner at home means lingering over a long meal at the dining room table, dole out a portion before you sit down and leave any leftovers in the kitchen. With the extras out of sight, you'll both be less likely to overeat.

4. Break up the takeout: If one of you craves a hearty meal (like pizza), but the other wants something a bit lighter (like sushi), place orders at two different restaurants and eat at home as a couple.

5. Make one meal two ways: Buy groceries for a shared meal that you can each personalize to your liking and to that day's caloric needs.

6. Stretch your drink: Men can usually tolerate more alcohol--and calories. Instead of joining him for seconds, have seltzer with a dash of orange juice and a squeeze of lime. Or ask for half wine and half seltzer, and join in both rounds.

Useful Tips to Stop Binge Eating

2009-10-24T13:05:00.000-04:00

Binge eating can be pretty difficult to overcome. But not so if you are serious about losing unwanted fat, and can follow the below given tips. You may find it a little difficult to stick to these tips initially. However, things should become easy after a while. And when that happens, you may find your binging habit is quickly fading away.

1. Delay Eating: Whenever you get the urge, the best thing you can do is to stop yourself from immediately reaching for the food. Just delaying by 10-15 minutes can have profound effect in diminishing the food cravings.

2. Rate Your Hunger Intensity: Many times you are not really hungry but just want to eat food for the good feelings it provides. The question is how do you differentiate whether your food cravings is due to real hunger or not. A simple technique is to rate your hunger. If your hunger rating is less than 3 or 4 in a scale of 1-10, then resist eating.

3. Distract Your Mind: When your mind starts thinking about other things, then you can overcome the binge habit with relative ease. Take time out to engage in activities that you like and enjoy. When you keep yourself engaged in doing things you love then you will stop turning to food for comfort.

Stress Can Make You Fat

2009-10-23T20:24:00.000-04:00

You get upset, you eat. You get depressed, you eat. You go through a breakup, you eat. For years, people have suspected that stress and obesity are linked, and now scientific research has found evidence that specific hormones may play a role in this process.

So if we're wired to seek out unhealthy foods when under stress, how do we avoid a jelly belly when times get tough?

• Don't allow yourself to become too hungry. When you get hungry and you go too long without eating, your blood sugar drops. It's very hard to think rationally when your blood sugar levels are low. You'll eat anything. To avoid this scenario, be sure you're not skipping meals.

• Think about what you're eating: Don't forget that food is fuel for your body and your brain. When you eat properly, you're fueling your body to fight stress. Smaller portions can help keep your total calorie intake under control.

• Eat healthy snacks: Nutritionists recommend snacks that combine protein and carbohydrates. The body digests them more slowly, allowing you to feel fuller longer.

• Deal with your stress: This may be easier said than done, but finding ways to manage your stress is essential to your overall health. Try yoga, tai chi or meditation. Exercise regularly. Spend time with friends. Seek counseling if you're overwhelmed. Reduce the number of stressors in your life.