Best Way to Lose Belly Fat

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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.

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.

Tips on Weight Management for the Holidays

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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Real-Life Workout

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

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.

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."

Is Salad The Right Choice For Weight Loss?

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.

5 Fastest Ways to Tone Your Stomach

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

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 The Weight Loss

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.

The Real Deal About Long-Term Weight Loss

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

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

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

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

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 Everyone Makes

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.