5 Kitchen Tools To Help You Lose Weight

Kitchens are equipped with basic appliances and utensils; however, a dieter's needs may involve a little more hardware. Anyone who has ever been on a diet knows that the proper gear can greatly aid in their weight loss. Here are five everyday cooking essentials we can use to eat healthier—and lose weight.

1. Panini Press/Griddle

This versatile machine cooks everything from hot sandwiches to grilled veggies, chicken, and fish. Its non-stick plates—which are designed to drain grease for healthier cooking—make lubing with high-fat butter or margarine unnecessary, not to mention give food that great grilled look and taste. And because food doesn’t simmer and soak in oils and grease (like in a conventional frying pan), by cooking with it you can easily shave a hundred calories off your meal!

2. Blender

Your conventional or hand-held blender could be your biggest weight-loss ally. Use it to whip up fruit smoothies in the morning and puree cooked vegetables for delicious soups and bisques at night. Not only will you drastically reduce the amount of processed foods (which can contain high levels of trans fat, saturated fat, sodium, and sugar) you consume, but also you will get your daily recommended servings of fruits and vegetables (which, according to the Department of Health and Human Services is two cups of fruit and two and a half cups of vegetables per day for adults consuming 2,000 calories a day) without even thinking about it.

3. Food Steamer

Although many consider a raw food diet as healthiest type, it’s not always optimal (or palatable). Cooking food via steaming is universally regarded as the next-best thing. Steaming, unlike boiling, ensures that foods’ vital nutrients are retained while allowing you to cook food without adding calorie-laden ingredients. Plus, steam is so gentle that it keeps food’s natural aroma intact.

4. Kabob Skewers

Yet another tool that helps avoid loading up your meal with unnecessary oils and fats, the skewer is a stylish partner for grilling or broiling beef, shrimp, chicken, and veggies. Since each one can only hold so many bite-size ingredients, it also helps with portion control. Cook your kabobs on a grill and you’ll score extra calorie-saving points, as fat will drips away in the process.

5. Food Scale

Food scales take the guesswork out of calorie counting because they precisely measure individual ingredients or entire meals, making portion control a cinch! Don’t already have one? Not to worry! You can purchase a solid digital food scale for as low as $20

Exercises You Can Do on Your Sofa

Some days, you have every intention of actually working on losing weight by making it to the gym, or even for a simple walk outside...but that just doesn't happen, and you remain in the comfortable clutches of your couch or arm chair, staring at the TV, hour after hour.

Believe it or not, you can make this scenario work to your body-toning advantage - with your sofa or chair doubling as a surprisingly effective workout tool!

1. Couch Push-Ups

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.

2. Side Crunches

Lie on the 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.

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.

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.

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.

6. Scissors

Lie on your back on a couch with your hands (palms down) under your butt and your legs straight up in the air. Keeping your knees slightly bent and your feet flexed, slowly spread your legs as far apart as comfortable. Hold, then slowly bring your legs together, resisting as you press them in.

Best Guidelines for a 10-Pound Weight Loss

Wanting to get rid of 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. Integrating these tips with your diet and exercise regimen can definitely help you lose unwanted fat in a shorter period of time.

Reveal to Others You Are On a Diet.

Making your diet public is a form of affirmation. It is very hard to keep your diet a secret from others and there is no motive for you to do that. 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.

Motivation is the key to a successful diet. 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 valuable 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 eradicate 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.

Get 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 weighing 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 durability and accurateness.

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

Weigh Yourself Every Day.

Once you have acquired a weighing scale, place it in your bedroom where you can easily access it after waking up. Most people only weight themselves weekly. Though this method is still effective, weighing yourself daily can tell your daily progress. This is even more evident if you get 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 low 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. Strive to find more guidelines for a 10-pound weight loss or be creative and make some. You don’t know how much they can help you achieve your goal.

The Energy Drink Scam - Do Energy Drinks Actually Help You, or Can They Actually Make You Fatter?

This article is by my favorite author Mike Geary, Certified Personal Trainer and Nutrition Specialist.

Today I have a little rant on energy drinks...

I receive a ton of questions about all of these new "energy" drinks that have hit the market over the last few years. They seem to be all the rage, and they promise you the world with outrageous claims of all of the super energy that you are going to have, and how you'll become the best athlete in the world, start lifting cars over your head, and get a perfect body.

So a couple questions arise:

Are these "energy" drinks really any good for you?

Do they actually increase your energy?

Do they really have some sort of magical energy formula?

Will they help you lose weight?

First of all, let's look at what most of these energy drinks are usually made of. Most of them are simply carbonated water loaded with gut-fattening high fructose corn syrup (or other added sugars), caffeine, the amino acid taurine, and some crappy artificially-derived vitamins added for show to trick you into thinking there's something healthy about these concoctions.

Let's start with the high fructose corn syrup (HFCS). Well, here we've got empty calories that will go straight to your belly fat, and that are possibly even WORSE for you than plain old refined sugar (although that's up for debate, but semantics in the big picture). Some energy drinks use other added sugars instead of HFCS, but it doesn't really matter, because they are all gut-fattening empty calories with no nutritional benefit.

Ok, so you say that they also have low-sugar or sugar-free varieties as an alternative to the HFCS-laden energy drinks. Yes, but now you have the problem of the harmful chemicals in the artificial sweeteners which have their own set of health dangers.

Another problem with artificial sweeteners is that there are some research studies that indicate artificial sweetener use leads people to inadvertently consume more calories and gain more weight in the long run... in addition to having a negative hormonal effect in the body. I won't go into all of the details on that topic because that would fill up an entire discussion by itself.

Just trust me that artificial sweeteners and artificial chemicals in food in general, are ALL bad news for your body! It's never a good idea to try to "trick" your body with artificial tastes.

What about the caffeine?

Well, first of all, caffeine doesn't in itself provide "energy". Technically, the only substance that actually provides energy is calories (from carbs, protein, and fat).

However, caffeine can be an aid for livening or waking some people up, by means of stimulating the central nervous system.

Instead of caffeine artificially added to some carbonated "energy" drink, I'd rather get my caffeine from a natural source like green, white, or oolong teas (or my new favorite - yerba mate teas), which actually provide very powerful healthy antioxidants too!

Keep in mind though, if you're a regular daily coffee drinker, you probably have some level of addiction to caffeine and probably wouldn't receive too much benefit from the caffeine in an energy drink anyway.

Tip: try to drink more tea and reduce your coffee intake to only a couple days per week max to reduce your dependency on caffeine. Most teas contain much less caffeine than coffee, and some teas (such as green, white, and oolong) contain synergistic phytochemicals that work to slow the response of the caffeine that they do contain. This means you get a milder response from the caffeine in green, oolong, or white teas compared to the harsher jittery response that some people get from coffee.

Now what about that so called magical blend of taurine and B-vitamins that they load into these energy drinks?

Well, big deal...you get taurine in almost any protein source. And the vast majority of those artificially added B-vitamins are simply coming right out into the toilet in your pee. Vitamins are best obtained naturally from a REAL food source, not artificially added to some carbonated drink. Your body just doesn't use fake sources of vitamins as readily as natural sources from real food.

So as you can see, in my opinion, I give all of these energy drinks a big time THUMBS DOWN! Don't fall for the ridiculous marketing of all of these so-called "energy drinks".

Instead, here's my recipe for my own home-made energy drink:

1. Make a big iced tea mixture using green tea, white tea, and yerba mate tea. I like to add a little fruit flavor, so I'll use 1 tea bag of a raspberry or blueberry hibiscus tea, and then use 2-3 green and/or white tea bags, and 2-3 yerba mate tea bags, and make a gallon container of iced tea. I just use a small amount of stevia to lightly sweeten the batch of tea.

2. I buy a container of organic coconut water from a health food store, or buy fresh coconuts to obtain the coconut water from the inside.

3. For my healthy energy drink, I mix a half of a glass of the white/green/yerba mate iced tea mixture and fill the rest of the glass with the coconut water.

This is actually a delicious and truly healthy energy drink instead of the chemical-laden crappy energy drinks that everybody is getting suckered into buying these days.

The green, white, and yerba mate teas contain a small dose of caffeine along with a diverse mixture of powerful antioxidants and synergistic phytochemicals. Plus, the coconut water is a rich source of electrolytes and a diversity of vitamins and minerals. Coconut water is known to provide a good instant energy source, and also contains a small dose of medium chain triglycerides (MCTs), which are healthy fats that are readily used for energy and also aid your immune system.

So enjoy this natural healthy energy drink, knowing that you're doing your body good instead of filling it with chemicals with normal store-bought energy drinks.

As usual, feel free to email this link to your friends and family or share it on your blogs, forums, or facebook pages to help your friends live healthier.

Shorts Workout in Just 15 Minutes

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)

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.

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

Open and Shut … Targets: Shoulders, Back, Abs, and Quads

• Stand with feet together, toes pointed out to sides, holding rolled-up mat (or towel) near ends in front of thighs with both hands.

• Extend right leg in front of you, toes on floor. Reach arms overhead, leaning back to form a diagonal line from right hand to right toes

• Bring mat to shoulder level while lifting right leg to hip level in front of you. Hold for one breath; lower leg and lift arms.

• Do 10 reps. Switch legs and repeat

Time to Get Your Diet Back on Track

You had a truly memorable time at that cookout 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. Don’t let a day or a week of not eating the way you know you should affect your choices today and every day after. Resume where you left off and start making those alterations again. Naturally we all fall into temptation and have that piece of cake or all those slices of pizza, but it is truly how we handle what we eat after that determines our success to lose weight again.

Get started by accepting that you're by no means going to be perfect. It has happened and you cannot change what you have already ingested, but what you can change is your next meal. By making a good, healthy decision the next time, you will feel better mentally and physically and avoid sinking 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 understand that possessing a rescue plan is all a part of effective meal planning and effective weight loss.

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

• Exercise. There is no better way to get back on track than to start burning some of those excess 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.

• 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.

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

Most Trusted Diet for Rapid Weight Loss - Lose the jelly belly

If you are ready to drop a few (or many) pounds, more than likely you want the very best diet to help you lose unwanted belly fat fast. There are several fad diets around, but I am going to share with you a very effective method to truly lose unwanted abdominal fat.

So, have you tried all those “Quick weight loss” methods shown on TV in your attempt to lose weight? These programs will work for some people, but it's really difficult to survive on such limited food and calories. Even more difficult, is keeping your weight under control once you are off the diet.

Allow me to show you the best diet EVER for fast weight loss - seriously! The guide “Training and Nutrition – Insider Secrets For a Lean Body” is not like anything you have ever seen before. When using this plan, you wouldn't need 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 reveal to you will forever help your body to burn fat and improve metabolism. Without a doubt, this is what weight loss is all about.

By learning exactly which foods are efficient for burning fat and how much and when to eat, you can get rid of the unwanted fat faster than you could have ever foreseen! Have you ever lost 5 lbs. in 14 days while eating your favorite foods and not being hungry? 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 be familiar to you now, but it soon will when you start the program. This is a system you can endure for the rest of your life - being overweight will be a thing of the past. Additionally, your total health will be better than ever!

If you truly desire to lose weight fast, I urge you to try this program. This online guide affords you all the tools and everything else you need to get your weight under control quickly. This definitely is the better diet for swift weight loss. Good luck.

A Weight Loss Program that Won't Leave You Hungry

Will you be shopping for a fat loss plan that functions without leaving you feeling light-headed? Nearly every system out there claims rapid fat loss, and a few of them work. But just how long will you maintain yourself on a 300 calorie diet meals that have just enough food for a toddler? There is an easier way.

The vast majority of weight loss packages require you to count calories or carbohydrates and are expensive because you must invest in particular foods or supplements. There is a fat loss diet regimen on the web that has helped 1000's lose weight very fast without ever counting a calorie or shopping for any special foods.

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

What's so great about this plan? You don't count calories, and you don't have to shop for special foods and supplements. This weight loss regimen demonstrates to you how to realize rapid fat loss utilizing REAL foods you eat every day!

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

This weight loss system is not like anything you have experienced before! By knowing how to blend your foods at meals, and when to eat, you can lower the weight like crazy without ever feeling hungry. Part of the trick is eating MORE often!

If you are weary of pricey programs that will not work, I urge you to try this one. You won't be unhappy!

Whip Your Family Into Shape

Study after study has shown that most Americans are obese and out of shape, and their bad habits are being passed along to the next generation. An alarming number of little ones are overweight, and if no adjustments are made, the majority of them will remain chubby into adulthood. If adults are also partaking in recurring physical activity and are good role models, then their kids are more likely to be active as well. The exact opposite can also be true. If grown-ups are passive and have a lousy diet and eating patterns, this gives the child little motivation to adjust his or her ways.

It’s important to start encouraging children when they are young to make fitness a routine part of their day. Delegate responsibilities around the home like vacuuming, moping, raking leaves, or shoveling snow. Anything that gets the heart pumping can be useful and can be made into an enjoyable activity.

If an activity or chore becomes boring, which is likely to happen based on the attention span of kids, make adjustments to the routine to keep it exciting. Outdoor activities can be the ideal way to turn a project into something fun and less of an actual chore.

Adults should monitor the level of activity so no one gets cranky and the fun of doing something as a family isn't spoiled. It's wise to ensure that all involved will want to be a part of the activity on a regular basis, so don't rush it. And remember to keep everything you do fun and light.

Check these out:

• Make sure the activities are organized in a way that everyone is included.

• Scheduling is key. Don't make it a "do or die" activity, and take into account that sometimes agendas change at the last minute.

• Don't forget 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.

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

• Keep a log of your family's fitness activities.

Morning Exercise: Sure Way to Lose the Belly Fat

Experts have concluded that 500 calories burned are the same whether they are burned in the morning or in the evening, but there are certain advantages of morning exercise that you hardly get when you exercise later in the day. Stay with me to find out how easily the unwanted tummy fat will vanish.

1. Exercising first thing in the morning “jump-starts” your metabolism, keeping it accelerated 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. Working out early in the day energizes you for the day, not to mention that cheerful feeling of virtue you have knowing you’ve done something self-controlled and good for your health.

3. Research has proven that exercise noticeably improves mental acuity — a benefit that lasts 4 to 10 hours after your exercise ends. Exercising in the morning means you get to manage that brainpower instead of losing it while you’re sleeping.

4. Assuming you make exercise a true priority, it should not be a significant drawback to get up half an hour to an hour earlier— especially since standard exercise generally means a better quality of sleep, which in turn means you’ll probably require less sleep.

5. Some individuals find that early morning activity has a tendency to control their appetite for the duration of the day. Not only do they consume less, they also choose healthier portions of healthier dishes.

6. Individuals who routinely exercise realize, sometimes to their great surprise, that the scheduled time every morning develops into something they look forward to. Apart from the satisfaction of taking care of their body, they find it’s an effective time to organize their day, pray or just think more clearly — things most of us often don’t get to do otherwise.

7. Almost everyone who workout regularly have a morning fitness routine. If you want to exercise on a regular basis, the odds are in your favor if you squeeze your workout into the morning.

Good Fat Vs. Bad Fat

Not all fats are bad, and in attempting to lower your cholesterol levels and decrease your chances of heart disease, it is not necessary to avoid all dietary fats—just the bad ones. Good fat actually decreases high cholesterol and keeps your cardiovascular system much healthier.

The Bad Fats

• Saturated fat:- This kind of fat is what can lead to high cholesterol caused by diet. This is an unhealthy fat located in animal products like beef, lamb, pork, butter, cheese, cream and other whole-milk dairy products. Some plant oils, like coconut oil, also include saturated fat.

• Trans fats:- Trans fats and hydrogenated fats are dietary fats made when processed; 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 ingested lead to high cholesterol.

• Cholesterol:- Cholesterol is in reality a fat-like substance that we get in our diet by consuming chicken, beef, pork, eggs, and whole-milk dairy products—many of the same foods that contain saturated fats. Restricting the 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 found in certain 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 are suffering from high cholesterol, make these smart and tasteful changes 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.

Fitness and the Family Vacation: The Way to Go

Time away with family means reconnecting with loved ones, visiting new surroundings … and staying active. Whatever your budget and whatever the ages of your youngsters, with a little organizing you can plan family travel that combines fun activities, exercise and new experiences for everyone.

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

For your vacation 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 excited to try 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 comings and goings, 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 outing a great, active experience that everyone will remember fondly for years to come.

Metabolism Boost in 10 Minutes

Accelerate your metabolism and lose weight with this mix of gradual strength moves and intense plyometric exercises!

Rapid movements and jumps give your metabolism an instant boost while gaining muscle in the long term. Include this power-packed routine to your standard workout three times a week, and you’ll burn over 100 calories in each 10-minute period. Dropping 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.

Secrets to Keep the Weight Off

Starting at around age 40, the average person gains about a pound every 12 months. At first glance, the routine is simple arithmetic: Consume more than you burn up and eventually your pants will be tight. But other features can complicate the equation. Being aware of the four most typical changes will help you lose stomach fat and stay slender.

Obstacle 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 things 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 strengthens bones, which helps you stay active longer and work out harder.

Obstacle 2: Your Hormones Fluctuate - Over the years, women's bodies produce less of certain hormones like estrogen, which typically starts lagging 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 gut, where it's more difficult to burn.

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

Obstacle 3: You're Eating More - Studies have shown that tying the knot 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 often are, on average, seven to eight pounds lighter than those who don't. Tracking your weight helps you cut back on what you eat or step up activity.

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

Problem 4: You're Moving Less - 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.

Fewer Calories and Still Feel Full

Duplicate these easy tips and tricks to avoid overeating, and discover which foods make you feel full longer without extra calories, this way avoiding unwanted stomach fat.

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

2. Have a soup with your meal:- 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. Avoid 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. Spice your diet with lean protein:- 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. Trick your eyes to trick 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. Never 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.

Reduce Fat With Green Tea Extract

If the battle of the bulge seems to be a lost cause, now there is some hope in this recent report of the effects of green tea on that ridiculous belly fat which sometimes lead to obesity.

It was uncovered 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 bodyweight, 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.

Long Term Weight Loss - Fact or Myth?

You commit yourself to shed weight, and you sweat, and you eat smarter, and in the end, that unwanted belly fat is gone! But, how easy is it to uphold your hard-won success?

A recent study shows that persons who lose weight and want to keep it off might benefit from talking at least once a month with a fitness/nutrition expert to help them stay on course.

In a test of three systems that might help people maintain weight loss, those who got monthly personal counseling were best at keeping off extra pounds. Overall, 42 percent of the study members maintained at least a 9-pound weight loss for thirty months. This experiment is the longest and largest to test approaches for long-term weight loss maintenance, and it implies that long-term weight management is an attainable goal.

The US is in the center of an obesity scare, one that indicates serious future health consequences. Obesity is the foremost cause of high blood pressure, diabetes and abnormal cholesterol, which are in turn the foremost factors of cardiovascular disease and death in this country.

The 36-six month study comprised of 18-25 members; trained counselors stressed three key issues to weight loss: consuming fewer calories, boosting fair to middling physical activity, and digesting a healthy diet rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grain/high fiber foods and fat-free dairy products.

Researchers randomly assigned the volunteers to one of three groups:

•Personal contact - Participants talked with an interventionist monthly, (nine times by telephone and three times face-to-face each year) who provided personal guidance and motivation.

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

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

Overall, 71 percent weighed less than when they began.

The research results also showed that even when volunteers did not necessarily lose an enormous amount of weight, even lesser amounts had potential health benefits.

Save Green While Eating Green

This soon in 2010 leaves enough time for that New Year resolution you made to lose stomach fat. For quite a few of us consuming green but not burst the budget was part of our master plan, so choose which of the options below will be ideal for your household.

Work to a plan: Try to plan your weekly menu or decide on a handful of main dishes that you can eat all through the week. This system will definitely save you money on your grocery bill by stopping you from purchasing food you do not need.

Generic is best: Sometimes store-brand items are just as good, but far less expensive. Store-brand products are offered for just about any item you can think of, so be on the hunt for them.

Make substitutions: Think about what you eat, and then think about what may be a lower priced and just as healthy alternative. Like breakfast cereal? Oatmeal is usually cheaper.

Buy Whole Foods: Examine the original whole food that a product is made from and decide 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 substituting one meat meal occasionally with a vegetarian dish to save money and improve your well being. Beans, eggs and tofu all provide high-quality protein for a fraction of the cost of meat. The aim is to avoid the unwanted belly fat.

Do It Yourself: Inform those muffins in the bakery display that are screaming your name to clam-up and rustle up a batch of your own with whole grains, blueberries and honey at home that would outclass the store bought ones.

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

When contemplating saving dough on groceries, you often must use more of your own time—preparing, cooking, growing and cutting coupons—but many people agree that it's well worth the time they put into it. All of these tasks will become easier and more efficient after a while. You will realize that going shopping, preparing and eating will become that much more beneficial, and not just for your bank account!

Time to Maximize Your Metabolism

You most likely do not need an expert to explain to you why you are having a tough time losing belly fat. Your metabolism slows with age. But midlife weight increase is not really inescapable: there's a diet plan that can tackle these changes.

This customizable metabolism-boosting session will help you shed unwanted belly fat. Most important, you'll create firm, lean muscle tissue, the secret to a strong metabolism. Get going now and you'll rest better, have more vigor, feel firmer, and find your outfits are looser in as little as 2 weeks. Here's how:

EAT JUST ENOUGH: When you consume less than is needed for common biological function your body applies the brakes on your metabolism. Consume just enough so you're not starving.

PERK UP IN THE MORNING: Eating breakfast kick starts metabolism and keeps energy high throughout the day. It's no coincidence that women who skip this meal are 4 1/2 times as likely to be overweight. If nothing else, grab a yogurt.

DRINK TEA: A cup of brewed tea can increase your metabolism by 12%, according to one Japanese study. Researchers believe the antioxidant catechins in tea supply the boost.

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

JUMBO SIZE IT: Researchers found that consuming about 48 ounces of cold water a day can raise resting metabolism by about 50 calories per day--enough to shed 5 pounds in a year.

THINK ORGANIC: Always choose organic when purchasing peaches, apples, bell peppers, celery, nectarines, strawberries, cherries, lettuce, imported grapes, and pears; non-organic produce tend to have elevated levels of pesticides.

ALWAYS INCLUDE PROTEIN: The Human body needs protein to sustain lean muscle. Add a serving, like three ounces of lean meat, two tablespoons of nuts, or 1/2 pound of low-fat yogurt, to every snack and meal.

EAT FOODS RICH WITH IRON: Until menopause, women lose iron each month as a result of menstruation. Unless you restock your stores, you run the risk of reduced stamina and a sagging metabolism.

DRINK MILK: Report shows that consuming calcium by way of dairy foods such as fat-free milk and low-fat yogurt may reduce fat absorption from other sources.

The 7-Day Cleansing Diet

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).

Diet Myths Busted

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 Winter?

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!

Find Out Why Soda is So Bad

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

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

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:-

1. How to use REAL foods in a way that increase metabolism and calorie burn.
2. What you should eat at meals, and how to combine them to burn fat efficiently.
3. Why the number of times per day that you eat makes a huge difference
4. 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.

The Best Ways to Increase Metabolism

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

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.

Is Your Hunger for Real?

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.

Five Simple Exercises For the New Year

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

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.

Best Time of Day to Do Cardio

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

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!

Eat Healthy And Stay Fit For Life

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.

The Truth About Abdominal Exercises

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

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.

You Should Never Skip Breakfast

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.

Some Fast-Foods Can Be Healthy

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)

Lose Weight With These Foods

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.

Welcome 2010

Happy New Year

From all of us at No More 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!