Sunday, March 28, 2010

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.

Tuesday, March 23, 2010

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.

Wednesday, March 17, 2010

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.

Wednesday, March 10, 2010

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.

Wednesday, March 3, 2010

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.