Easy Cheap Exercise Ideas For Weight Loss By Matt A Hill

Exercise is a significant factor in weight loss whether we like it or not. Let's face it, most of us are in the "or not" category, me included. I know I should go to the gym but the cost is a consideration and also the time as well as the fact I feel a little self-conscious doing it in front of people who are avid gym users. But when we are starting out in our weight loss adventure we don't need to go to these lengths, not to mention a few of us would need to go to the doctor to make sure what is safe and what isn't in the form of exercise. The answer to this is to find easy cheap exercise ideas for weight loss for our everyday lifestyle.

Exercise can get boring, so one important thing is to find an exercise plan that will keep us interested and make it enjoyable. Finding this interesting exercise plan will make us more likely to do it without even thinking about it eventually. Now, walking is a great way to exercise and lose weight because it isn't overly strenuous and you'll be losing calories without really thinking about it. Like the gym though, it isn't always convenient and it can be cold and wet, so we need things to do at home also in replacement so at least you can listen to your favourite music or watch television whilst you're exercising.

Staying at home to exercise for many people is the key to success and as much as going out walking or going to the gym is the ultimate exercise it isn't as I have said practical for a lot of people and you shouldn't feel bad for this or think that's the end of it as there is plenty you can do at home.

Firstly finding somewhere to exercise at home isn't difficult, if you have a garage or a spare room this is great, but if not, your living room is just as ideal and there are plenty of motivational tools in there to use such as the television or stereo system which can give you easy cheap exercise ideas for weight loss. Putting on your favourite music on music channels or music system can inspire you and can have a really positive effect on your motivation.

So you've got your room sorted out and your music, you're nice and warm and haven't had to dress up, get in the car and drive miles down the road.

You don't need to have fancy equipment to get going and there are cheap things you can get or maybe already have in your house you can use to exercise.

• Do some star jumps to your favourite music

• Dancing along can be great. Get others in your family to join in for some fun. Losing pounds off your weight whilst dancing around having fun is the best way for losing calories

• A balance ball is a great tool to use and can be fun as well as being cheap to buy

• If you have weights they are also great, or if not, use tins of beans. The point isn't to gain loads of muscle by pumping iron but to have a little weight in your hands as you do your exercises which will help add a little more without exceeding your limits. You do actually feel the tins after a while I know as they are what I use. Try it now, get a tin hold your stomach muscles in and raise your arm up and down as you would with weights, I guarantee after a while you'll start to feel it

• A Yoga mat is good and you can pick up DVDs for next to nothing these days, not to mention there are programs on television for free that do exercises with you, Yoga and practically anything you want.

• A stationery bicycle is a great exercise tool. You can put it anywhere in the house you want and use it watching the television even reading a book!

• I like to shadow box a little and that really gets me going and doesn't cost anything, and doing it with your trusty tin of beans is even better. You'll find this one really gets your heart rate up. I love doing it.

I won't list exercises here to do on your mat and explain how to do them because I am not an expert and it would be better for you to listen to the experts on how to exercise using your stomach muscles properly etc. which is what I do.

Just have a think about anything you can do enjoyable which could help you shed a few calories, you'll be surprised at what you do in your everyday life that raises your heart rate and just doing that a bit longer can have a real positive effect. Once you get into a routine after a few weeks you'll look in the mirror and see a difference and you'll want to do more. Whatever you do, you'll find that building it on the foundation of activities you enjoy is the key to developing a lifetime of fitness.

For loads more tips on weight loss visit my site at http://www.dontweightgetslim.com/blog-2/ where i'll be with you all the way with your weight loss plan. As I am losing weight too I am always keen to find good easy ways to lose weight without changing my lifestyle too much.
I'm also giving away a free ebook for more effective weight loss strategies at http://dontweightgetslim.com

Good luck

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Dieting With A Busy Schedule - 3 Easy Tips On How To Eat Healthy If You're Too Busy To Even Breathe! By Avy Barnes

Do you have a type of life where almost every second of the day from the time you awake counts? Are you also trying to lose weight at the same time? If so, you're probably finding it difficult dieting with a busy schedule, and you're probably feeling like there's just no hope for you to eat healthy if you're too busy to even breathe (okay, maybe a bit of exaggeration... but you get the point)!

So what do you do? Do you just give up on your goals to lose weight and improve your body? Do you just buy some magical diet pills and take those to lose weight?

HECK NO!

I recommend you avoid both! You can still eat healthy and get yourself a better body inside and out... regardless of how busy your life is. And as far as taking diet pills is concerned, I strongly recommend you steer clear of those things by all means necessary. Most of them are very dangerous, ineffective, and whatever weight you do lose is primarily just water weight.

Listen, if you want to eat right without it interfering with your daily responsibilities, then I have some easy tips for you to follow. The thing to take note of with the following tips is that they are not meant to be the "end all be all". What I mean by that is these tips should be looked at as ideas... that can be expanded on.

So, without further ado, here are some ways you can eat healthy if you are dieting with a busy schedule...

Have A Nutrient Packed Smoothie...

The one tip I learned when dieting is that the whole 3 course meal we are all so accustomed to, and that can take forever to prepare, is not necessary all the time. You can simply have a homemade and highly nutritious smoothie instead! Now this is not say that you should eliminate foods completely and just have smoothies. I recommend something like this primarily for breakfast (especially since for most, this is the busiest time of day).

What better way to get healthy nutrients in your body if you have a busy lifestyle than by simply making a nutrient dense smoothie?!

An example of a nutrient packed smoothie could be something like having a mixture of blueberries, peanut butter, almond milk, and oats! Something like this takes 5-7 minutes to prepare and you can drink it on the go!

The Best Fast Food EVER?

And no, I'm not talking about getting a value meal #1 with extra large fries and a milkshake (lol)! I'm talking about getting a 2 minute meal called a protein shake!

Protein shakes are great substitutions for 1 or 2 of your recommended 4-6 meals a day to effectively lose weight and build muscle. I do not recommend that you drink these all day long for all of your meals!

Also, I recommend that you get a healthy type of protein (such as Whey) that has lower calories, carbs, additives, etc., and I recommend that you always have a protein shake after your workout to help with muscle recovery.

Quick And Easy Does It...

If you have a busy schedule, how is it possible for you to firstly prepare amazing healthy meals all day, and then have time to eat them? Well, for starters, you still have to have what I like to call "fat burning power meals" (such as chicken breast with brown rice and spinach for example) each day. However, you don't have to eat a meal like this all day long.

What you can do is have a quick and easy meal! A quick and easy (but healthy) meal idea could be something as simple as a tuna sandwich on whole wheat, canned chicken breast (the 100% natural kind) with some veggies, a spinach salad with cubed turkey ham, and more.

Bottom line, if you want to lose weight and improve your body, but you have such a busy lifestyle, you don't have to compromise either. Instead, marry both of them together by following those few tips above! In other words, improvise, adapt, and overcome! Getting in better health should never be put on the back burner, and at the same time, your busy life is probably busy for good reasons (family, business, career, school, etc.), so therefore, neither should be compromised.

BONUS TIP: (An Even Easier Way To Diet?)

Those tips above are certainly helpful for you to still lose weight... regardless of your busy lifestyle. However, you can make it even easier and effective by going on a highly effective diet that is based on simple dieting techniques. And one of those simple dieting techniques is carb cycling.

What carb cycling is all about in a nutshell, is that it is a type of diet that is based around eating NORMAL foods (without depriving or starving)... but doing so in a way that will cause your metabolism to skyrocket to the maximum! Click: Easy Fat Loss Diet to learn more about this type of dieting and to get started INSTANTLY.

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How To Stay In Shape Without Spending Much By Michael U Mordi

Everybody would simply love to stay in shape. Most people anticipate times when they can look in the mirror and see the perfect body they've always craved for. However for most of us, the twin stumbling blocks of time and finance always seem to be in the way. In the busy world that we live in today, many things we perceive as important call for our constant attention. So finding time to develop the body we dream of becomes a luxury we can't afford. Even when you can manage to squeeze out time, discouragement sets in when you consider the money involved in all the bundle of accessories, clothes, gym memberships you may need to look good. But the truth actually is that you really don't need to spend too much if you want to get into decent shape, and you definitely don't need to spend the whole day in the gym to get results. With some effort and creativity, you can be the person you want to be.

Everything we become boils down to the choices or decisions we make in our everyday lives. Everyone would love to get the body they love, lose some pounds here and there, but it may shock you to know that the first key to getting into the shape you want is by seeing yourself as the person with a perfect body, even before you become it. Does this sound weird? Well as weird as this may sound, it is simply life's principle. What you see is what you get. See yourself in your mind's eye as having that awesome body and then make a firm decision that you will do what it takes to achieve your dream. When you constantly remind yourself in the mirror that you are just few steps away to turning your desire into a reality, you will get the motivation to push on. And remember, you don't need to spend tons of cash and hours upon hours to be in shape as you will read shortly in this article.

Okay you have developed the positive mindset about your body, it's now time to take some actions. You can start with what you already have; your legs. The cheapest way to get in shape is to simply get out and pound the pavement every day. You can run, jog, or walk using just a few minutes a day. All you need is a decent pair of shoes, and you're good to go. A fifty dollar pair will last you six months, so you won't be spending too much per year. This is also a great way to reduce stress, get some time alone, and create those amazing endorphins that everybody has been talking about. Many people are in fantastic shape, and that's all they do.

If you've got some space, you can build up your own weight set over time. You really only need to spend about twenty bucks a month or so to build up an impressive set. Start with some dumbbells, a simple bench, and then a barbell later on. Remember the key is spend less, gain more. Afterwards, look online for some simple exercises you can do with a couple of dumbbells and one of those big balls and then start with the simple ones you can do.

If you absolutely, positively, must get yourself into a weight room of some sort, consider a smaller, privately owned fitness center, instead of one of those big chains. Avoid the ones that have a huge international marketing budget and super models on TV every five minutes telling you to join. That just kicks up the price. If you want a good workout, and don't want to pay too much, skip the glamour and go for a small gym. The kind that's only open from 8 to 8 every day, and has the same guys there every day working out. It will be a lot cheaper, and you won't waste any time.

Another great way to work out is Yoga. There's plenty of videos on YouTube showing you just what to do. Just pick a few poses and go through them on regular basis, and you'll be in shape in no time. The good thing about this is there's literally zero investment. Just use some loose fitted clothes and workout on the carpet, and you're good to go. Of course, there are plenty of mats, balls and other accessories you can buy later if you really get into it but the main thing is you start with what you already have.

If you visit your local library, there's plenty of fitness DVDs you can check out. They've probably got enough so that it will take you a while to cycle through all of them, giving you plenty of variety. Just like yoga, this is virtually free to get started.

When you think about it, getting in shape is all about priorities and sticking to a simple plan and has nothing to do with finances. Now that excuse is out of the picture, you are free to embark on a lifelong journey of exercise. Have fun!

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Healthy Weight Loss Diet - Lose Weight Or Lose Health Or Both? By M Lee

Healthy weight loss diet - It's one of the most profitable marketing strategy that big corporations have put together to make money. If you're thinking about going on a diet choose wisely.

Almost all diet plans on the market claim they can help you lose weight and get a great figure while maintaining or improving your health. In fact, nothing can be further from the truth. Let's look at some of these:

The Slim Fast Diet - You drink a magical shake a day (that tastes absolutely wonderful), eat next to nothing, and you'll lose all the weight you want to and have a beautiful looking figure and still be healthy. You get it all without having to do those nasty strenuous exercises. WOW! If you can drink only shakes for the rest of you life, you'd be set.

The Cabbage Soup Diet - Starting off on days 1-3 you drink only cabbage soup (special recipe) and eat leafy green veggies. The 4th day you eat eight bananas (yes, 8 bananas) and drink skim milk for the whole day. On day 5 you eat 20 oz. of beef with the almighty cabbage soup. Day 6 is pig out on the steaks day. Eat as much as you want to eat, with leafy greens and your soup of the day, CABBAGE SOUP. Day 7 is the final finally. You can only have brown rice and unsweetened fruit juices and vegetables. This cannot be good for your digestive system.

The Lemonade Diet - I like to call this the "liquid draino" diet. You mix a "special" lemonade which consist of 2 oz lemon juice and maple syrup, ¼ teaspoon of cayenne pepper, and 2 cups of water. Make about 160 oz. of this and drink for the whole day. At night, you can drink Herbal Laxative Tea and the next morning you can follow up with a "salt water flush" (2 tsp of salt and 1qt water). You continue this until desired outcome. The idea behind this diet is that it helps to cleanse our digestive track and get rid of all the "leftovers" that are stuck in our body. We will lose incredible amounts of weight but be careful. During the diet, people have been known to experience diarrhea, dizziness, and puking, but once they eat something they will feel energized. NO KIDDING!

There is no argument as to whether or not you will lose weight by following these programs. You will definitely lose weight. But think about what you're giving up by following extreme diets like the ones above. The damage you do to your body when following these diets are be irreparable. I'm not willing to trade my health to lose a few extra pounds, are you?

Don't be tempted to go for the fad diet, jazzy exercise, or magic pill that offers you a quick and easy solution. You know that those programs are mostly half-truths and some are just blatant lies. You are better off with a plan or a guide that tells you the truth.

Find out more information on which diets plans stress a healthy weight loss diet that will make you stronger and more successful. Go for IT [http://top5reviewed.viewimmediately.com]!

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5 Most Common Weight Loss Myths By T L Kuhn

Many people have embraced several food myths in pursuit of healthy weight loss diet. As a result, many people have had to live with resistance to weight loss while others have continued to gain weight. Some of the myths include

• Skipping meals is an effective way of losing weight and dieting - However, research reveals that skipping meals and particularly breakfast is more likely to result in overweight. With skipped meals, a slowing of body metabolism is experienced. This happens in order to preserve stored calories through the process of slowing their need. There is also evidence that skipping meals often results in eating more the next meal or worse still snacking.

Therefore, it is important to consume three regular meals. In case you are working on losing weight, you can consider eating small portions of weight loss diet.

• People inherit a state of being overweight - Most of the experts have proven that genes play an important role in determining the weight of an individual however they have not explained the rapid cases of obesity reported in recent days particularly in the western world. According to the studies that have been conducted, obesity stems from the poor lifestyle adopted such as eating poor diets and failing to exercise. Therefore, making a lifestyle change that involves eating a healthy weight loss diet and exercising can help the family to shift their pounds.


• Dairy products are unhealthy and fattening - On the contrary, dairy products including milk, yogurt and cheese are packed with essential nutrients that play an important role in keeping the body healthy. These products offer a good source of some B vitamins, protein and zinc. They are also packed with calcium, which helps in building strong, healthy bones. With stronger bones, you will be less likely to suffer from bone thinning diseases such as osteoporosis during your later life.

Furthermore, dairy products do not have to be fattening; there are many low-fat products including semi-skimmed and skimmed milk, reduced fat cheeses and low-fat yogurt. Therefore they can be considered in a healthy weight loss diet.

• Carbohydrates are not good for you - This is not true considering that the body utilizes carbohydrates as a primary source of food. Carbohydrates feature about half the calories amount per gram compared to fats. The problem with many people's diet is that it contains many simple carbohydrates such as high-fructose corn syrup and sugar. When people eat low carbohydrate diets, they eliminate high calorie carbohydrates resulting in loss of weight.

However, this type of weight loss does not last for the majority of people. Research shows that eating a weight loss diet that is high in complex-carbohydrates and low in fat is good; furthermore, it offers the best way of losing weight.

• Food eaten late in the night inhibits the process of losing weight - Many people believe eating late in the evening results in the body storing more fat. However, the fact of the matter is that consuming many calories during the day is the reason for the dieting downfall. Therefore, a weight loss diet that contains fewer calories to burn daily you will be in a position to lose weight irrespective of the time you consume the calories.

For much more information on how to lose weight properly, visit my website today.

You can find it at: http://www.Workout-Routines-For-Men.com.

TL Kuhn is the owner of TLK Online Solutions. You can be sure that all of the products that I promote have been carefully researched and are of the highest quality.

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Why Is Breakfast the Most Important Meal of the Day? By Paul Drongo

Don't skip breakfast when you're on a fat loss diet.

Breakfast must be the best meal of the day provided it has all of the main food groups: eggs, steak, bacon, and coffee. It is a strange logic why anyone would ever want to skip it.

But many people apparently believe they can begin their diet by missing the first meal of the day.

The idea is pretty tempting: Remove one whole meal, and you can wipe out hundreds of calories.

However, it doesn't exactly work out that way. Those who eat no breakfast more than make up for it later on in the day. They eat more food, and they eat bad food. Is it surprising that they're not losing any weight?

In a number of experiments, volunteers had a big breakfast one day and no breakfast at all on another.

The day they ate no breakfast, they were hungrier and craved for more junk. And at lunch time, they gave in to that craving and ate an average of twenty percent more than when they ate a full breakfast.

They were also given brain scans as they viewed pictures of different foods before lunch. On no-breakfast days, the brain went into top gear at the mere sight of calorie-packed junk like pizza and cakes.

Therefore it is clear that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. But be careful here -- because WHAT you eat is even more important.

A high carb breakfast of cereal and toast causes people to feel hungrier -- and eat more -- than a breakfast of eggs which is high in protein.

Looks like no breakfast at all!

And that suggests the real breakfast is what you actually want anyhow -- the foodstuffs you've been told aren't good for you. However, they are good for you after all, so have your bacon and eggs.

It's breakfast time.

Broken knees and large waistline.

A lot of years and a lot of pounds -- it's a double burden that'll kill your knees. You must be wondering why you ever bothered to grow old.

These days, you don't even need to be "old" to face debilitating osteoarthritis of the knees -- because the latest studies show that it's kicking in earlier than ever. And you can blame the obesity epidemic for that.

Your hinges simply were not built to handle decades of strain under all that extra blubber.

Back in the early 1990s, most people didn't get diagnosed with the condition until they reached about 70 years. But now, the average age of first diagnosis is just 56 -- and the percentage of even younger folks with the condition is three times higher now, with some getting hit in their forties and even their thirties.

That was unknown just a few years ago. Today, it's boosting the sales of scooter chairs into one of the rare but profitable niche in our economy.

Naturally, the mainstream is fast to recommend its favorite remedy, exercise, as the supposed solution to knee osteoarthritis.

Exercise for already broken knees?

If you'd like a shortcut to lasting and even permanent knee damage, then exercise is the very thing that'll get you there and in a hurry. You can be sure that the cartilage in your knees will be reduced to shreds before long.

You cannot even count on that exercise to ease the strain to help you to lose weight. Exercise alone doesn't reduce waistlines, and study after study has confirmed it.

Only a diet can do that -- and if you switch over now to a diet heavy in fresh animal fats and low in carbohydrates, and you could be able to stop your knees from breaking down to begin with.

But don't delay it for too long. It may be late before you know it.

Paul Drongo specializes in providing news and advice in natural fat loss and weight loss therapies as well as in general health. For more detailed information, visit: http://www.losefatthen.com

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Simple Carbs Are Not So Simple for Your Body By Kristen J Peters

Let's get the boring yet necessary science out of the way shall we? Carbohydrates are one of the macronutrients that your body needs to survive. Along with protein and fats, carbs are part of the building blocks for every cell and therefore function in your body. Moreover, just like everything else in our lives, carbohydrates are classified into two types: Complex and Simple. The difference in each is the number of sugar molecules (I promise not to be this techy next time) in the chain. For example, simple carbs have only one or two sugars while complex carbs have three or more sugars. Therefore, it makes sense that the complex carbs will take much longer to break down and digest while just the opposite is true for simple carbs, they absorb and are digested very quickly. You need both however, it's the source and how much you get that matters.

Simple carbs, a.k.a SUGAR are most notoriously known in the obvious like candy, soda, and fruit "juices". But it is also very important to understand the simple carbs are also known as white, bleached, enriched flours, white rice, white pasta, (notice a connection yet?), and alcohol. Well doesn't that just suck! Yes, it does. Really it does. Most of us were raised on this type of diet. We were just fine with it during our younger years but in our thirties and beyond we may just notice uh, changes in ourselves. "Unexplained" changes. Sugar is also in fruit, vegetables, and milk. So if we are eating these things throughout our days then we are getting enough simple carbs in our diet. Anything in excess is well, just that, excess and will be stored as fat in the body. Does this mean you should give up your fruit for some candy? I won't even answer that one. Fruit, veggies and yes-even milk (I have mixed feelings about dairy that I discuss in other articles) have important nutrients associated with them. Eliminating them in your diet uh... Atkins, will be robbing your body of precious nutrients needed.

Complex carbs are things like whole grains; "whole" meaning the entire grain is intact therefore providing essential nutrition, brown rice, some veggies like broccoli, and legumes that consist of peas, lentils, etc. Complex grains take longer to absorb in the body and therefore doesn't create a spike in your blood sugar. Simple carbs do. Since they are absorbed quickly, they will create elevated blood sugars quickly, working the pancreas extra hard as this organ must deliver insulin to help stabilize your blood sugar. In addition, take the glucose to areas of the body that need it and deliver all the excess to the liver where it's stored as fat and is responsible for causing the liver to produce more cholesterol. What? Sugar is also responsible for high cholesterol? Who knew...

A diet high in sugar is a huge concern for us right now because most everything has sugar in it. Sugar is mostly disguised as high-fructose corn syrup or just corn syrup. A very cheap, highly stable concoction that was founded in the 1970s. A great invention for food manufacturers (long shelf life, cheap alternative to sugar, just a little bit needed which is VERY sweet) but a devastating one for human health. At this moment sugar is the leading cause of obesity and "Adult-onset" Type II diabetes (in quotations because children as young as five are found with symptoms of this debilitating disease). It's also responsible for internal inflammation - this is a topic for a later date as inflammation is the main contributor for a whole host of issues in the body including cancer and almost all autoimmune diseases.

Sugar affects your mood. Have you ever noticed you feel completely awesome after you eat a Snickers bar and wash it down with some Mountain Dew? I know I always did. We received that sugar "high" but as Newton so fantastically put it, "what goes up must come down". That awful crash you felt about an hour later was due to the outpour of insulin your body just put out to help stabilize your blood sugar. Now you're tired, cranky, moody, and irritable. It's just not worth that high. What most people do in that situation is reach for more sugar. Sounds just like a drug addict. In reality sugar acts just like a drug and there really are "sugar addicts" out there. Are you one?

What now? Here are the top five ways to make sure you aren't in sugar excess and you stay that way.

1.) Avoid white sugar. Try to stick with the natural sweeteners like raw honey, brown rice syrup, blue agave syrup, maple syrup, and stevia. Be careful however, with the syrups. They contain a lot of fructose and you must use those sparingly. Once you begin to get the white stuff out of your system and your taste buds have returned to normal, you may just find you don't want things so sweet and enjoy eating foods in their natural state.

2.) Avoid white flour. This is a hard one since it includes all of the pastries, bagels, doughnuts, cakes, cupcakes, pies, breads, and the list goes on. There are really no substitutions here. You will need to reduce these items before you completely eliminate them. For these it's best to just say no!

3.) Say no to the booze. Alcohol is pretty much fermented sugar. When you ferment sugar, you create alcohol. Moderation is the key however; I am not trying to take away all your fun. I want you to be aware of this fact and if it's sugar you want to stay away from then you must include all alcohol.

4.) Now white rice has very little sugar and actually, brown rice has more. It's the fact that rices both brown and white contain mostly carbohydrates so you want to limit the amount. I have no problem with eating rice and as we all know neither do the healthiest people on the planet Okinawa's population. But you must choose the healthier of the two, the one that has not been stripped of all goodness and sent through the processing mill a few times over. Choose brown or whole grain rices.

5.) Reduce your dairy intake. Dairy is made up of mostly lactose. Lactose is a sugar. When you add cream to your coffee your adding sugar with your sugar. When you're eating cheese pizza, you're eating sugar on top of sugar (crust). Just be away and reduce as much as you can.

6.) Read labels. This is the most important piece of advice everyone should adhere to. As I said before sugar is in everything, even newborn formula. You must read the labels for everything that you buy. If it contains high fructose corn syrup, corn syrup or any of the other sugars, which by the way anything that ends in "OSE" is sugar, ditch it! For example maltose, dextrose, sucrose, lactose all sugars.

These not so simple yet simple in theory changes that you make will have a huge impact on your health and therefore life. Even if you can't eliminate everything, just know with each step in the right direction is a step forward aimed at a healthier and happier life. If you have children please share this information with them. It is the children that suffer greatly now and it is our responsibility to make sure they live longer than their parents as this is the first generation of children that is expected to die before them.

Kristen Peters is an Aromatherapist and Holistic Health Coach residing in Raleigh with her husband, three children, and two Chihuahuas. She has dedicated her life to assisting others to Be the Change. Visit her website http://www.kristenpeters.net to download her free eBook entitled: "How 5 Small Changes Can Have a Big Impact on Digestive Health".

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Get Rid of Sugar Cravings - Lose Weight Fast By Sharon M. Jones

If you're reading this it is because you want to lose weight fast, the easy way or you're looking for some magic potion or wand. I hate to break it to you, it isn't going to happen! But get rid of your sugar cravings and it could very well jump start your metabolism into a fat burning machine.

I had a conversation with one of my friends yesterday and she's completely frustrated with the fact she's been "dieting" but can't lose any weight. At the same time she's telling me this she's eating her "breakfast" which consists of one of those supposedly good for you "diet" bars. Now mind you this "diet" bar is the size of a match box and packs in over 200 calories!

A general rule of thumb for dieting is around 400 calories per meal, depending on your activity level, and I'm telling you I'd have to eat 3 or 4 of those to even feel full! Not mention who knows how many carbs, sugars and preservatives are in it just so it doesn't taste like cardboard! She also says eating fresh fruits and vegetables is expensive, but, have you seen how much those things cost?

OK, I'll get off my soapbox and get on to a more serious note. Her biggest excuse to me is she doesn't like vegetables or fruits. But the truth is when we give her fruits and vegetables out of the garden she rants about how great they are and when we go out for dinner she's always all over those fruity sugar filled drinks. So in my opinion that's not entirely the truth. The truth is, like me, she's an addict, a sugar addict still in denial.

Let's face it, if we're in a position where we need to lose weight, it's not because we have diets packed with fruits and vegetables. And if you're like me, you like fruits and vegetables but you would PREFER something loaded with sugar. I mean, don't we all?

How Blood Sugar Affects Weight Loss

1. Excess sugar tells our fat cells to go into storage mode.
2. Fat Burning stops completely and if we are on an exercise program, all the workout does is burn the excess sugar in our bloodstream and if there is any excess sugar left it gets packed into our fat cells.
3. Increased Blood Sugar triggers higher insulin production which in turn decreases blood sugar. That sounds pretty good right? But if the insulin surge brings blood sugars too low it causes lack of energy, hunger pains/cravings which in turn makes us want to eat or cheat and everything starts all over again. It's a vicious cycle.

Controlling Blood Sugar Equals Fast Weight Loss

Regulating blood sugar is the most effective way to maintain fat burning. You can avoid blood sugar peaks and valleys by;

1. Always eating breakfast
2. Eating healthy snacks between meals. This helps control hunger and potential binges. It keeps your energy level stable and could very well be the most effective way to keep your fat burning furnace (a.k.a. your metabolism) melting away the pounds fast.

From one sugar addict to another, I'm not saying it'll be easy and I'm not saying go cold turkey right off the bat. What I am saying is you HAVE to wean yourself off processed sugar foods no matter whether you're looking to lose weight or a healthier lifestyle!

The next time you want something sweet or one of those "diet" bars, try replacing just one a day with a fruit or vegetable. Then once you're good with one time a day do the same thing two times a day and so on. Before you know it, you'll be looking for fruit or vegetables instead of something sugary.

I know, I know, easier said than done but if I can do it, you CAN do it!!!!!

Sharon has used alternative solutions for a healthy lifestyle that include healthy organic eating, Yoga & Meditation. She has spent the last several years motivating friends and family with tips, tricks and words of encouragement. If you are looking for more information like this, visit her website at http://www.freealternativesolutions.com

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The Body's Energy Pathways By Phil J Webster

Our Body's Energy Pathways

In this article we will look the three basic energy systems. Having a basic understanding of how the body will replenish itself for energy will help with your sporting performance or fitness goals.

During daily activity, working lives, or more specifically to this blog for exercise, our bodies require energy to operate. The main ingredient required for energy is adenosine triphosphate or, ATP. Focusing on exercise, it doesn't matter whether you're running a marathon or using one massive short explosive movement, our muscles are powered by ATP. We can only store a small amount of ATP within our cells. In fact there's only enough for a few seconds so it goes without saying that the body must somehow replace or, re-synthesize, the ATP in a continuous cycle. Understanding the energy systems will give you a good understanding or how the replacement of ATP occurs once it's been used. This will also give you the knowledge of which energy system, or systems are used in you chosen sport or when you train for health and fitness.

Before I explain the 3 basic energy systems I mentioned earlier, let's take a look at what ATP is made up of. An ATP molecule consists of adenosine and three, this is where the 'tri' comes from, phosphate groups. As we exercise, the last phosphate group splits away and releases energy. The molecule of adenosine triphosphate now becomes adenosine diphosphate or, ADP.

As I mentioned we need to now replace the missing molecule to replenish our body's limited stores of ATP. Chemical reactions add a phosphate group back to ADP to create ATP. This process is called phosphorylation. If this occurs in the presence of oxygen it is labelled aerobic metabolism. If it occurs without oxygen it is labelled anaerobic metabolism.

So how do we replace the used ATP with the sources available and how do they relate to the different levels of exercise intensity.

The Anaerobic (ATP-CP) Energy System

The ATP stores in the muscle last for about 2 seconds and the re-synthesis of ATP from Creatine Phosphate or, CP will continue until CP stores in the muscles are depleted after about 4 to 6 seconds. This gives us around 5 to 8 seconds in total of ATP production.

ATP -- ADP + CP = ATP

To develop this energy system, sessions of 4 to 8 seconds of high intensity work at near peak velocity are required.

The Anaerobic (Lactate) System

If the body must continue to work longer than 10 seconds there must be another energy pathway to allow the regeneration of ATP. Once the CP stores have been depleted the body needs to call on stored glucose for ATP. Glycogen can be used to form ATP, and in the liver it can be converted into glucose and transported to the muscles via the blood. A heavy training session can deplete carbohydrate stores in the muscles and liver, as can a restriction in dietary intake. This energy system is the second quickest available to replenish ATP.

Aerobic System

The aerobic energy system utilises proteins, fats and carbohydrate (glycogen) for re-synthesising ATP.

Fat

Fat is stored predominantly as fatty tissue throughout the body and is a substantial energy reservoir. Fat is less accessible for metabolism as it must first be reduced from its complex form, triglyceride, to the simpler components of glycerol. So although fat is a vast stockpile of fuel, energy release is too slow for very intense activity.

Carbohydrate

Unlike fat, carbohydrate is not stored in peripheral deposits throughout the body. At rest, carbohydrate is taken up by the muscles and liver and converted into glycogen. Glycogen can be used to form ATP and in the liver it can be converted into glucose and transported to the muscles via the blood.

Protein

Protein can be used as a source of energy, particularly during prolonged activity; however it must first be broken down into amino acids before then being converted into glucose. As with, fat, protein cannot supply energy at the same rate as carbohydrate. There are a few factors relating to the rate at which protein is used. For example, if there are large amounts of one type of fuel available, the body may rely more on this source than on others. The mass action effect is used to describe this phenomenon.

As I mentioned at the beginning this is to give a basic understanding of the body's energy systems and how they relate to different sports or exercise intensity. I hope this helps those who are interested in this side of fitness. Along with mental toughness, understanding this can go a long way to you achieving your goals, or crumbling when it matters most.

Thanks for reading!

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Why Sugar Is So Dangerous to Your Health By Barry R Parker

The signs are all around: out of control obesity, a dramatic increase in diabetes, and despite the millions of dollars we have spent fighting cancer and heart disease, both are still increasing. What is causing it? Doctors, scientists and nutritionists are increasingly coming to the conclusion that sugar is playing a major role, and indeed, it may be the main culprit.

In the U.S. adults are now consuming more sugar than ever, with the most dramatic change coming over the past 20 years. Adults now consume 21.5 teaspoons per day (not including fruit juices) and teenagers are consuming an average of 34 teaspoons a day. The American Health association says this is far too much; it recommends a maximum of 6 teaspoons per day for women and 9 for men. And there's no doubt that the excess is causing problems in our bodies; it is, in fact, causing serious damage. One of the most obvious results has been a huge increase in obesity in recent years, and obesity is just one of the problems. Sugar is, in fact, now implicated in most major diseases in the U. S.

What Sugar Does to Your Body

Let's begin by looking at what sugar (or more exactly, sucrose) is composed of. First of all it has no nutrients and consists only of "empty calories." In terms of elemental sugars, it is a 50/50 mixture of glucose and fructose.

It isn't the glucose that is bad for us; glucose is, after all, the "gas" that runs our body in the same way gas runs a car. Every cell in your body needs glucose for energy. Indeed, if your supply of glucose gets low you feel fatigued and weak.

Fructose is the problem. But fructose is a major component of the sugar in fruit and vegetables, and we know that they are good for us, so how could fructose be bad? When it comes in fruit and vegetables, it is, indeed, good for us, and the main reason is that when it is in them it is combined with fiber, vitamins, minerals and enzymes, all of which help digest and metabolize it properly. The problem comes when we take it out of fruit or vegetables and purify it (and usually add chemicals of various types to it).

Getting back to how the body deals with glucose, let's consider what it does with it. When you eat carbohydrates the glucose in them is absorbed by the digestive system and goes almost immediately into the bloodstream. From here it fuels the cells in your muscles, organs, and your brain. Your brain, in fact, is a major consumer - using up to two-thirds of the glucose in your bloodstream. It is important that your body has a good, continuous, supply throughout the day (and night). Most cells in the body, however, can't store glucose, and that's why we need a continuous supply. It can, however, be stored in the liver and muscles in the form of glycogen. So when your body runs low it uses glycogen (turning it back into glucose).

When your brain senses glucose in your blood (after you eat), it tells the pancreas to create the hormone insulin. It turns out that, although your cells need glucose, the glucose circulating in your blood can't get through the outer membrane of the cell without a "password" substance. This substance is insulin; it's like a "key" to the cell that allows glucose to pass, so it can do its job.

Under normal circumstances the insulin allows the glucose to pass and the circulating glucose is used up. There is, in fact, a "feedback" mechanism that keeps it relatively constant.

Let's take a closer look now at carbohydrates. It's well-known that they come in two varieties: simple and complex. Simple carbs produce glucose quickly and are frequently referred to as "quicky carbs." Complex carbs metabolize slowly and the flow of glucose in the bloodstream is controlled. Quicky carbs are in foods such as soda pop, cookies, cake, pie and ice cream. Complex carbs are in vegetables, fruit, berries, and legumes; broccoli is full of them.

Quicky carbs produce a rapid increase in insulin, in short, a "spike." In fact, if you eat large numbers of quicky carbs you get a large number of spikes and your bloodstream is quickly filled with insulin. If this occurs again and again your cells eventually become resistant to insulin. In effect, the receptors on the surface of the cells start rejecting the insulin that is trying to get in. As a result the glucose in the bloodstream starts to build up. The brain, however, senses that the cells aren't getting enough glucose, so it sends a signal to the pancreas to produce more. Soon there is a large amount of both glucose and insulin in the bloodstream and you start to develop what is called insulin resistance.

Again, if this happens too often, the pancreas (which is generating the insulin) starts to wear out, and soon it can't produce enough insulin. And this, in turn, produces a serious imbalance in the body which eventually leads to several serious diseases.

What This Leads to

What happens when you develop the above conditions? The excess sugar is rapidly converted to fat in the form of triglycerides, and this increases the triglyceride in your blood. Studies also show that at the same time your LDL cholesterol is increased and your HDL is decreased. Excess glucose in the bloodstream also leads to the destruction of white blood cells which weakens you immune system. Indeed, it only takes a few teaspoons of sugar to slow your immune system down, and with a weakened immune system your body's defenses against disease are also weakened.

Excess glucose and insulin also make your blood acidic, and as your body fights to neutralize it, problems can develop. In particular, sugar creates uric acid in your body which, in turn, raises your blood pressure, and can cause inflammation.

The final result can be any of the following:

• Diabetes

• Obesity

• Cardiovascular disease

• It speeds up aging

• Dementia

• Kidney and Liver problems.

And these are only a few of the problems.

Why Can't We Stop Eating Sugar-Laden Foods and Drinks

One of the most serious problems is: even though we know that excess sugar is bad for us it is incredibly difficult to stop eating it (in essence, it so good we love it, and our will-power to refuse it is low). Is there a reason for this? As it turns out there is.

As we saw earlier, sucrose is half fructose, and of particular importance, fructose is not distributed to the cells in the same way glucose is; it is processed in the liver. Also, unlike glucose, it does not produce insulin, and insulin has a critical property: it monitors how much you have eaten, and when you are full it produces leptin, which tells you to stop eating. This is not the case with fructose; there is no signal that you're full, so you keep on eating... and eating.

Because of the fructose in it, studies have shown that sucrose is addictive in the same way drugs are addictive. In essence, it's hard to stop eating them; in fact, experiments with rats have shown that they become extremely irritated when they are forced to stop eating them. Furthermore, both rats and people experience "withdrawal" symptoms when they are taken off them.

We start to "crave" sugar products if we eat a large amount of them, and just as in the case of drugs, we need more and more to satisfy our needs. This makes it particularly hard to come off them.

In addition, if you look in detail at some of the products containing a lot of sugar you see additional reasons for their addiction. Coke, for example, consists mostly of sugar, salt and caffeine. What is the salt there for? As I'm sure you know, salt makes you crave more - try eating just one salted potato chip. The sugar is there partially to mask the taste of the salt.

And that's Not the End of The Story

Sugar (sucrose) is bad enough, but there is more bad news. In 1966 Dr. Takasaki of the Saga Medical School in Japan invented a particularly sweet form of syrup using corn; it is now referred to as high fructose corn syrup (HFCS for short). It is sweeter than sucrose, relatively easy to produce, and much cheaper. So it wasn't long before it began replacing sucrose in drinks and food. Like sucrose it is a combination of fructose and glucose: approximately 55% fructose and 45% glucose. It is, in fact, the major sweetener now used in soda throughout the world. Studies, have, in fact, shown that the use of HFCS has doubled since 1977. Soda pop contains 10.5% HFCS, which is equal to 10 teaspoons of sugar (in a 12 oz can).

And it's just as addictive as sucrose. One can of soda pop (with HFCS) causes a gain of 15 pounds of fat in a year, and a large fractions of Americans drink at least one can a day. Furthermore, this does not account for the additional sugar and HFCS that is eaten in processed food, pastries, cookies, pies and donuts.

What You Can Do

The first and most important thing is to limit all types of sugar. I'm not saying you should not eat sugar - that would be very difficult. Sugar is in so many different foods. You should, however, limit it as much as possible, and you should become aware when you are consuming it. Start by cutting out soda, pastries, cookies, cake and so on. Not only will this help your health it will also help you lose weight.

Other things that you can do are:

• Read labels. In particular, note how much sugar is in a product. If it is high (say, 20 gms or more per serving) don't eat or drink it, or at least don't eat an entire serving.

• Watch processed foods. Cut down as much as possible on packaged and canned foods. Get more of your carbs from vegetables, fruit, and legumes. Also eat seeds and nuts, and eat some protein and fat with your meals.

• Exercise every day. This uses up insulin, glucose and glycogen and keeps your body chemistry in balance. Also spend time relaxing.

• It's so easy to succumb to temptation. The answer to this is determination. Tell yourself you're not going to eat it - and mean it!

Barry Parker, Ph. D., is a professor emeritus (physics) at Idaho State University. He is the author of 26 books on science, health, writing, and music. His website is BarryParkerbooks.com and he has several blogs, one of them is at Barrysbuzz123.blogspot.com. He has done research in biophysics (mutations in the DNA molecule) and in relativity theory (Einstein's field theory), has a strong interest in health and fitness, self-improvement, and in music (particularly piano). He taught a writing class at ISU for several years. One of his recent books is "Feel Great Feel Alive." His latest book is "Learn from Yesterday, Live for Today, Hope for Tomorrow."

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Read About Juicing and Its Health Benefits By Sooraj Surendran

With reduced physical activities and working style becoming more table-chair oriented, more people are becoming obesity prone. The cases of high blood pressure, diabetes and high blood cholesterol are more than ever. It would be more appropriate to call these as life style diseases. In this fast paced time, fast foods are also as much popular. These are definitely inviting to the palate, but harmful to the body. The realization that there is a need to make definite changes in eating and living habits come when the blood reports or laboratory test results demand medical attention.

If you have decided to make positive changes in your lifestyle, one of the key factors that can add to your health is juice. Adding juice plan to your diet is the best way to optimize your health quotient. We all are aware of the effects of heat on food. Eating vegetables and fruits in its raw uncooked form helps retain all its goodness and nutrition. Cooking destroys the composition of the food.

The micro nutrients lose their chemical composition and shape. Thus, even if you are having the organic vegetables and fruits, cooking cuts its nutrient value. But, it is not practical to have raw vegetable always. Many of us dislike the taste of uncooked vegetables and cook to make it tastier. Juicing is the most practical way to have your food in its natural form in the required portion.

Juicing is known to be an appetizer of sorts. It is the best way to help prepare the body for a good digestion. Those aiming at a carbohydrate free diet can look at juices as the best diet plan. Juice is not a complete meal, but is the best diet for those fighting obesity. Instead of the intermittent snacks, many nutritionist advice fresh fruits and juices instead. If you are planning to incorporate fruit juices into your daily diet program, make sure you use pesticide free fruits.

Stick to being organic as far as you can. Make sure to consume your juice at the earliest as juices are highly perishable. Juicing is time consuming, and therefore, many people resort to making large quantity to consume through the day. However, juices lose their natural properties due to oxidization. If you wish to store your juice, store it in an air tight container refrigerated, and make sure you use it within 24 hours. Clean your juicer well after every use.

Click here to know more about the best juicers.

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The Magic Potion For Fat Loss By Holly Rigsby, CPT

The Magic Potion For Fat Loss

By Holly Rigsby, CPT
www.FitYummyMummy.com

If there were ever a magic potion for fat loss – it would be water. Our bodies are comprised of about 70% water. We lose about a liter (34 ounces) of water per day under normal circumstances and when the temperature in our body rises, as during exercise, we lose higher amounts of water through sweat. It only makes sense that we need to continually replenish this supply for water is necessary for nearly every function in our body. Water regulates our temperature, supports and protects our organs, helps with digestion, transports nutrients to our muscles and helps move along waste by products.

Water is, in essence, the key to fat metabolism. Here's why: one of you liver's primary functions is to metabolize stored fat to be burned for energy. If you are dehydrated, the kidneys cannot function properly and the liver begins to take over – as a result of working overtime, the liver metabolizes LESS fat so MORE fat remains in your body.

Sometimes we mistake mild states of dehydration for hunger. If we don't get enough fluids, our bodies give us indications that are similar to hunger pains. When this occurs, we start eating because we misunderstood what are bodies were telling us. Unnecessary calorie consumption can lead to excessive fat!

Water is a natural appetite suppressant. Drinking lots of water throughout the day helps to keep you feeling full. If your stomach feels full – you are less likely to overeat!

A constant supply of water is vital before, during and after a workout. Dehydration leads to a lack of energy, muscle fatigue and cramping. Even small amounts of water loss can hinder exercise performance.

Remember that alcohol and caffeine are diuretics, making you lose even more water, so be sure to compensate for the additional loss.

How to do it: You can replace the water lost during a typical day by drinking a minimum of 6-8 8 oz. glasses of water a day. Begin by drinking your first big glass of water right when you wake up. Drink a full glass of water with each meal. Keep water with you at all times.

To prevent dehydration, make sure you're drinking adequate amounts of water before, during and after a workout. As a rule of thumb, drink 8-12 ounces of water at least an hour before beginning to exercise, 8 oz during exercise and 8 oz when finished. If you are hungry about an hour after eating, try drinking a glass or two of water- you maybe misreading thirst for hunger. If you are still hungry after 15-20 minutes then proceed with a supportive snack to tide you over until your next meal.

Here's a ‘success strategy' to get you started: Make drinking water more fun by adding a slice of lemon or lime. Drink water out of a frosted mug or colorful glass. Grab-n-go flavor packets add variety to water between meals. Keep a bottle of water in the car at all times. At work, pack an allotted number of bottled water and set a goal to finish the pack by the end of the day.

For those who tend to prefer carbonated beverages to plain water try sparkling water. Not only is it crisp and refreshing, it satisfies the need for carbonation. Just make sure you choose a sparkling water that does not contain sugar or fruit juice to avoid additional calories.

So if your goal is fat loss, combine a total body strength training program, supportive nutrition and some interval training with your magic fat loss potion and you're destined for success!

About the Author

Holly Rigsby is a nationally recognized women’s fitness coach, certified personal trainer (CPT) and the author of the internationally popular e-book – Fit Yummy Mummy - Burn Your Baby Fat & Get Your Body Back. Go to http://www.fityummymummy.com to get your FREE copy of her special report: "The Five Ways To Boost Your Metabolism."

20 Top Muscle Building Foods By Anthony Linton Carter

Supplements can very convenient not to mention a very tasty way of making sure you are getting all of your daily nutrients.

So just incase you didn't know here are top 20 foods to keep your immune systems running high, build your muscle and lower you body fat, happy reading/eating!

1) Pineapple

Apart from being naturally sweet and very tasty pineapples contain Bromelain and enzyme that helps to break down amino acids in proteins and promotes good digestion.)

2) Eggs

Eggs contain muscle-building amino acids in every shell, as well as proteins and healthy fats - including the yolk just don't eat too many!

3) Water

Being hydrated at all times is very important especially if you are exercising regularly. It is also important for fat loss, and first thing in the morning will kick start your metabolism.

4) Sweet Potatoes

Low GI carbohydrates ideal for maintaining and building muscle and avoiding fat gains.

5) Turkey Breast

Low in fat and high in protein this white meat is also usually very cost effective if you are on a budget.

6) Olive Oil

High in monounsaturated fats very good for the heart in moderation.

7) Grapefruit

Half a grapefruit first thing in the morning will not only provide you with vitamin C but will also help you to burn fat due to a special ingredient that helps prevent weight build up around the waist.

8) Cottage Cheese

Slow release protein source low in fat and ideal before bed.

9) Green Tea

Cancer prevention and weight loss, green tea has been shown to help with both. You can also have it hot or cold and it makes a great addition to a pre workout drink as it contains caffeine.

10) Beef

Full of protein, muscle building amino acids and iron.

11) Whole-wheat Bread

Complex carbohydrates great for making you feel full but still fairly low GI, use in moderation.

12) Yoghurt

Rich in protein, calcium and can promote fat loss. It can also potentially reduce your risk of cancer.

13) Spinach

Full of vitamins and calcium on of the true super foods and calorie free!

14) Broccoli

Full of iron and vitamins calorie free great for keeping the immune system going.

15) Oats

Great for low GI energy keeping fat storage to a minimum and studies have shown its also good for reducing cholesterol.

16) Salmon

Packed with protein and omega 3 oils just watch the calories as it does contain a lot of fats.

17) Blueberries

Loaded with antioxidants and delicious in pancakes or in some natural yoghurt for breakfast.

19) Beans

High fibre complex carbohydrates, great for making you feel full but very healthy.

20) Avocado

Full of healthy fats, great as a source of energy on a low carbohydrate diet.

Additional Protein from products such as BSN Dessert and Optimum Nutritions Gold Standard Whey are easy to drink, convenient to carry around and low in cost per serving just remember to use them as a supplements for real food.

Most of what you find in supplements can be replicated in real foods, with the exception of most pre workout drinks available such as Gaspari's Sizeon can be difficult to replicate especially in the amounts that are considered to be beneficial to the human body around workouts. I think you will struggle to find replacements for these.

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Two Flat Stomach Secrets For Women
By Holly Rigsby, CPT
www.FitYummyMummy.com
Have you tried everything under the sun to get a flat stomach, only to come up disappointed? Have you fallen prey to all the gimmicks, fad diets and shameless infomercials promising you that elusive flat stomach that you desire?

Well fret no more, I'm going to let you in on the two ‘secrets' that will help you shed unwanted fat and reveal your toned, flat stomach once and for all.

The first secret for a flat stomach is eating supportively. While this doesn't seem like a secret at all, most women get this wrong in spite of their best – but misguided – efforts. Women have fallen prey to low-fat, low-carb, Hollywood, grapefruit, South Beach and every other over hyped diet that marketers can dream up, all in hopes of shedding those unwanted pounds. But eating supportively is isn't about dieting or deprivation; it's about moderation and balance. While cutting carbs or fats out of your nutrition plan might give you a temporary loss of a couple of pounds, it's typically followed by a drop in metabolism and a weight gain of more than you lost in the first place once you go back to your old eating habits.

So what is eating supportively? Eating supportively is having protein and carbohydrates at every meal. It's grazing on 4-6 meals or snack each day instead of missing meals and then gorging yourself. It's enjoying a healthy breakfast and not drinking your calories. But most of all, eating supportively is enjoying the foods you love in moderation instead of in excess.

If eating supportively is the first secret to a flat stomach, then what's the second? The second flat stomach secret is resistance training. Unfortunately, just as fad diets have stood in the path of women achieving the flat stomachs they so desired, so have the myths of spot reduction and cardio being the best method for fat loss. Late night infomercials have long promoted gadgets that promised to spot reduce those trouble spots that women struggle with and sucked us in with testimonials from fitness models that undoubtedly picked up a nifty paycheck for endorsing their wares. But spot reduction is a myth. Think about it – have you ever met someone with a flat stomach and fat arms? Didn't think so. If spot reduction was possible then undoubtedly one of these happy customers would have toned and tightened their stomach, yet kept their flabby arms.

The other myth that has led women astray is the belief that cardio is the best solution for fat loss. Treadmill manufacturers have sold the virtues of the ‘fat burning zone' and led us to believe that we could plod along on a treadmill watching Oprah and before long a flat stomach would be ours. These two myths have diverted us from the path of what really does work – resistance training. Resistance training is a flat stomach's best friend because not only does an effective resistance training session burn plenty of calories while you're doing it, but it keeps you're metabolism revved long after you're done. One recent study showed that you're metabolism would stay elevated for over 36 hours after a resistance training session.

Try to get that out of an aerobics class.

And there's another benefit of resistance training when it comes to getting a flat stomach. The lean muscle that you gain will raise you're resting metabolic rate and help you burn more fat all day long, each and every day.

There you have it, two ‘secrets' that are guaranteed to boost your metabolism and give you that flat stomach you've been longing for. So ditch the diet books and the aerobics classes and start eating supportively and resistance training. Before long that flat stomach will finally be yours.
About the Author
Holly Rigsby is a nationally recognized women’s fitness coach, certified personal trainer (CPT) and the author of the internationally popular e-book – Fit Yummy Mummy - Burn Your Baby Fat & Get Your Body Back. Go to http://www.fityummymummy.com to get your FREE copy of her special report: "The Five Ways To Boost Your Metabolism."

A Perfect Diet Plan for a Perfect Health! by Achal Mehrotra

Introduction

Any diet program is all about the amount of intake of proteins, carbohydrates and fats. By controlling the intake of calorie in the daily diet cab make the fat burn much easier in the body. Once a person has decided to lose weight, he or she has to opt for low carbohydrate diet program. With so many free diet programs available on internet it becomes very confusing that which is the correct one that will give the desired result. If in case a person follows a wrong diet chart then instead of losing weight, he/she can gain weight. So it is very important to select the appropriate diet program in order to avoid any negative impact.

Where to begin from?

The very first aim of any diet should be to prevent any future weight gain. Now the next step is to set a target. A target is very important to carry on any work. So set a realistic goal and work every day to achieve it. One should be patient and should not expect any fast result. Dieting is a lengthy process and takes time to show its effect. Anything done in a rush may end up giving unwanted results.

Problem and the solution

Many times it is seen that people are unable to resist the delicious cuisines all round after some days of diet. The person finally ends up eating them and losing track with the diet chart. The solution is simple. A dieter can have delicious food until it is healthy and has low calories content. For this, he or she can cook the meal by self or can order it from any diet food delivery service which specializes in such kind of meals.

Which one to opt for?

Preparing the meal by self is very time consuming as one has to do the cooking as well as the shopping. It may happen that one might forget to add some products or get bored of cooking healthy food. But on the contrary, the food delivery service will supply the food and all you have to do is heat it in a microwave and enjoy its taste. But the former one is quite cheaper than the delivery service. But if you are ready to shed some extra money on your diet then you can contact any food delivery service.

Conclusion

Irrespective of the diet plans you select, you should be serious and dedicated. The diet chart should be followed strictly without any regret. The end result should be attained at any condition.

About the Author

Did you like this article? You can also get articles for your websites at affordable prices. Please do check ourcontent writing services on Fiverr.com.

When It Comes to Weight Loss, Giving Up Is Not an Option by Lorraine Matthews-Antosiewicz

Working your way towards a healthier weight is not a simple task. Most people who are trying to lose weight need to break years - maybe decades - of unhealthy habits. As you may well know, this is not an easy undertaking. It requires an unwavering commitment to your diet and exercise plan even when life gets stressful - which is every day for most of us. There may be times when you feel like throwing in the towel, but if you are truly committed to losing weight giving up is not an option. Use these tips to stay motivated and be a winner at weight loss.

1. Plan for imperfection. Just like everyone, you will falter sometimes. Expect it; and come up with a few strategies to deal with your setbacks immediately. No matter how small, it's critical to have an action plan to get back on track. For example, let's say you decide to skip your Zumba class and go out to eat instead; and you end up overeating. Have a solid plan to start the next day with a healthy breakfast and make sure you get to the gym. Remember, a small relapse does not have to turn into a total collapse.

2. Maintain a supportive environment. If there are certain stores, foods or even friends that lead you to make unhealthy choices, keep your distance. You will be more likely to stay on track if you surround yourself with motivators - people, places and things that have a positive influence on helping you maintain your new healthier lifestyle.

3. Document your progress. Take stock of any and all positive changes you have made so far. Document your progress in a success journal as this will help build confidence in your ability to accomplish your goals. Whether you keep a journal next to your bed, in your office, or on your computer - it doesn't matter. The important thing is to write down each day's successes. A seemingly insignificant action such as making it to the gym after a sluggish day at work is - in reality - a huge accomplishment. Track your progress and acknowledge every healthy change you make. This is a great strategy to keep you moving forward.

4. Dress for success. Don't wait until you have lost all your weight to treat yourself to well-fitting clothes. A new skirt or pair of pants that can be tailored as you lose weight will make you feel good about yourself right now. Imagine a beautiful new wardrobe. Begin to build it one outfit at a time and get rid of your old "fat" clothes along the way. You won't be needing them any longer.

5. Take a break now and then. Stay engaged by planning a "cheat" every once in a while. Indulging in a special dessert or meal can make all the difference in the world when it comes to accomplishing your long-term goals. Give yourself a little controlled wiggle-room every now and then. This can keep you from falling off the wagon all together. However, once your "cheat" is over, get right back to your plan.

6. Share your commitment. It's kind of hard to blow off your weight loss plans when you share them with others. Spread the word to those around you that you intend to eat breakfast every day or take a walk during lunch, for example. Encourage people to call you out when they see that you are not sticking with your plan. Sometimes a simple reminder is all you need to follow through and make it happen.

7. Appreciate all your accomplishments. Instead of focusing just on the weight you aren't losing quick enough, focus on all you have accomplished so far; for example, feeling more energetic, saving money by not buying junk food, and being a good role model for your kids. It's more meaningful to look at the big picture rather than just the number on the scale.

8. Accept that change is hard. There will be some days - perhaps many days - when you will have to push yourself. On those hard days, you will need to find a way to do the right thing - go to the gym, stop at the grocery store rather than the drive-through, pack a lunch for tomorrow - in spite of the fact that you don't feel like it. Life is like that sometimes and you may need to - Just do it!

Bottom line

With all the stress and demands of everyday life, staying motivated to lose weight can be extremely challenging. I can help! My passion is working with people yearning to be thinner who have spent years failing at one diet after another. I incorporate scientifically-based nutrition and health information with specific techniques and strategies proven to be effective in motivating change.

About the Author

Lorraine Matthews-Antosiewicz, MS RD, is a food and nutrition expert specializing in weight management. She is committed to empowering people through education, support, and inspiration to make real changes that lead to optimal health and lasting weight loss. Sign up for her Free Consultation and receive expert advice on how to lose 20 lb - or more. Jump start your weight loss today! http://njnutritionist.com/freeconsult