7 Fat Loss Strategies For Busy Moms By Holly Rigsby, CPT

7 Fat Loss Strategies For Busy Moms

By Holly Rigsby, CPT
www.FitYummyMummy.com

Would you like to "jump start" your metabolism and lose your ‘mommy belly' once and for all? If so, the following seven tips are exactly what you need to improve your workouts and ignite your metabolism. Try some or all of these tips, but beware, the result may be a number of admiring second glances and the need to pull your ‘skinny jeans' out of the closet.

1. The majority of your workouts should be composed of free-weight, bodyweight or cable exercises.

Compared to machines, free-weight, bodyweight and cable movements often require more skill, create muscular balance, and have a greater metabolic cost. For example, it is more difficult to balance the weights, and to coordinate muscles when performing free-weight exercises. Although this may sound like a disadvantage, it is actually a benefit. By balancing and stabilizing free-weights or cables you are working more muscles through a greater range of motion resulting in more muscles developed and more calories burned.

2. Use exercises that work more than one muscle at a time.

When focusing on fat loss, you can't worry about "shaping" exercises, instead you should use exercises that'll get you the biggest bang for your buck and work as many muscles as possible. Isolation exercises can be used at the end of a workout to work on a specific target area, but they just serve to supplement your core movements.

Virtually every savvy fitness professional is privy to the fact that compound exercises recruit the most muscle groups for any given body part.

If you seek lean, toned muscles and the increase in metabolism that comes with them, you must choose exercises that work as many different muscles as possible. One of the main reasons why squats are superior to leg extensions for improving your body is that they also work your butt, hamstrings and inner thighs in addition to toning your quadriceps while leg extensions focus on just the front of your thigh and don't really offer any other benefit. That same rationale hold true for arm exercises too. That's why dumbell presses and dips will are more valuable for your arms than triceps kickbacks and pushdowns.

A good rule of thumb is to use movements that will allow you to use the most weight. These will have a systemic effect on your body that'll help maintain or increase your lean muscle, and in turn ignite your metabolism.

3. Pair exercises.

Pair your exercises together so that you alternate between upper-body exercises and lower-body exercises or between exercises that target opposing muscle groups (e.g. chest and back).

This type of approach will keep your workouts short and efficient by eliminating much of the downtime that comes between sets of a single exercise since you are working on one movement while resting from another. This approach can also yield huge benefits in your mission to burn fat. Since you'll constantly be moving and keeping your heart rate elevated, you'll be burning far more calories than you would during a typical workout.

4. Keep your reps between 8 and 12.

Through research, it has been determined that the best range for building lean muscle is roughly between 8-12 reps. Since the main focus of your resistance training efforts is to gain lean body mass and stimulate your metabolism, this rep range fills the bill perfectly. "High reps for tone and fat loss" is one of the biggest (and most unproductive) training myths! Somehow the aerobics, yoga and Pilates' community have convinced us that when we perform bodyweight exercises or light resistance training for high reps, our muscles magically take on a beautiful shape without growing or bulging. On the other hand, if you challenge yourself with moderately heavy weights, your body will take on a bulky, unflattering appearance. If you believe this, you probably still believe in the Tooth Fairy!

5. Rest only 30 to 60 seconds between sets.

When you keep the rest periods under one minute, it's easier to stay focused on the task at hand and keeps your heart rate elevated. In addition, it forces your muscles to recover more quickly between sets, along with keeping your nervous system revved up.

If your first movement in an upper/lower body pair is squats, you might want to rest 60 seconds before attempting your second movement. However, if your first exercise is a fairly "easy" exercise, like lat pull downs, you might only wish to wait 30 seconds before doing the second part of the pair.

6. Perform total body workouts.

You must drop the notion that muscle groups work independently of one another. Muscles work together and should be trained that way. Besides, not only does this approach mean less time in the gym, but by working the whole body three times per week, you'll be maximizing the fat burning effect of your program.

7. Cardio is not the cure-all for fat loss.

Cardiovascular exercise aids in the creation of a caloric deficit, but the caloric expenditure during cardio is temporary. Strength training addresses the core of the problem by permanently increasing the rate at which the body burns calories by adding muscle. The best programs will include both strength training and cardiovascular training, but the core or the programs effectiveness is resistance training.

Take these strategies and incorporate them into your workout routine. Not only will you save a lot of time, but you'll also soon see a leaner and more toned body. Not to mention a few more turned heads and the re-emergence of your skinny jeans.

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 http://www.fityummymummy.com to to get your FREE copy of her special report: "The Five Ways To Boost Your Metabolism."

Tips Avoid Holiday Pounds! By Steve Carney

In honor of Thanksgiving and the holiday season, I decided to offer some tips for avoiding holiday pounds. I've followed these approaches for years and they work great!

1. Appetizers

Go for more unprocessed foods like nuts, olives, veggies (minimize dips), guacamole and proteins like chicken or shrimp, with a few slices of cheese. Skip crackers, chips, breads or foods in fried or baked wrappers as the carbs will spike your blood glucose, adding to weight gain. Many pre-packaged foods also have extra salt, trans fats, sugar, preservatives and additives which can interfere with digestion.

2. Drinks

Hydrate as you go. Keep a glass of water nearby or alternate each drink of alcohol with a glass of water (for mixed drinks, you add water as you go before your next drink). The goal is to drink an equal amount of water for each drink you have. Sip your drinks and eat as you go to slow the rate of alcohol absorption. Red wine and beer are some good choices (1 or 2 drinks total) and go easy on mixed drinks or soda. For egg nog just have a small sample taste if you want.

3. Main meal

Focus on lean proteins and lots of veggies to fill your plate, especially with simple sauces like olive oil or light butter sauce. Watch the green bean casserole and fried onions! For white carbs, have smaller servings (about ½ a serving spoon) for mashed potatoes or bread dressing (wild and brown rice are good alternatives). You can skip rolls or bread (do you really need those today?). And a touch of gravy is enough as it's often thickened with refined flours/starches.

By having only small portions/tastes of white starches, you can participate in the meal and not offend the host. Sweet potatoes or yams are okay in a modest portions, but be careful of the sugary glazes and marshmallows! A small serving of cranberries is okay (aim for a few tablespoons).

4. Dessert

Go for sample sizes of pumpkin, fruit, or pecan pie (½ slice or less) with a dab of topping. With a sampling approach, you can enjoy a mix of flavors while you have the equivalent of one normal slice. Again, you can participate and sample and taste everything but avoid excess weight gain!

5. Multivitamin

Before you go out, take an extra multivitamin. That will help supply extra vitamins and minerals for the sweats, carbs and any alcohol you drink, keeping you out of deficits (you need vitamins and minerals to digest sweets and refined carbs properly).

The overall approach is to focus on whole foods and lean proteins with veggies, nuts, olives, etc. Keep the carbs and sweets to small, sample sizes and you will avoid those extra pounds. The hydration will also keep you fuller so you're be less prone to overeat.

And if you gain just a pound from this approach, you should lose it easily in a day or two as your body returns to its normal patterns! So you can enjoy this special holiday and those to follow with good food, family and friends!

Drop me a line if you have any questions, and let me know how things worked for you! Were you able to hold your weight pretty steady?

Helpful links:

http://www.endsicknessnow.com/toxic-sugar-and-health

http://www.endsicknessnow.com/power-your-life-with-power-foods-and-drinks

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Steve_Carney

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/7386508

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

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Matt_A_Hill

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/7385535

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.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Avy_Barnes

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/7390077

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!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Michael_U_Mordi

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/7362899

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]!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=M_Lee

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/1435085

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.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=T_L_Kuhn

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/7388108