Simple Weight Loss Exercises to Do At Home

Exercising at home has many benefits. For example, you have complete privacy, you can use your own facilities to shower and you do not have to travel when you exercise at home. However, there is the lack of equipment, but you should not let that discourage you. The following article is full of simple weight loss exercises that you can do in the comfort of your own home without the help of expensive equipment.

Jumping jacks

Jumping jacks are an awesome aerobic exercise. This exercise targets your arm, leg and abdominal muscles among many others. It also gets your heart beating and oxygen flowing through your blood, which is great for a healthy heart, and helps you lose weight faster.

Leg lifts

This exercise is very easy at first but becomes more difficult after a while. Lie down on your right side with your elbow bent, head in your hand and legs straight. Then, keep your left leg straight as you raise it up as high as you comfortably can. After a few reps, switch sides. This is an easy exercise to do while you watch television or read a book.

Crunches

When you do crunches, you start off in the same position you would if you were doing sit-ups. But, instead of sitting up, you curl your upper body upward while focusing on your abdominal muscles. Crunches are easier than sit-ups and more effective at toning your abdominal muscles. Also, since you can do crunches faster, it is easier to work up a sweat.

Jump rope

Like jumping jacks, jumping rope is a great aerobic exercise that also focuses on many muscle groups. Challenge yourself on your jump rope skills to make a game out of it for some fun. If you do not have a jump rope on hand, you can still do it if you know the motions.

Your home is a convenient, comfortable place for you to exercise. When you are having a busy day or just want to stay at home, try these simple weight loss exercises at home, and stick to your weight loss plans.

http://exercise.answers.com/weight-loss/simple-weight-loss-exercises-to-do-at-home

The Truth About Ab Exercise Equipment

Check out this really useful advice....

Why You May Be Losing Inches but Not Weight

During weight loss, it is not uncommon to be losing inches not weight. Some people fear that if they are not seeing a reduction of pounds on the scale, then weight loss is not happening. In all actuality, it’s quite the opposite. While you may not be seeing a decrease in pounds, you are likely seeing an increase in muscle, leading to a decrease in overall inches.

Determine Your Goals

Why do you want to lose weight? Do you simply want to reduce the number that is displayed on the scale and keep your figure the way it is? Or, are you, like most, trying to lose body fat and slim down? For the vast majority of people that are trying to “lose weight” that is the case. They want to look better and feel better. Rather than focusing on the numbers revealed on the scale, turn your attention to the reduction in inches lost to measure your weight loss progress.

Muscle vs. Fat

The key here is to understand the difference in muscle and fat. Because a pound is a pound no matter what you are measuring, one pound of fat is equal to one pound of fat. The common saying, “muscle weighs more than fat, ” is wrong. A pound is a pound, no matter what you measure. However, fat and muscle are composed of different substances, look different, have differing effects on the body and take up varying amounts of space in the body. Fat takes up more space in the body and has a lumpy appearance. Muscle, on the other hand, is lean and smooth. For visual purposes, picture a lean steak equal to the size of a regulation sized baseball. Now, picture approximately three times that much jello in a bowl. If these ingredients were placed in your body, would you prefer the lean, compact muscle or the jiggling bowl of jello? A person weighing 150 pounds, with 14% body fat will look much leaner than a person who weighs 120 pounds with 35% body fat.

Losing Inches Instead of Weight

Now that you understand the different characteristics of fat and muscle, you are probably likely to reconsider your weight loss goals. Losing inches doesn’t seem so shabby when it’s put into perspective. The most common culprit for a loss of inches rather than a loss of pounds is that of muscle development. When fat is burned and muscle is replaced, your body may stay the exact same weight. However, you have replaced lumpy, jiggly and unhealthy amounts of fat with lean, solid muscle. An equal amount of muscle will take up approximately half as much space as the same amount of fat.

Burn Baby, Burn

To continue losing fat and developing muscle mass it is important to provide your muscles with adequate amounts of protein. Protein fuels the muscles within your body, just as unleaded gas fuels the vehicle in your garage. Lean meats, such as chicken, lamb, turkey and fish are excellent sources of protein. In addition, resistance training is a proven method for developing muscle mass.

http://www.3fatchicks.com/why-you-may-be-losing-inches-but-not-weight/

Can I Eat as Many Sugar-Free Foods as I Want?

You might be surprised to learn that "sugar-free" does not necessarily mean carbohydrate-free or calorie-free. Although some sugar substitutes do not add calories or carbohydrate, many do. And it is the carbohydrate that has the greatest effect on blood glucose.

People with diabetes do not manage their condition by cutting "sugary" foods out of their diet. If you have diabetes, you can eat sugar-containing foods as part of your overall meal plan, as long as you account for the carbohydrate and calories in the food as part of your overall meal plan. Similarly, if you eat lots of so-called "sugar-free" foods, they may have replaced sucrose (sugar) with sweet tasting substances like sorbitol, mannitol, xylitol, isomalt, and hydrogenated starch hydrolysates. These are all "sugar alcohols," which are technically not "sugar" but are high in carbohydrate. 

Others may be sweetened with fructose, polydextrose, and maltodextrin, which also contain calories and carbohydrate. These foods will affect your blood glucose just as a sugar-containing food would, in proportion to the grams of carbohydrate in each serving of the food. In addition, foods containing these sugar alcohols can cause stomach discomfort and diarrhoea if eaten in large quantities.

Other foods may be sweetened with aspartame or other non-caloric sweeteners like saccharin, acesulfame potassium, or sucralose. These sweeteners contain no carbohydrate. But again, you need to check the food label to see how many grams of carbohydrate are in each serving, because "sugar-free" does not mean "carbohydrate-free." Some of the foods sweetened with non-caloric sweeteners (like aspartame-sweetened sodas) may indeed have no carbohydrate, and will have no effect on your blood glucose.

Others, like an aspartame-sweetened yogurt, still contain carbohydrate (from the fruit or milk products in the yogurt) which must be calculated in your meal plan. These foods contain caloric sweeteners in combination with non-caloric sweeteners.

Work with your dietician to learn how much of different types of foods you can eat at each meal and snack. Very likely your dietician will offer you the opportunity to use carbohydrate counting as a way to use meal planning to manage your blood glucose.

In carbohydrate counting, you learn how many grams of carbohydrate you should aim for at each meal and snack. Then you read food labels and use carbohydrate gram counting food lists to figure out how you can "spend" the grams of carbohydrate allocated for a particular meal. You devise your meals based on how many grams of carbohydrate you can eat and how many grams of carbohydrate are in the various foods that comprise a given meal.

http://www.joslin.org/info/can_i_eat_as_many_sugar_free_foods_as_i_want.html

Best Low Impact Exercises to Strengthen Back Muscles

Stronger back muscles mean better posture and balance and less susceptibility to injury. If you have suffered a back injury or have limited movement, work to make your back stronger with these low-impact exercises to strengthen back muscles.

Abdominal Contraction

This exercise requires you to get on the floor. Bend your knees so that your feet lie flat on the floor. Place your hands under your rib cage, then tighten your abdominal muscles while squeezing your ribs toward your back. Hold this squeeze for about eight seconds, then relax. Complete this exercise ten times twice a day. You can increase the difficulty of the exercise by raising your hips and holding the squeeze a few seconds longer.

Leg Raises

While still lying down, straighten one leg while keeping the other bent. Keep your lower back stable and tighten your abdominal muscles, then lift your straight leg about 12 inches off of the floor. Hold for about three seconds and lower the leg back down. This exercise should be repeated for each leg five times.

Wall Squats

Stand up against the wall with your feet about 12 inches in front of your body. Slowly bend your knees and slide down the wall, keeping your back stable and abs tight. Once your knees have reached a 45-degree angle, return to a standing position. Perform this exercise 10 times.

Walking

Walking at a moderate pace stimulates blood flow to help heal an injured back. After you have completed the aforementioned exercises, walk on a treadmill for about 20 minutes. Keep your spine straight and your abs tight to keep your back protected. Do not start running on the treadmill until you have been cleared to do so by a medical professional.

Injured or ailing back muscles can benefit from these low-impact exercises. If you are recovering from a back injury, consult with a medical professional prior to starting an exercise routine to make sure you do not do further damage to your back.

http://exercise.answers.com/low-impact-exercise/best-low-impact-exercises Exercises to Strengthen Back Muscles

Kale Smoothies

Does this scare you? A little?

It’s OK; it scared me at first, too. My mom saw it and, well, I don’t think I should share this part publicly, but you know how good I am with keeping a tight lid on things that should remain private. She stared as I sipped it—eyes wide—then immediately turned away and covered her mouth, gagging at what she’d just witnessed. “Andrea it looks like…” Stop.there. 

But honestly, it’s not toxic sludge, even if that’s the impression you got. I’m really selling it, aren’t I?

Let me start by telling what it is: a [harmless] green smoothie. Frozen banana, almond milk, yogurt, and kale—the ingredient that imparts that lovely Hulk-green hue.

*To freeze a banana for your smoothie, peel it, break it into chunks, seal it in a small plastic baggie or an airtight container, and toss it in the freezer until you’re ready to blend.

I also added chia seeds because I recently bought a wacky amount of them on Amazon after reading so many of their amazing health benefits online (among other virtues, they’re a fantastic source of omega-3 fatty acids). I really enjoy the crunch they add to my oatmeal and smoothies lately, but I chose not to include them in the recipe because I do not expect anyone to run out and purchase such a pricey ingredient only to use one tablespoon in a single-serving smoothie.

 Here’s what I love about this drink—a shake, if you’ll indulge me: it’s essentially good health in a glass. So many nutrients, so little time to consume them. We’ve all heard about what a superfood kale is. It’s THE most popular of vegetables right now. Kale salads, kale chips, kale juice…all kale, all the time. But for most of us, unless we’re cooking this tough, slightly bitter green, or massaging the leaves to break down it’s cellulose structure (essentially wilting it), it’s rather hard to consume it truly raw, or at least—in large quantities. So blending a few generous handfuls into a smoothie makes ingesting this superfood a cinch. It also adds bulk to the drink, making it feel more substantial, and a low-glycemic dose of fiber, making for slower digestion and more even blood sugar levels than using banana alone.

Things to keep in mind: this is not sweet. Trust that I will not be the health zealot who swears to you it tastes “just like a milkshake!” Because it does not. It tastes good, yes, and satisfying in that wholesome kind of way that eating well always does, yes, but it’s also a bit earthy in flavor, too. And it’s even got some grit to it. But I have to venture a guess that if you’re indeed going ahead and making this smoothie, you’re likely OK with these things.

If you do, however, find yourself needing some sugar (and don’t we all?) ain’t no shame in adding a teaspoon or two of sugar or a few drops of stevia, if that’s your thing. I just found liquid stevia at Trader Joe’s, obviously impulse bought it, and this week I sampled it for the first time. Initial thoughts? Not bad.

Kale Smoothie

Yield: 1 Smoothie

Ingredients

• 1 medium banana (freezing it beforehand is optional)
• 2 cups kale, stemmed and roughly torn into pieces
• 1 cup nonfat Greek yogurt
• 1 cup almond milk
• 1 teaspoon sugar or sweetener of choice (optional)

Instructions

1. If frozen, add the banana to the blender first and pulse until smooth.
2. Add the kale, yogurt, almond milk, and optional sugar to the blender. If your banana is not frozen, add it to the blender now. Blend until all ingredients are well combined and the mixture is smooth and light green in color. Serve immediately.

Notes

Nutrition Information for 1 Smoothie (Entire Recipe, Not Including Optional Sugar/Sweetener): Calories 300, Total Fat 4.9 g, Total Carbohydrate 49.6 g, Dietary Fiber 9.3 g, Sugars 23.7 g, Protein 22.2 g

http://www.canyoustayfordinner.com/2013/05/28/kale-smoothie/

8 Super Fast Ways of Getting Rid of Belly Fat

Believe the hype! Fast ways to lose weight do exist! In fact, you might be surprised at how many quick, effective ways to lose weight quickly there actually are. All you need to do is read and implement:

1. Prepare Your Own Meals
Preparing your own meals is the #1 step in fast and successful weight loss. This way you can control your portions, that are usually two to three times larger in restaurants. Start simple by making one meal a day. (ie: breakfast) A nutritious yet low-calorie breakfast, like oatmeal or eggs with yogurt or fresh fruit on the side.

2. Eat Normal Serving Sizes
It’s pretty important to know how much food a normal size serving is. One serving of meat or fish should be about the size of the inside of your palm. A serving of carbs should be the size of your fist. Open up both hands and your serving of veggies should fit right in there, and any healthy fats should be about the size of the top of your thumb. More importantly, if you feel full do not make yourself eat up everything you have on your plate. Your body knows when it’s the right time to stop.

3. Eat More Fiber
Fiber is absolutely essential for healthy weight loss! Your digestive system will run more smoothly, your body will be able to naturally detox, your metabolism will go up, and you will feel healthier overall. Make oatmeal your daily breakfast, and have a few vegetable salads during the day to get all the fiber you need, and you will be amazed at how fast those pounds start falling off!

4. DO NOT Skimp on Protein
It’s important to have a balanced diet when trying to lose weight FAST. Protein helps build muscle, and muscle burns fat! That’s why you need to make sure that you consume an adequate amount of protein with each meal. Eggs, white meat, and fish are always the best natural sources of protein. But if you are vegetarian, you might enjoy tofu, beans, asparagus, and quinoa. Protein helps you feel fuller, and repairs your muscles after workouts. As a bonus, it contributes to the beauty of your skin, nails, and hair.

5. Never Starve Yourself
This is a common mistake when trying to find a way to lose weight. I’ve been there, and from my personal experience I can tell you that skipping meals in order to lose weight DOES NOT WORK. First of all it’s distracting, as you can not stop thinking about food. Second of all, the few pounds I managed to lose came back in abundance the week I started eating normally again. The thing is, starving yourself immediately sends your body into “starvation mode” which basically means the body is trying to reserve the very same fat that we are trying to burn off. And don’t forget what a toll it takes on your overall health and your metabolism… Eek!

6. EAT 3 Small Meals and 2 Snacks Rather Than 3 Big Meals
The more often you eat, the less you eat and the less hungry you feel before each meal, which inevitably leads you to consuming less overall. Just make sure the 2 snacks you have in-between meals are actually healthy. Boiled eggs, a handful of almonds, an apple, a piece of string cheese, a Lara bar, or a piece of chicken breast will be the perfect choice.

7. Schedule Your Snacks
We’ve already covered the reasons why eating 5 times a day is an absolute must for all of us who want to lose weight fast and keep it off. What we also need to do is to make sure we snack on a schedule too! To make it easier to remember when to have your snacks, schedule them 3 hours after breakfast and before lunch, and 3 hours after lunch, which would also be about 3 hours before dinner. Eat at the same time every day and your body will know exactly when to expect its next meal. That translates to no unnecessary cravings, emotional eating, and off-schedule snacking, which are just a few things that prevent us from taking the weight off fast!

8. Don’t Bring the Enemy Home (AKA: Junk Food)
This is also one of the most effective ways to lose weight, ladies. Don’t buy junk food and don’t bring it home! It’s that easy! You won’t eat what you don’t have around. When I start craving french fries, for example, I simply microwave a nice big yam and sprinkle it with a little cinnamon (which is touted as a miracle spice, because it increases your metabolism). And for all the rest, make sure you do your shopping after a nice big healthy meal so you don’t reach for impulse items.

http://www.jewishjournal.com/sima_says/item/8_super_fast_ways_to_lose_weight Getting Rid of Belly Fat

Sauna Suit Weight Loss – Do They Really Help?

For many years sauna suits have been a quick solution in weight loss. The sauna suit has been successful because its ability to help rid the body of water trapped at cellular level. Those of us who have used these suits before have noticed results in no time.

The Reason they work so well is because it gives you the same effect as you would have if you were in a sauna. We all know when using these garments we sweat a great deal. The good thing is, when we perspire we detox our bodies and that maintains are immune system. We will go through a couple solid benefits of sauna suits below in this article.

Here’s A Couple of Sauna Suit Benefits

Fat Loss - When working out in a sauna suit it adds intensity to your workouts. The reason for this is it raises core temperature making you work twice as hard. When core temperature is raised due to these suits, it allows calories to be burned at a greater rate which in turns meaning more fat being burned.

Increased Metabolism – We know that the sauna suit increases core temperature, but as it increases core temperature it in return promotes blood flow. When blood flow is increased, the transport of nutrients throughout the body is at a greater pace. One of the top sauna suit benefits is that it increases your metabolism.

Detoxification Process – When wearing a sauna suit one of the benefits that we gain from these garments is the cleansing of the body that it provides. As our temperature rises during exercise we start to perspire. When we sweat the pores of our skin open and the release of toxins in our body are carried away. So wearing a sauna suit benefits you by aiding in the detoxification of the body.

Increases Blood Flow – By using sauna suits during exercise or just wearing them in general, it has a significant effect on blood circulation. One benefit that increased blood flow has is it transports nutrients in the body and injuries are healed faster. This happens because oxygenated fresh blood is carried to muscles. So sauna suits benefits you by aiding in the process of healing as well.

The Cure For Fluid Retention – Fluid retention know as (edema) is when fluid is not removed from the body and is stored at cellular level. These fluids come from a high sodium intake and for women it occurs during menstrual cycles. Complications cause swelling of several different body parts such as the hands, feet and ankles. Wearing a sauna suit benefits you in the process of eliminating fluid retention held by the cells and the skin.

Conclusion of Sauna Suit Benefits

As discussed above there are numerous sauna suit benefits but if not used correctly they can cause serious health conditions as well. If it is not used properly they can cause dehydration, cramps, vomiting and in serious cases death. So remember always stay hydrated and before using them, always consult with your physician.

http://exxtremeathletics.com/sauna-suit-benefits-do-they-really-help/

Is Weight Loss with Hypnosis Effective?

Weight loss with hypnosis may help you shed an extra few pounds when it's part of a weight-loss plan that includes diet, exercise and counseling. But it's hard to say definitively because there isn't enough solid scientific evidence about weight-loss hypnosis alone.

Hypnosis is a state of inner absorption and concentration, like being in a trance. Hypnosis is usually done with the help of a hypnotherapist using verbal repetition and mental images. When you're under hypnosis, your attention is highly focused, and you're more responsive to suggestions, including behavior changes that can help you lose weight.

A few studies have evaluated the use of weight-loss hypnosis. Most studies showed only slight weight loss, with an average loss of about 6 pounds (2.7 kilograms). But the quality of some of these studies has been questioned, making it hard to determine the true effectiveness of weight-loss hypnosis.

Weight loss is usually best achieved with diet and exercise. If you've tried diet and exercise but are still struggling to meet your weight-loss goal, talk to your health care provider about other options or lifestyle changes that you can make. Don't rely on weight-loss hypnosis alone because it's unlikely to lead to significant weight loss.

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/weight-loss-hypnosis/AN01617 Weight Loss with Hypnosis

Top 4 Health Benefits of Dance

Dancing is a great way for people of all ages to get and stay in shape. Besides being fun, dancing has many positive health benefits. The following are the top 4 health benefits of dance.

1. Flexibility

Flexibility is an important part of being healthy. Dance requires a great amount of flexibility. Most dance classes begin with a warm-up including several stretching exercises. Dancers must strive to achieve full range of motion for all the major muscle groups. The greater the range of motion, the more muscles can flex and extend. Most forms of dance require dancers to perform moves that require bending and stretching, so dancers naturally become more flexible by simply dancing.

2. Strength

Strength is defined as the ability of a muscle to exert a force against resistance. Dancing builds strength by forcing the muscles to resist against a dancer's own body weight. Many styles of dance, including jazz and ballet, require jumping and leaping high into the air. Jumping and leaping require tremendous strength of the major leg muscles. Ballroom dancing builds strength. Consider the muscle mass a male ballroom dancer develops by lifting his partner above his head!

3. Endurance

Dance is physical exercise. Exercise increases endurance. Endurance is the ability of muscles to work hard for increasingly longer periods of time without fatigue. Regular dancing is great for improving endurance, especially vigorous dancing such as line and ballroom dancing. Elevating the heart rate can increase stamina. Just as in any form of exercise, regular dancing will build endurance.

4. Sense of Well-Being

Dancing is a social activity. Studies have shown that strong social ties and socializing with friends contribute to high self-esteem and a positive outlook. Dancing provides many opportunities to meet other people. Joining a dance class can increase self-confidence and build social skills. Because physical activity reduces stress and tension, regular dancing gives an overall sense of well-being.

http://dance.about.com/od/danceandyourhealth/tp/Health-Benefits.htm

6 Tips on Maintaining Weight-Loss Motivation

Trying to lose weight, but finding it hard to stay motivated? Get inspired with these 6 tips on maintaining your weight loss motivation.

1. Remember your initial reasons for wanting to lose weight.
Recall why it was so important to you to slim down when you started this journey, and why you need to persevere.

2. Use physical reminders of your goal.
Keep a picture of an outfit you’re going to buy when you reach your goal, or a photograph of a thinner you where you will see it every day.

3. Keep in mind how far you’ve come.
Compare yourself now to where you were before you started losing weight. How much weight have you lost? How much better do your clothes fit you? How has your energy level and health improved? What can you do now that you couldn’t do before? Going back to your old eating habits won’t seem so tempting when you think how it will undermine all the good things that weight loss has brought you so far.

4. Try the “shopping bag cure.”
Often, people don’t realize how much weight actually weighs. Sounds crazy, but when people tell me they’ve lost “only” 20 pounds, I ask them to fill a couple of shopping bags with 20 pounds of books and carry them up and down the stairs a few times. Everyone is always glad to put the bags down and report that they had no idea how heavy 20 pounds really is.

So the next time you’re feeling uninspired, fill a shopping bag or two with the amount of books or cans of food that equals how much weight you’ve lost and carry them up and down a flight of stairs three times. You’ll be amazed at what you’ve lost, and you’ll be relieved to put the bag down. You couldn’t have put that weight down weeks ago, when it was still around your waist, hips and thighs!

Keep the bag intact, and add more books or cans as you continue to lose weight. It’s a wonderful motivator.

5. Get support.
Buddy up with friends, a spouse or family members who are trying to lose weight. They will give you a sense of camaraderie and encouragement as you strive for your goal, and you can turn to them for support when you need it.

6. The $10 cure
This is a motivator that people often stumble upon by accident. The siren song of a greasy lunch draws them into a fast-food chain, where they order a burger with the works, a large french fries and a shake. Mid-afternoon, they feel lousy and can barely keep their eyes open – they’ve found out the hard way where straying from healthy food choices gets you.

I call this the $10 cure because it’s the food version of what immigrants (like me) used to call the “$1,000 cure.” Whenever a new arrival, after a long, cold winter in Canada, started to pine for “the old country,” the cure was to get on a plane and go home for a week. All the reasons that originally persuaded the person to emigrate would come crashing back, and the thought of flying back to Canada would begin to look pretty good again.

With food, the cure costs less – say, $10. But this is a motivator of last resort only; I certainly don't want to encourage people to abuse their bodies and feel awful! However, if you’ve been unceasingly pining for unhealthy foods, go out for lunch with some friends and order a high-G.I. meal – perhaps a couple of slices of double-cheese pizza, a Coke and a brownie. Your mouth may enjoy it, but I guarantee that a couple hours later you’ll be regretting the deviation!

Staying motivated is crucial to successful weight loss. It keeps you focused and on the right path, and it will get you through the pitfalls you’ll encounter. Be sure to use all six of the above strategies – and you probably have a couple of your own that work well.

http://www.canadianliving.com/health/nutrition/6_tips_on_maintaining_weight_loss_motivation_2.php

Does Apple Cider Vinegar Reduce Belly Fat?

Is it true that apple cider vinegar could help to cut belly fat?

Apple cider vinegar is made from the fermentation of apples, and has been touted for its weight loss benefits for centuries.

It is not totally clear if apple cider vinegar works in cutting fat, however, it is generally believed that the apple cider vinegar causes weight loss by acting as an appetite suppressant, increasing the body's metabolic rate by reducing water retention, and generally helping to maintain a feeling of wellness.

In addition, apple cider vinegar is also helpful in slowing the rise of your sugar level after a meal, therefore the body produces less insulin resulting in weight loss. Apple cider vinegar is also good for diabetics.

To answer your question, apple cider vinegar may help in general weight loss, which would also include reducing your stomach. However, studies have shown that by just doing an apple cider vinegar diet alone, one only loses an average of two pounds per month.

Generally, one to two tablespoons of apple cider vinegar is placed in water before meals. Supplements are even sold in stores.

In general, to lose belly fat, apple cider vinegar at best is only a part of the story and it is a treatment unproven by science.

In order to lose belly fat and keep it off, a healthy lifestyle programme would have to be adopted. Here are a few tips that would help:

1. Do a detox programme.

2. Reduce or eliminate white rice, white flour, sodas, fried foods and snacks from your diet.

3. Try to eat more vegetables and fruits or drink vegetable juices. Or you could eat protein with vegetables and carbohydrates.

4. Avoid eating too late at nights.

5. Try to get at least one to two bowel movements for the day.

6. Aloe vera juices can be added to the diet.

7. Drink six to eight glasses of water daily.

8. Do cardiovascular exercises followed by crunches for at least half an hour per day.

Excess body fat is no joke and should be treated seriously. Studies are also now showing that the waist circumference is a better indicator for predisposition to cardiovascular diseases and diabetes, than one's body mass index (BMI). It is very important for males to keep the circumference below 40 and for females below 36. In my practice, what I have found is that a large tummy is usually associated with one or all of the following:

1. Being genetically predisposed.

2. Poor eating habits or food choices.

3. Eating late at nights.

4. A sedentary lifestyle.

5. Constipation.

http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/magazines/allwoman/Does-apple-cider-vinegar-reduce-belly-fat_11205481

6 Real Weight Loss Motivation Tips to Help You Make the Most of Your Weight Loss Program

When you are beginning a new weight loss program (or trying to make your current weight loss program work for you) it can be a big help to have some handy tips to help you along. A weight loss program is almost always a huge undertaking for a lot of people and as such breaking down your program is going to break down your work and it’s going to make sticking to your weight loss program a lot easier for you to stick to, and thus a lot more effective!

Weight Loss Motivation Tip #1: Get Real! This is the first weight loss tip you’re going to see in any article claiming weight loss tips. It’s because setting unrealistic goals in your weight loss program is the most common error that deters a lot of people from really sticking with it. While it’s good to have an ultimate goal, you want to set smaller goals for you to meet along the way. Setting smaller goals allows you to achieve them and get ever closer to your ultimate goal. Baby steps is the key to any weight loss program. You have to learn to crawl before you can walk right?

Weight Loss Motivation Tip #2: Preparation! Preparation! Preparation! This is the most painful part at the start of any weight loss program, but it’s one of the best things to do to get you started on your path to weight loss. It’s time to get rid of your potato chips, your Coke, your hidden treasure trove of chocolate, and anything else you might have stashed away. Having this stuff around makes it way too easy for you to cheat while on your weight loss program, and unless you are a self-control machine then there’s no way you’re going to meet the goals you’ve set for yourself unless you take the precautionary steps to remove temptation. Make a list of the healthy foods you need and stock them in mass quantities. If you’re worried about healthy food not tasting as good, look up some health food recipes because there is good stuff out there!

Weight Loss Motivation Tip #3: A Rewarding Weight Loss Program is a Successful Weight Loss Program. It’s something you’ll learn in any first year psychology class, human beings naturally excel at tasks when there is tangible or periodic reward. You want to buy that new CD that just came out? Well if you meet your next goal then treat yourself to your favourite music. Beware with rewards though, don’t reward yourself with junk food, you’ve gotta stick to that weight loss program!

Weight Loss Motivation Tip #4: The Most Important Meal of The Day! You’ve heard the saying so many times about Breakfast being the most important meal of the day, but why do people say that all the time anyway? It’s because it’s true. Your breakfast provides you with the energy to keep going through the day, and eating a healthy breakfast will actually help you with your weight loss. When you don’t eat breakfast it actually tricks your body in to believing that it could be starving and so it goes in to a mode which not only will hinder your self control around junk food, but it will also try and guard against the burning of precious fats and calories in your body (because you need that stuff to survive if you happen to be starving!) Always make sure to eat a complete breakfast! It really is the most important meal of the day!

Weight Loss Motivation Tip #5: Don’t Just Eat Healthy, ACT Healthy! Hopefully your weight loss program already includes something about getting plenty of exercise. It’s important to complement your weight loss program with a healthy dose of exercise. In fact, it’s one of the big factors that can make or break your weight loss program. The fact is that if you can stick to a weight loss program which involves a proper diet and exercise, no matter what program it is, you WILL lose weight! It’s what your body needs!

Weight Loss Motivation Tip # 6: So You Like To Sleep? That’s Good! 7-8 Hours of Sleep per night. That’s what the average adult needs each and every day. It keeps your body working in perfect order, it repairs all parts of your body and mind intact and you need to keep both of those at your best in any weight loss program! If you can follow these six simple tips, I have no doubt that you’re going to see some results in trying to lose weight! The power to lose weight is in your hands though, you’ve got to be the one that makes you stick to both these tips and your own personal weight loss program, if you can do that then you’re going to lose weight! Good Luck!

http://www.weightlossecretstore.com/weight-loss-program/6-real-weight-loss-tips-to-help-you-make-the-most-of-your-weight-loss-program/

A Muscle Building Workout You Can Do Without Weights

If you want to build muscle, barbell exercises are the easiest way. The problem: you need weights. Not everyone can afford expensive gym memberships or buy a home gym. Maybe you don’t feel the need to get huge, but would still like to gain a little muscle and tone what you already have. Fortunately, there are some simple yet effective exercises you can use to sculpt your body. Here’s a muscle building workout you can do without weights:

Body-weight Exercises

Your body needs a reason to build muscle. That reason is stress. Exercising will stress your body & force it to build muscle. You don’t have access to weights, so you’ll use body-weight exercises:

Pull-ups. Build back & arms muscles. Doorway pull-up bars or any surface where you can hang from work. If you can’t do one rep with correct pull-up technique: use momentum, ask someone to help you or use a resistance band to assist you on the way up.

Push-ups. Build chest, shoulders & arm muscles. Use a full range of motion: arms locked on the way up, nose against the floor on the way down. Put your knees on the floor if you can’t do one push-up. Switch to regular push-ups when this gets easy.

Squats. Build leg muscles. Put your hands behind your head & bend through your knees. Keep your heels on the floor, push your knees out, look forward & squeeze your glutes on the way up. Stretch your hamstrings 3 times a week if you can’t squat lower than parallel.

Training Program

SimpleFit.org has a 3 day a week routine based on the above exercises. It takes less than 90mins a week. Easy to mix with your work, business, relationship & hobbies.

Progression

You must get stronger to build muscle. Doing 100 reps of an exercise builds endurance, not strength. Switch to more challenging exercises once you can do more than 20 pull-ups, push-ups or squats.

Rings. Push-ups & pull-ups using rings are harder: you need to stabilize the rings while doing the exercises.

One Arm Push-ups. Start with Incline One Arm Push-ups: one hand on a high box. Decrease the height as you get stronger until you can do them on the floor. Then switch to feet elevated One Arm Push-ups: feet on a box, gradually increasing the height.

One Arm Pull-ups. Pull-ups with one arm. Tricky to master.

One Leg Squats. Start with One Leg Box Squats: lower yourself on a box. Start with a high box & gradually decrease the height. Switch to One Leg Squats once you can do them from a very low box.

External Resistance. You could consider this as weights but I’m adding it anyway. Wear a rucksack filled with water bottles or books while doing the exercises. Wear a weighted vest. Wrap some chains around your upper-body while doing the exercises. Use adjustable ankle/wrist weights. Use a belt, chain, carabiner & weights.

Nutrition

You need solid nutrition to build strength & muscle. Eat at least your body-weight in lbs x 18 kcal. Go for these foods:

Protein. 1g/lbs daily. Meat, poultry, fish, eggs, whey, etc.

Fat. Balance your omega 3, 6 & 9 intake.

Veggies. All kinds, especially green fibrous veggies.

Fruit. Also all kinds. Eat veggies and/or fruits with every meal.

Water. 1 liter per 1000 calories you expend.

Whole Grain Carbs. Oats, rice, pasta, breads.

http://www.pickthebrain.com/blog/muscle-building-workout/