Jelly Belly Be Gone

Don’t be like so many people who put fear above their real desire to lose unwanted fat, thus ensuring a healthy life.

Constantly we see people refusing to lift weights due to “intimidation” or self-consciousness. Not all people in the free-weight area are built like Tarzan or Jane. And you can be sure that Tarzan and Jane couldn’t care less about your thighs or waist; they’re too busy fretting over their own bodies. Yes, they are. If you think someone has the perfect body, do not assume that she isn’t just as self-conscious as you may be. This is about you, and only you. You paid for your gym membership, nobody else did. You have the right to enjoy working out anywhere you want in the club.

Missing a meal doesn’t seem so bad. You don’t need those extra calories anyway, right?

Wrong. When you skip a meal, your body slows down your metabolism to hold on to your existing fuel supply.

Here are three better ways to burn blubber fat faster:

When you work out, speed up and slow down. You can interval train with any form of cardio, from the elliptical machine to cycling.

Perform a bodyweight routine 12 hours before or after your intense weight-training sessions. A handful of pushups and squats will send your fat burners into overdrive.

Nosh on more protein, one of the hottest-burning food sources out there. Your body uses twice as much energy to break down protein than it does to break down carbs. Translation: Eggs in the morning, string cheese for a snack, salmon for dinner. You’re good to go.

Many activities are more fun and effective if you do them with others. Basketball, chess, cycling: All more exciting when you are not out there alone. Same goes for losing unwanted belly fat. It seems like a solitary activity, chipping pounds away with exercise and discipline, but exercising as a group may actually help you decrease your body fat faster.

Some obese people who came together said the once-a-week group workouts were crucial to their weight-loss success. “And this was not just because of the accountability factor, but also because of the camaraderie. And, frankly, they said it was a lot more fun to exercise with buddies than to sweat through a workout alone.”

Unlike popular belief, group exercise is not just for women anymore. If running is your thing, get a group together during lunch to sweat off afternoon stress. Try joining a bike riding team, and make losing weight  fun and more effective.

Self-efficacy is the belief that you can do what is required of you to achieve an objective, like losing unwanted belly fat. Self-efficacy is to successful weight management as the best start in a 2-yard dash is to winning the race—without it, you’re in big trouble.

If you lack self-efficacy, you might not be able (or willing) to put in the sustained effort required to lose weight and keep it off permanently. But when you do have self-efficacy, you’ll be able to view the little setbacks and bad days as interesting challenges to overcome. And more importantly, you’ll be able to transform these experiences into opportunities to learn more about yourself and become increasingly more skillful—instead of watching helplessly as problems erode your motivation to continue.

Need to shed the jelly-belly and don’t know where to start? You may not know it, but there are several things that you can start doing right this moment that can help you move towards your weight loss goal.

Weigh Yourself:- One of the most important parts of any weight loss program is remaining aware of your numbers. Select a set time and day to jump on the scale and track your progress

Get off the Couch:- Make sure to limit the amount of TV that you watch each day. Not only does watching TV keep you inactive, but a recent study also showed that those who watched more than two hours of TV per day actually consumed more sugary snacks.

Call a Friend:- Some of the most successful weight loss programs involve the buddy system. Whether it’s a friend who is also taking part in the diet, or just someone who is willing to lend an ear, make sure to gab about your weight loss plan whenever you feel the need for some support.

Keep a Journal:- A recent study showed that obese adults who recorded their food and exercise habits over a 6-month period actually lost twenty pounds—nearly twice the amount of those who did not keep a record.

Get Enough Sleep:- Be sure to get seven hours of sleep at night. Why? A recent study showed that people who were deprived of their snooze time actually had lower levels of the hormones responsible for controlling appetites.

Whether traveling for work or pleasure, you don’t have to forsake your workout and exercise plan. Even if you find yourself pressed for time, there are some great ways you can work your abs and glutes while away.

Exercise 1:  Squats

Stand in front of any chair, make sure your feet are about hip width apart, and keep your feet and heels in a nice straight line.  Attempt to sit repeatedly without actually sitting. Squats are an excellent exercise because they strengthen the front of your thighs, tone the back of the legs, and they firm your glutes.

Exercise 2: Side Bends

For this one you need a good wide stance, so make sure your feet are wider in distance than your hips.  Put your hands behind your head, elbows wide. Turn your toes out a little, and then bend at the knees like a squat, but hold it.   Then slowly bend from the right side to the left, moving your elbow toward your thigh. Do this for at least thirty seconds at a slow pace bending side to side. Great for slimming your waistline!

Exercise 3: Walking Lunges

Stand in place and step forward with your right foot, and then lower the left knee toward the floor.  Keep those heels straight and in line with the toe. Do this by alternating each leg for at least 12-14 lunges.

Exercise 4: Bicycle-style Ab Crunches

Lying on your back, place your hands behind your head. Bend the legs so that feet are on the floor and knees are up. Then bring opposite knee to elbow, with the other elbow resting comfortably on the floor, until you switch sides consecutively for at least ten or more times.

Celebrated on the third Sunday in June in 52 countries and other days elsewhere, Father’s Day grew from one woman’s tribute to her father to the grand observance that it is today.  But no matter the day or the location, the premise is the same – to honor and commemorate the men who have had our backs and given of themselves tirelessly. What better way to repay dads unwavering love and protection than to offer them the gift of good health. These important tips will ensure that Dad remains heart healthy and fit for life. It’s the gift that keeps on giving.

1. Eat a healthy diet, low in fat but high in fruits and vegetables.

2. Get at least 30 minutes of physical activity at least 5 days a week.

3. Annual physical exams and screenings are a must.

4. Love the skin you’re in. When you’re taking Dad out for his special day, be sure that he uses a sunscreen with at least SPF15 and tries to cover himself as much as possible between 10am and 4pm when the sun is at its highest point.

5. Click It or Ticket. Safety first — wearing a helmet while biking and a seatbelt in the car can protect dad from serious injury and even death in the event of a crash.

6. Drink Responsibly.

7. Say No to Tobacco.

8. Prevent Arthritis. The most common type of arthritis is osteoarthritis. Dad can lessen the pain through weight control and injury prevention as well as early diagnosis and an appropriate management plan.

9. Not Just for Kids. Get Vaccinated.

10. Spend a little quality time.

Happy Fathers’ Day, Dad.

It’s a huge mistake to think that it’s not natural, and even sinister, for a very overweight body to huff, puff, pour sweat and become exhausted. If you are plus-sized with a jelly-belly, you must not fear exercising with vigor and rigor. I’m not saying go out there and pound your knees on the hard pavement. You must learn which routines you can do with a high level of effort, and which ones you must do with caution. This will take experimentation, and a personal trainer can help. There are numerous routines that a very heavy body can do with high intensity, while maintaining safety. I will discuss this in a future blog.

It’s no more “torture” for a significantly overweight person to pant heavily and feel the “burn” from serious muscle fatigue, than it is for a 130-pound person to endure the same experience. Exercise should be uncomfortable (but not painful), challenging and tough in order to generate results. That lean, buff individual is just as uncomfortable working his or her butt off as any obese individual would be. The only time “results” come before “work” is in the dictionary!

Let’s get to work.

If you’re like most women, you probably know whether you’re shaped like an apple (big waist, small hips, thin legs) or a pear (small waist, big hips and thighs). And you probably have heard that it’s better healthwise to be a pear. Having too much unwanted belly fat increases your risk of age-related diseases like heart disease and diabetes

A woman with a normal body mass index of 25 whose waist size increased by 4 inches over the years wound up with a 15 percent greater risk of heart failure than those whose waist sizes remained the same. Medical experts recommend that women maintain a waist size of less than 35 inches to reduce their risk of chronic diseases.

To help in this area try the following:

1. Exercise. You can’t exercise to spot reduce, but getting active on most days of the week can help you shed excess pounds. And often the fat our body sheds first comes from our belly: nature’s way of getting rid of what’s bad for us.

2. Be a mindful eater. Researchers are currently investigating whether teaching women to really pay attention to what they eat can help redistribute body fat from the waist to the hips. Other studies, though, have shown that mindful eating can help with weight loss efforts.

3. Get adequate amounts of sleep. Too little sleep (less than six hours) or too much (more than eight hours) results in an excess production of the stress hormone cortisol. This hormone promotes the storage of fat in the belly. Your body, knowing it’s in a state of stress, shuttles fat off to a storage place where it can be easily burned off for fuel in an emergency.

4. Reduce stress. Scheduling 15 minutes a day for relaxation can lower your cortisol levels, helping you shed belly fat.

Your vertical jump, speed, and metabolism all have one thing in common: They rely on your large muscle groups. So, for guaranteed success, define yourself.

Lucky for you, the muscles in your shoulders and upper legs are easily revealed. Blow up either of these areas and you’ll send 50 calories packing every day. That is, 50 for every pound of lard you warp into muscle.

For an enviable all-day burn of unwanted fat, start with the last place your body deposits fat: your shoulders. Since it’s a lean area, you’ll see an instant visual payoff. After you pump iron, you’ll feel a surge of blood to the area, making your upper body look larger—and your waist slimmer.