Jelly Belly Be Gone

Instead of using modern technology to do your daily chores the fast way, try doing things the fit way and lose unwanted fat at the same time. By shunning modern conveniences in favor of the old-fashioned methods, you’ll find endless calorie-burning potential!  While the fast way may seem more efficient, think of the fit way as a way to combine your goals.  In essence, you’ll be getting more things done at once, so you’ll check off that to-do list with ease.  If you’re so used to the fast way that you’ve forgotten that there IS another way, start with these alternatives:

*Fast Way: Drive through the car wash.

Fit Way: Wash your car with a sponge and a bucket of suds.

*Fast Way: Drive to the supermarket, cleaners, or video store.

Fit Way: Walk, jog, or ride your bike to your destination.

*Fast Way: Pick up dinner at the local carry-out.

Fit Way: Cook dinner yourself.

*Fast Way: Load the dishwasher and push start.

Fit Way: Wash your dishes by hand.

*Fast Way: Drop the kids off at the mall so you can go to the gym.

Fit Way: Go for a hike together.

*Fast Way: Use a leaf blower (or hire a lawn service to rake those leaves).

Fit Way: Jump into your self-raked leaf pile.

*Fast Way: Dry your clothes in the dryer.

Fit Way: Hang your laundry out to dry.

These are just some ideas to get you started.  “Thinking fit” will burn more calories, save you money, and may even improve your relationships. Chances are, you might even have fun with these fit alternatives, or at the very least, gain an appreciation for how easy you really have it. Think fit, not fast!

We all get sidetracked now and then when it comes to exercise, but as we get older and it becomes more and more difficult to maintain our youthful physiques, exercise becomes more necessary today than in the later years. With this in mind some fitness experts were asked to create 4 routines that anyone can ease into that all take 20 minutes or less.

It was discovered that exercising 15 minutes a day 3 or 4 times a week was all women needed to lose stomach fat. Try one plan or all four! In just two weeks, you’ll notice a tighter belly, a loss of one to two pounds, better muscle tone, higher metabolism, and more energy!

You see, the full-body circuit routine… Doing one strength exercise after another without rest, builds fat-burning muscle fast, while targeting belly bulge with ab moves. A University of Hawaii study found that circuit-training raises your heart rate higher than vigorous running (15 beats per minute faster).

Your Workout at a glance

Weeks 1 + 2: Perform the routine 3 times a week on nonconsecutive days. Using light dumbbells (3 to 5 pounds) do 1 set of 12 to 15 repetitions of each move in the order given. Do the exercises without stopping or rest for no longer than 15 seconds.

Weeks 3 + 4: Repeat the circuit twice so you’re doing a total of 2 sets per exercise. Keep It Up: After 4 weeks, try increasing the weights by 1 to 3 pounds. You’ll burn fat, tone muscle, and build bone even faster!

According to one magazine publicist, sugar is a health food. After all, it contains zero fat, provides instant energy, and makes almost any food taste better. But these attributes are all trumped by a physiological fact: Sugar makes you fat. That may seem like a given, but by understanding why, you can minimize sugar’s harmful effects and create a leaner, healthier body.

But sugar is everywhere—not just in soda, candy, and desserts. It’s disguised in refined carbohydrates like bread, rice, and pasta, and even in beer and milk. Your body can’t tell the difference—it quickly digests and absorbs all these sugars into your bloodstream as glucose.

Here’s what happens: Every time you eat sugar, your blood-glucose level rises quickly. In turn, this stimulates the release of insulin, a powerful hormone that signals your body to store fat. There’s also a dose response: The more sugar you down at any one time—resulting in a greater rise in blood glucose and, consequently, in insulin—the longer you stay in fat-storage mode.

Of course, you may not be ready to give up sandwiches, fried rice, and spaghetti. But, with a few tweeks, you can slow the rate at which sugar is absorbed into your bloodstream. The payoff: You’ll diminish the impact any food has on your glucose levels—and on your body’s ability to burn fat.

Research shows that keeping blood-glucose levels in check decreases appetite and reduces the risk of diabetes, heart disease, and cancer.

Do you ever look around and wonder why some of us gain weight by just looking at a cheeseburger, but others can’t seem to gain enough weight no matter what they do? The reason behind this is that each of us has a metabolism naturally set at a different rate. Metabolism is simply the amount of energy burned for everything from maintaining our daily functions, such as breathing and walking, to running a marathon. Naturally, some people tend to burn more calories doing the exact same activity as another person.

Here are some tips to help get your metabolism burning off those extra calories:

1. Strength Training:- Weight bearing exercises help you to build lean muscle mass. Pound for pound, muscle burns more calories than the same amount of fat.

2. Don’t Skip Meals:- While skipping meals reduces calories, it causes your body to think that it is “starving”. Your metabolism slows down as a way to conserve energy; therefore you are not burning as many calories as you usually do.

3. Keep Moving:- Regular exercise routines, such as cycling, walking, jogging or swimming will help to increase your metabolism not just while exercising, but for several hours after as well.

4. Fuel the “Fire” with Whole Food:- Fruits, vegetables, fresh meats, and whole grains are examples of foods that can help to increase the rate at which your “fire” or metabolism burns.

5. Protein:- Since muscle burns more calories, we want to create and maintain as much as we possibly can. Choose 6-8 ounces of protein daily from sources such as lean meat, including chicken breast, fish, or soy protein.

Think of these lifestyle changes as an investment in creating a metabolism that will work for you for many years to come.

One day, carbs are the enemy. Next, pills and injections will be the thing to do. After that, everyone will be rushing to detox their body of toxins that cause weight gain. It seems everyone is in search of the Holy Grail of weight loss, that mythological easy weight-loss plan that works for everyone.

Before you take the bait on the next fad, here are a few weight-loss-related myths — and the cold hard facts — from some local experts in the field.

The myth: The less you eat, the more weight you will lose.

The fact: There is no reason to be hungry all the time in order to lose weight. One expert encourages large portions of the right kinds of foods.

The myth: Your body needs to be cleansed of harmful toxins that cause weight retention.

The fact: All this does is get rid of water weight. As soon as you start drinking water again, the weight will come back.

The myth: You need to weigh yourself often while on a weight-loss plan in order to gauge the success.

The fact: A scale is not the best indicator of a successful weight-loss plan. People get frustrated when they don’t see significant weight loss right away. The fact is, muscle does weigh more than fat and because of that, they should use other ways to track the success of their plan (like measuring body fat).

The myth: There are pills or other medical treatments that will induce weight loss.

The fact: Those gimmick weight-loss plans have been proven ineffective and some have even been proven dangerous. There is just no replacement for proper nutrition.

The myth: A low-carb diet is healthy.

The fact: Some people go on low-carb diets without really having a true understanding of what they can and cannot eat. Diets that eliminates fruits and vegetables can’t be healthy. Complex carbohydrates, like the ones found in fruits and vegetables, are good for the body and can promote weight loss.

You should try not to use the word diet, since for most people it carries a negative connotation. Instead, when talking about what you eat, you should call it your nutritional intake.

Nutritional intake sounds more positive. It should be a way of eating that you could live with for the rest of your life. Avoid major diets that set unrealistic goals or those that force you to cut out entire food groups.

Although some deprivation diets can provide success and weight loss, the effects are normally short lived, can cause you to lack many nutrients and the weight returns when you stop eating that way.

Your body needs a healthy dose of carbohydrates. At least 50 to 60 percent of your total daily calories should come from whole grains, fruits and veggies. You also need close to 15 to 20 percent of your daily calories from fat found in sources such as cold-water fish, nuts and healthy oils such as olive and canola.

One of the best tricks of losing a few pounds is changing the small things. Just one small serving size of coffee creamer can pack 100 calories. If you cut two of these creamers each day, you would lose a few pounds in a year. Other things can be the butter on your toast or your extra ketchup with dinner.

Beverages tend to be the biggest source of weight gain for many Americans. It is easy to consume an extra 300 or more calories a day in coffee and soda drinks. Cut these out, and you could drop up to 10 pounds in a year.

The same is true for burning calories. Many people’s mentality is that if they cannot get to the gym for an entire hour, they skip it all together. The small daily movements and activity can make a huge difference in your waist line. If getting a long workout in is not in the cards, then walk on your breaks or lunch hour. Just a few extra calories burned each day will add up to a serious calorie deficit and help you shed a few pounds.

If your evenings usually are your munching time, pick one low-calorie snack you can have, such as a nonfat pudding cup. Then during your nightly shows, do pushups and sit ups to burn a few more calories. Just keep your body moving when you can, and it will make a difference.

Deciding to begin a running routine of reviving an old running habit is one thing, finding time to do it is another. Probably the most common complaint for healthy living would be lack of time. But when the goal is to lose unwanted belly fat, finding time is not an option.

Here are a few tips to get through the fluff and make time for running and exercise.

1. Pack a lunch: This allows you to eat when you are ready to eat, thus maintaining control over the calories and content of your food.

2. Plan you shopping: Do grocery shopping and other errands all in one trip to save gas and time.

3. Shop at small town stores: Shopping at stores like Healthy Life Market can help you stay focused on the foods you need because they don’t sell the unwanted items seen in chain grocers.

4. Buy local: Buy from farmers markets and local food producers and help sustain wellness in the community.

5. Eat foods that are in season: Foods that are in season are cheaper and healthier. These foods tend to be nutrient dense and low calorie. Go to Organic Grocery Deals for ideas about in season foods.

6. Travel on a bike: Save money on gas, get exercise. 2 for 1. No brainer!

7. Cook bulk foods: Foods like beans, brown rice, wholegrain pasta are easy to prepare in bulk and you can prepare amounts for several days at a time.

These tips can help you save time and get more out of your day. As a result you will get more done and get more enjoyment out of your workouts.

Committing to the effort to lose stomach fat, no matter what, is the first step. Vary when, where and how, if needed, but the effort itself must remain constant.

Set a plan:- Know what to accomplish and when. Some examples: Walk 30 minutes a day by noon, decrease sugar intake by the weekend or go to the gym on Tuesday and Thursday.

Combat standard excuses:- Each of us knows the individual excuses that come too easily. Don’t lose forward momentum — in advance, be aware of, write down and respond to excuses before they become an issue.

Use procrastination as an advantage:- People who procrastinate as a habit are forced into action by some external deadline. To prompt weight loss, focus on an external deadline, such as a wedding or reunion.

Schedule exercise:- Make an appointment on the calendar to exercise — and keep it. Aim for exercising 30 minutes a day.

Monitor your behavior:- Monitoring can take the form of writing a food diary, counting the glasses of water sipped daily, calculating the number of calories burned while exercising and so on.

Focus on the horizon:- Measure the progress made. It’s encouraging to see progress — motivation grows when the goal is in sight. Repeat winning techniques for more success.

Take it one choice and one day at a time:- Don’t worry about forever. Any change is more manageable and less overwhelming in smaller doses.

Find someone who’s accomplishing weight loss and imitate them:- When it comes to eating right and exercising, observe and copy a successful person to see what they’re doing to get good results. If correct choices are duplicated, then results quite possibly can be duplicated, too.

Good luck.

If a jelly-belly is sapping your summer-body confidence, don’t despair. The reason for your puffy midsection may well be bloat, not fat. That’s because one of the worst culprits for this problem–a slow digestive system–is common among women over age 40. However, exciting research now suggests you can get your digestion moving and beat bloat with a few easy menu and lifestyle tweaks.

Put all these ideas into effect right now, and you should be flatter, sexier, and fitting comfortably into your clothes in less than a week.

1. Add: 2 Kinds of Fiber:- Start the day with a better breakfast

Constipation distends your belly, and one easy way to get rid of it is by starting each morning with a breakfast cereal that guarantees your body a daily dose of fiber.

2. Subtract: Sodium:- Put down the shaker

Sodium makes you retain water, puffing up your belly. Most of us eat more than twice as much sodium as we should. Check for sodium on the labels of packaged foods, which provide about three-quarters of the daily intake for most women.

3. Add: Potassium-Rich Foods:- Banish bloat with bananas!

Foods such as bananas and potatoes help your body get rid of excess water weight, minimizing your middle. The extra fluid is typically present because the two main minerals that control the amount of water in your body—potassium and sodium—have gotten out of balance.

4. Subtract: Sugar Alcohols:- Watch out for the “diet food” belly busters

We don’t completely digest these low-cal sweeteners (found in flavored waters and low-carb, diabetic, and sugar-free foods). Bacteria in the large intestine ferment them, causing gas and even diarrhea.

5. Add: More Fluids:- Guzzle more liquids throughout the day

When there’s enough fluid present in your system, the dual-fiber cereal you have eaten is better able to pull liquid into your lower intestine and ease constipation. Tap water is an excellent option because it has no calories, salt, sugar, or additives. And it’s free!

6. Subtract: Candy, Soda, Gum:- Avoid these bubble-inducing belly bloaters

Once air from any source reaches your digestive system, you experience it as gas and a distended belly. Eating or drinking quickly, sipping through a straw, sucking on hard candy, and chewing gum can make you swallow air.

With these simple exercises, you can firm your lower-body muscles for toned, sleek legs. Do two sets of 10 to 12 reps on each leg, two or three times a week (leave a day of rest between workouts).

1. Single-leg Squat:- Standing with your feet together and arms by your sides, shift your weight onto your right foot. Rest the toe of your left foot next to your right foot for balance. Keeping your back straight, bend at your hips and knees, and slowly sit back onto your right leg, raising your arms straight in front of you as you lower (hold onto the back of a chair for balance, if you need to). Stop when your thighs are almost parallel to the floor, and hold for a second. Then press into your right foot through the heel and stand back up.
2. Bent-knee Crossover:- Get down on all fours, keeping your back flat and head down in line with your back. With your left knee bent at a 90-degree angle, lift your left leg up and back so the sole of your left foot is facing the ceiling. Then cross it over the calf of your right leg. Keep your buttocks tight at all times. Return to the starting position. Do one set, then repeat with the other leg. (You can add 1-pound ankle weights to make this exercise more difficult.)
3. Standing Abduction:- Hold onto a wall with your left hand for balance, and stand straight up with your knees slightly bent. Keeping your right leg extended (knee soft) and right foot flexed, lift the right leg out to the side. Lift as far as you can without moving your upper body. Pause for a second, then return to the starting position. Complete a set, then repeat with the opposite leg.
4. Double Leg Lift:- Lie on your left side with your legs stacked on top of each other. Prop yourself up on your left elbow. Rest the fingertips of your right hand in front of you for balance. Raise your right leg about 12 inches, then slowly raise your left leg to meet it. Hold for 2 seconds, then lower each leg separately. Repeat.
5. Lunge:-  Standing with your feet together, hold dumbbells down at your sides with palms facing in toward your thighs. Take one big step forward with your right leg. Plant your right foot, then slowly lower your left knee toward the floor. Your right knee should be at a 90-degree angle, and your back straight. Press into your right foot, and push yourself back to the starting position. Repeat with your left leg