Jelly Belly Be Gone

New Year’s may typically be a time for goals like losing belly fat, but when it comes to leading a more healthful lifestyle, there’s no time like the present. You see, when a person wants to lead a healthy lifestyle, to get in better shape and to have more energy, he or she should not put off starting to achieve his or her goals.

You need to begin by identifying and writing down clear and achievable goals, along with a daily activity and food journal.

Your friends, family and coworkers should be in on your plan and be there to support your new lifestyle.

Before selecting a gym, think about what is important to you from the gym. Is it cardio equipment, group fitness classes, weights, personal trainers, and/or wellness programs you are looking for?

Personal trainers are a plus because they can create efficient and effective workout routines with one’s goals in mind. Because becoming healthier isn’t just about lifting dumbbells or sweating away on the elliptical machine.

Eating right is as important as hitting the gym. Of course, dieting will help you lose weight, but combining it with exercise will make you more likely to keep it off.

Always remember, losing weight the healthy way, and keeping it off for life, takes time. Stay focused and the weight will come off.

These days it is common for everyone to strive for six pack abs, since a waistline of 35 or more inches puts women especially at risk for life-threatening conditions such as heart disease and diabetes. Smart eating, aerobic exercise, and ab-tightening moves such as the ones below will keep you out of the danger zone.

The moves target the obliques on the sides of your torso. Do two or three sessions a week, with a rest day between workouts.

Seated Knee Drop

Keeping your spine straight, sit back on your sit bones with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor, ankles touching. Place your hands on the floor behind you for balance.

Contract your abdominal muscles, and lower your legs to the left until they are about 6 inches from the floor, keeping your ankles pressed together and your shoulders forward. Your feet will roll, but they should stay on the floor. Hold for a second, and then use your abs to slowly pull your legs up and over to the right. Don’t let your knees simply fall to the side; keep the move controlled. Repeat from side to side for 1 minute.

Side Crunch

Lie on your right side with your legs extended. Wrap your right forearm across your waist and rest your right hand on the left side. Bring your left hand behind your head, so your left elbow points toward the ceiling. An easier version: Don’t lift your leg; lift your upper body only.

Using the obliques on your left side (not your right arm), pull in your abs and lift your right shoulder off the floor about 2 to 3 inches, while raising your left leg about 12 inches. Hold for 2 seconds, and then slowly return to the starting position. Start with 5 to 8 reps on each side, and work up to 12 to 15. Do one or two sets with 1 minute of rest in between.

We’ve been learning about ways to get rid of belly fat, such as changing our routine periodically, increasing or decreasing reps, sets or pace. When it comes to getting a flat stomach, many myths and misconceptions still exist. To help separate fact from fiction, here are some important guidelines:

• Spot reducing is impossible. An example here would be trying to eliminate belly fat by performing exercises designed to target the abdominal area. Resistance exercise, whether for the abdominals or any other muscle group, is for the purpose of maintaining or building muscle tissue, to help keep your body strong. Losing body fat, and more importantly, keeping it off, requires three components: Adherence to a strength training program that includes all major muscle groups, adherence to regular cardiovascular workouts and adherence to a daily calorie-controlled eating plan. The idea is to change your overall body composition, that is, to gradually gain muscle tissue and lose fat over time.

• If the number of calories you consume is consistently less than the amount needed for daily activity, you will lose overall body fat; if equal to energy needs, you will maintain; and if they are more than you need, you will gain fat. Know that only cutting back on the amount of food you eat but without regular exercise is never the best way to go, as you’ll only end up losing calorie-burning muscle in the process, ultimately slowing down your metabolism. Body fat uses about 2 calories per pound, while muscle uses about 6 calories per pound. Far better to gradually increase activity levels while gradually reducing calorie intake.

• Don’t focus too much on the number on the scale. If you do weigh, use it as only one indicator of progress, because it reflects your total body weight and does not tell you how much body fat is being lost. A better indicator would be to take regular measurements to keep track of inches lost. Place the tape measure around the thickest part of the waist, hips, arms and thighs and record your starting numbers. Repeat and compare once every 3 to 4 weeks.

• Frequency of abdominal exercises. As with any muscle group, the amount of time between workouts is important. The higher the level of intensity, the longer the number of days between workouts. Generally, the abdominals need a day of rest between workouts. With proper training, the muscles are torn down just enough so that they are forced to adapt and grow even stronger. Taking a day off between workouts allows the muscles to adequately rest, recover and repair from the previous workout, enabling you to do 100 percent with each workout.

Good luck.

Walking is a wonder exercise. Not only can it help to lose a jelly-belly, it also reduces the risk of developing diabetes, certain cancers, and heart disease. Walking bestows benefits to the brain too, by relieving stress and improving mood. Best of all, walking is free: You don’t need fancy equipment or a gym membership to reap the benefits. Here’s how to make every step count, no matter how often you hit the pavement.

Begin by walking 10 to 15 minutes on flat ground or on a treadmill at a purposeful pace, or complete 2,000 steps (use a pedometer to monitor your walking progress). You want to cover a mile in about 20 minutes.

• Maintain an upright but comfortable posture, with your neck, upper back, and shoulders relaxed,

• Minimize the sway in your lower back; don’t jut your rear out. Instead, maintain a slight, natural arch in your back.

• Gently pull in your abdominal muscles. This helps strengthen your abs while reducing lower-back pain.

Aim to walk at least five days a week. Every second or third week, add 5 minutes. After about two or three months of regular walking, you should be up to 30 minutes. Once you’ve hit half an hour, add variety to your terrain rather than increasing time or speed. This will boost your enjoyment, encouraging you to keep up the habit.

Did you know research shows couples tend to share similar body fat levels when they meet–and are likely to stay that way over the years. Similarly, other research shows that if one partner improves his/her habits, the other may follow suit. Here are a few healthy eating tips to live healthfully and lose unwanted fat if necessary.

1. Bond over breakfast: Many studies show that breakfast eaters are less likely to be overweight than those who skip their morning meal. Set aside 15 minutes to eat together before you head out the door.

2. Avoid snacking together: Just because one of you is a snacker doesn’t mean you both have to be. Stop and consider whether you’re actually hungry or just “eating with company” before digging in, and encourage him or her to do the same.

3. Preplan your portions: If dinner at home means lingering over a long meal at the dining room table, dole out a portion before you sit down and leave any leftovers in the kitchen. With the extras out of sight, you’ll both be less likely to overeat.

4. Break up the takeout: If one of you craves a hearty meal (like pizza), but the other wants something a bit lighter (like sushi), place orders at two different restaurants and eat at home as a couple.

5. Make one meal two ways: Buy groceries for a shared meal that you can each personalize to your liking and to that day’s caloric needs.

6. Stretch your drink: Men can usually tolerate more alcohol–and calories. Instead of joining him for seconds, have seltzer with a dash of orange juice and a squeeze of lime. Or ask for half wine and half seltzer, and join in both rounds.

Binge eating can be pretty difficult to overcome. But not so if you are serious about losing unwanted fat, and can follow the below given tips. You may find it a little difficult to stick to these tips initially. However, things should become easy after a while. And when that happens, you may find your binging habit is quickly fading away.

1. Delay Eating: Whenever you get the urge, the best thing you can do is to stop yourself from immediately reaching for the food. Just delaying by 10-15 minutes can have profound effect in diminishing the food cravings.

2. Rate Your Hunger Intensity: Many times you are not really hungry but just want to eat food for the good feelings it provides. The question is how do you differentiate whether your food cravings is due to real hunger or not. A simple technique is to rate your hunger. If your hunger rating is less than 3 or 4 in a scale of 1-10, then resist eating.

3. Distract Your Mind: When your mind starts thinking about other things, then you can overcome the binge habit with relative ease. Take time out to engage in activities that you like and enjoy. When you keep yourself engaged in doing things you love then you will stop turning to food for comfort.

You get upset, you eat. You get depressed, you eat. You go through a breakup, you eat. For years, people have suspected that stress and obesity are linked, and now scientific research has found evidence that specific hormones may play a role in this process.

So if we’re wired to seek out unhealthy foods when under stress, how do we avoid a jelly belly when times get tough?

• Don’t allow yourself to become too hungry. When you get hungry and you go too long without eating, your blood sugar drops. It’s very hard to think rationally when your blood sugar levels are low. You’ll eat anything. To avoid this scenario, be sure you’re not skipping meals.

• Think about what you’re eating: Don’t forget that food is fuel for your body and your brain. When you eat properly, you’re fueling your body to fight stress. Smaller portions can help keep your total calorie intake under control.

• Eat healthy snacks: Nutritionists recommend snacks that combine protein and carbohydrates. The body digests them more slowly, allowing you to feel fuller longer.

• Deal with your stress: This may be easier said than done, but finding ways to manage your stress is essential to your overall health. Try yoga, tai chi or meditation. Exercise regularly. Spend time with friends. Seek counseling if you’re overwhelmed. Reduce the number of stressors in your life.

Are you a working mom trying to lose belly fat?

I understand how you feel, some of us are doing more than one job and find it hard to get any free time to exercise and lose weight.

It is understood that everyday stresses can become an excuse for avoiding exercises altogether, but try not to use the ‘lack of time’ reason as an excuse for avoiding exercises.

Most people are either afraid of exercises or just don’t know where to start. So here are four exercise secrets a working mom can use to help you achieve your weight loss goals.

1. Workout with a friend: Working out alone can quickly become demotivating, and after all it is nice to spend some time with other adults. Even better if you know another mom who also wants to lose weight, get her involved as well!

2. Use an iPOD: Take your iPod with you when you hit the gym. Music is a great motivator when working out!

3. Do exercises that you enjoy: Doing exercises that you don’t enjoy soon becomes demotivating, and there is a larger chance of quitting.

4. Start slow: If you have never been to a gym before, it is only natural that you will be nervous. Begin by doing 15 -20 minutes of exercise, 2 -3 times a week until your body get used to it.

These tips for effective weight loss are easy to follow, and don’t take much effort.

Consistent exercise is a big challenge for many women. Whether you are a busy professional, a single mom working from home, or you are home juggling the needs of small children, consistent exercise can be a difficult habit to start AND a challenge to maintain. Many women report that there just isn’t room (or energy) in their life to make it happen. And yet, regular physical activity is the key to a successful recipe for losing stomach fat. Here are some tips to make exercise do-able and even enjoyable.

1. Have a fitness goal: Having an “end destination” will help keep you motivated and help you evaluate your progress.

2. Choose something that motivates you: When you find something you love to do, it provides a double return on your energy and time investment, providing fun AND you exercise.

3. Have a fitness support system: Join a running or walking group where possible. The group can challenge you, provide great information, and motivate you to show up for difficult workouts.

4. Be realistic about what you can accomplish: Don’t paralyze yourself with unattainable expectations of what a “real” workout is. Exercise within your schedule, but be consistent.

5. Be realistic, but do SOMETHING: There are mornings when it will be hard to get up off the couch and head out the door. But remember the commitment you made, that you will always leave the house-knowing that you can always turn around and cut your workout short. Good luck.

As you get a little older you start to understand how important working out and eating properly is to losing unwanted belly fat. This can be hard to do if you have a busy lifestyle with a full time job and family.

Certainly if you live in a climate where you can get outside you can benefit by running, walking, hiking, or riding your bike. It’s refreshing to get out and breathe fresh air and know you are doing something to help yourself get back into shape. However the weather is not always conducive to that.

If you choose to set up an area in your home to exercise you must first determine where you’re going to do that. Many people set up a home gym in their basement even if it’s not finished. This is a good place to get away from any distractions and set up a couple of pieces of easy exercise equipment.

If you’re going to purchase exercise equipment, be smart about it. Many people get excited about getting in shape and go out and purchase equipment that ultimately they never use. There is no point purchasing exercise equipment and then having it sit unused in your home.

The most common piece of exercise equipment that people use for exercise in their home is a treadmill. These are good because you can monitor your heart rate and build up your endurance.

Elliptical trainers are an excellent way to exercise your whole body. You can get a total body workout on your arms and legs, which cut down on the amount of time you actually spend exercising. For this reason they are very popular with busy people who are into time management.