3 Good Reasons To Go Swimming? Heart Disease, Diabetes & Obesity

For some of us (70%, to be exact), this conversation will start off with a trip to your local YMCA to get swimming lessons. I bet you’ll want to get those lessons asaptually (new word) when you read about all the health benefits of swimming. Ladies, forget about your hair getting wet and find a protective style that will allow you to dive into the deep end without splitting your loose ends. Brothers, let go of the life jackets and come get some of this knowledge. This aerobic activity improves cardiovascular health, controls blood sugar and helps in weight loss.

Where’s Your Heart At?

According to the American Heart Association, heart disease is the number one killer of African Americans. Swimming might have an answer to this problem. Breaststrokes can help decrease your chance of having an actual stroke. When cholesterol levels are high, strokes can occur. This aerobic activity improves your cardiovascular health and lowers cholesterol levels.

It’s recommend that you swim 20 to 40 minutes at a brisk pace. You’ll want to exert yourself moderately enough to work up a nice heart rate. You can start off slowly, resting between laps. However, over time you’ll be able to work out longer, adjusting your speed and technique as you progress in the practice.

Swimming is also great because you won’t be exerting your heart too much while doing it. Unlike running and other sports, swimming places less of a demand on your heart. Your heart rate while swimming will be around 10-20 beats per second.

Diabetes

The loss of Phife Dawg at 45 and Doug Banks at 57 sent an alarm to our community, which is desperately in need of an intervention for diabetes. In addition to the many diabetes-related complications, diabetics also have a higher risk of heart disease. Swimming helps to burn calories which helps in weight loss, important for diabetes prevention and management.

Swimming helps to strengthen all the major muscles in the body which helps in lowering blood sugar. Because of the nature of diabetes and how it causes the blood sugar in the body to fluctuate, it’s recommended that you regularly swim to maintain the glucose control levels. Start off by swimming as much as possible. This can be 5-10 minute sessions, eventually working your way up to 45-60 minute sessions with 10-15 minute rest periods.

Weight Loss & Toning

Going to the pool and doing the regular lap routine is only a start. For weight loss and strengthening, you want to maximize your time in the pool by trying out the butterfly stroke, fast crawl, breaststroke, backstroke and sidestroke to burn a lot of calories. These high-impact strokes will help you lose weight and tone up in places that weren’t imaginable with your other aerobic activities. For ladies looking to lose inches around the waist, this is the perfect exercise.

I’m tired of going to pool parties in the summertime and seeing all these good looking people parlaying on the side and not in the pool. As heart disease, diabetes and obesity continue to be major life-threatening conditions in our community, we must think about new and creative ways to address these issues. Exercise isn’t only lifting weights and running. Add swimming to your list – for life.

The Truth About Fat No One Talks About

It’s no secret that fat is frowned upon. Love handles, FUPA, gut – all words associated with that excess 10 pounds of “laffy taffy” you’ve been trying to drop since last fall. In fact, the way we talk about fat, affects women of all ages — even teens.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), of 220,000 teens surveyed from Europe and North America – a fifth of whom were classified as overweight — nearly half of the 15-year-old girls believed they were “too fat.” An answer that proves to be a driving force on why eating disorders strike twice as many women as men.

However, despite the “dirty words” negative connotation, there’s one major key alert that’s gotten lost in the shuffle — fat is actually pretty important for your health. So, without further ado, let’s dive into why fat it NOT always the enemy.

What Does Fat Do?

“Fat is paramount to survival: You need it for warmth and insulation, for cushioning your bones and internal organs, for energy, and even to think,” Carl Lavie, MD, medical director of Preventative Cardiology at the John Ochsner Heart and Vascular Institute in New Orleans and author of The Obesity Paradox, reports Refinery 29.

Fat also strengthens the immunity system: “the cells that are precursors to fat cells, called preadipocytes, act like special immune cells that devour invading germs and bacteria, which helps explain why people who diet to extremes tend to get sick more often,” Dr. Lavie explains.

Not to mention, people who are classified as obese have a 6% lower risk of dying from serious illnesses. “One theory is that fat helps guard the body from damage, particularly as we age,” Dr. Lavie says. “Anytime your body is fighting an illness or dealing with a chronic disease, it requires more energy, so it makes sense that that extra fat is helpful.” This seems particularly true for those who are bootylicious, claims one Oxford University study. “The thought is this fat traps the potentially harmful fatty acids that can travel through your bloodstream to your heart,” Dr. Lavie says.

Here are three types of body fat you should know about to separate the”good” from the “bad”:

White Fat

Also called subcutaneous fat, white fat settles mainly around your hips and thighs, sculpting curves and providing cushion. It’s also the most common type found in your body.

Why it’s important: It burns energy and produces a hormone called adiponectin. Research suggests adiponectin has anti-inflammatory and “insulin-sensitizing” properties and that may help reduce your risk for Type 2 diabetes.

Brown Fat

Aka “good fat” burns energy even when you’re lounging – much like muscle. Although early experts believed this form of fat depleted during childhood, a 2009 Harvard study discovered that 7.5% of women and 3.1% of men had small amounts of brown fat lurking in their bodies. These individuals appeared to have healthier metabolisms.

Visceral Fat

This fat is the devil. Often referred to as “belly fat,” it somewhat suffocates your organs deep inside your abdominal cavity – releasing stress hormones called cortisol and inflammatory substances called cytokines. These toxins impact your body’s production of insulin. As a result, you run the risk of developing both Type 2 diabetes and heart disease.

What to Do

Develop healthy habits, like eating a balanced diet and exercising regularly.

5 Ways To Beat The ‘Stress Hormone’ For Weight Loss

If you want to win the war on stress, it is important to understand the role of cortisol and how it can be your friend or foe. If balanced, cortisol can help your body keep its immune system in check. But, left unchecked and unbalanced, cortisol can wreak havoc on your body.

Cortisol is critical to your body. Also known as the ‘stress hormone,’ it is essential to helping you regulate your blood pressure and immune system when your body is in crisis. When your cortisol levels are balanced, it protects your immune system from emotional setbacks as well as physical attacks. Cortisol also helps you to use your energy reserves to protect your body’s ability to fight off infections.

However, if your cortisol levels are always working at a high level, this hormone can cause some problems to your body. Some of these problems include sleeplessness, a non-functioning immune response, abnormal blood sugar levels and weight gain in your stomach.

Abnormal blood sugar levels and weight gain occur when you are stressed out because your body urges you to eat something high in calories. It provides a temporary boost in energy and leads to weight gain and increased sugar levels. So it’s important to strike a balance with your cortisol levels.

Here are five ways to lower your cortisol:

1. Pay attention to what you eat. Nutrition is critical and controls the production of cortisol in your body. Eating a balanced diet of fruits, vegetables and low-glycemic foods like eggs lower the cortisol levels in the blood. Whole grain products also help to control the production levels of cortisol in the body. When you add in vitamin B5 and folic acid, which is plentiful in beans, fish, whole grains, sunflower seeds and fruits to this mix, this also provides balance for your cortisol levels. Processed sugar and flours do the opposite, causing cortisol levels to increase. By paying attention to what you eat, you can balance the cortisol levels in your body helping to protect your immune system.

2. Exercise regularly. Regular exercise serves two purposes. It helps you manage your weight and also results in weight loss. When you exercise, your body produces those feel good endorphins. As endorphins are released into your brain, this helps you to combat stress and anxiety. As a result, excess cortisol production is alleviated. By exercising regularly, you also contribute to reducing excess amounts of cortisol from your system. In other words, it’s a stress buster.

3. Meditate to clear your mind. According to the National Science Foundation, we have between 12,000 – 50,000 thoughts per day. That’s a lot of thoughts! With so much thinking and continuous thought processing, it’s no wonder that our stress levels can easily get out of whack. That’s why it’s important to take a breather! Sit with your eyes closed in a silent environment so you can clear your mind. Do this for 15 minutes a day.

Mediation is helpful because our bodies have an amazing ability to create self-repair. According to the book, Mind Over Medicine; Scientific Proof That You Can Heal Yourself, our bodies can help fight cancer, prevent infection, repair wounds, and also protect us from infectious agents. But, when we stress out, the opposite occurs. The body’s ability to heal itself becomes deactivated when your body is full of stress hormones such as cortisol. 15 minutes of daily downtime will help alleviate, reduce your stress levels and regulate cortisol production in your body.

4. Spend some time cuddling with animals. Ever wonder why seeing and playing with animals provides you with a warm and fuzzy feeling? Well, there is a scientific reason this happens. When you snuggle with animals, it fills you with oxytocin, endorphins and other healing hormones that support your body’s ability to initiate self-healing. This is why pet therapy is mentally and physically effective. If you don’t have a pet, a trip to the pet store or local zoo can help elicit these same emotions.

5. Give of yourself. A South African woman was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis and decided instead of focusing on herself she needed to shift this energy towards others. The medicine woman wrote the South African woman a prescription to give 29 gifts for 29 days. The woman with multiple sclerosis completed the request, and the results were astonishing. Her MS symptoms started to lessen. By giving and being generous, it activated a relaxation response that helped to bolster her body’s natural self-repair mechanism. This is not a suggestion that generosity will cure diseases. However, science is still uncovering how the mind can have a tremendous effect on the diseases we have and how we deal with them.

Cut It Out! 4 Things To Watch Out For In the Ingredients List

If you’re trying to lose weight and get in shape the first thing you will want to get in the habit of doing is reading your labels. Know what you’re consuming and how much at all times. The days of guessing are long gone and nutrition information these days is easily at your fingertips.

But what exactly should you be looking for? Here are a few things to be cautious of when reading labels:

1. Fat

Always say no to trans fats. These fats are not found in nature and are used in highly processed foods. Marketers will try to deceive you with catchy phrases like, “high in protein” or “gluten free!” printed on packaging, but labels don’t lie. Trans fats are bad fats. Period.

Small amounts of saturated fats are okay but stick to “good fats.” A general rule of thumb for good fats is fat that you can find in nature. Think foods like salmon, avocado, olive oil or nuts. Limit these to less than 10g a day. Do not eat one thing with more than 5g of saturated fat per serving.

Total fat should be limited to less than 50g per day. Again, only eat healthy fats and stay away from fried and junk foods.

2. Sugar

Small amounts of sugar also are okay but stick to natural sugars only (if you are trying to lose a large amount of weight quickly you’ll want to cut out all sugar). Find out how much sugar is in one serving of your favorite fruit and limit yourself to less than 15g of sugar per serving of fruit each day. Everything else you consume should be as close to zero grams of sugar as possible. It seems like an impossible feat but it can be done. To start, don’t eat anything with more than 5g of sugar. Drinks can sneak in a lot of sugar in a short period of time, so drink your water! Try adding Crystal Light for flavor.

3. Too Many Ingredients

Too many ingredients could mean that you are looking at something man made and highly processed. If there is an ingredient on the list you cannot pronounce, return it to the shelf immediately!

4. Serving Sizes

Portion control is one of the biggest health and nutrition issues we face in American culture. Understand the serving sizes of the foods you are eating and be honest with yourself about how much of the product you consume. If you love nuts and you know that one serving of almonds is about 15-20g of fat per serving, then that’s great! But are you eating just one serving? Labels will sometimes break down servings by ounces or number of servings per package and you can also use a food scale to measure things out to be absolutely sure. Portions may seem small at first if you’re used to eating more food but eat smaller, more frequent meals to help curb hunger pains.

Hot Sauce To Melt Your Waistline

Ok. Now that we know Beyonce wasn’t talking about carrying an actual bottle of hot sauce in her bag, what are we going to do with all these bottles of hot sauce we purchased after “Formation” snatched the Super Bowl bald?

Well, before you trade in your Louisiana Hot Sauce for a Louisville Slugger bat, take a second to consider the health benefits of the ingredients contained in most hot sauces:

Capsaicin

Capsaicin, one of the active ingredients in peppers, has antioxidant, anti-cancer and anti-inflammatory properties. According to Time.com, the hotter the pepper, the more capsaicin it may contain. But, what you pair it with could make a huge difference. Capsaicin is a fat-soluble molecule. So, pairing it with an oil, versus a raw vegetable, will draw out more of its benefits.

“The bottom line is that any kind of vegetable material you consume will improve your health… But hot peppers are really beneficial for you, if you can take the spice,” said David Popovich in a Time.com article.

Capsaicin is often used in pain-relieving creams for its analgesia properties.

Capsinoids

As crazy as this might sound, many nutritionist have encouraged their clients to add hot peppers and hot sauce (with low sodium and low sugar) to their diet. This is because capsinoids, an active ingredient found in red chili peppers (also found in Tabasco), helps to activate “brown fat,” or a healthy fat that aids in burning calories according to research.

Spicy peppers are also known to decrease the appetite and increase the metabolism.

Vitamin C

Peppers are loaded with vitamin C. One ounce of sliced jalapeño peppers contains 40 milligrams of vitamin C or 66% of your daily vitamin C requirement.  As you may already know, vitamin C works wonders for the immune system. It can also lessen the duration of colds and cold symptoms. In fact, many people use hot peppers or hot sauce in their cold remedies.

Put the right hot sauce in your bag…swag!

The ideal hot sauce contains peppers, vinegar and garlic. Try to stay away from hot sauces that are high in sugar and sodium. 

7 Benefits Of Drinking Hot Water

Many people are realizing the importance of drinking water on a daily basis. Physicians usually recommend that you drink at least 64 ounces of water every day. However, what you may not realize is the many health benefits which come from drinking your water warm or mildly hot.

Drinking hot water offers a myriad of health benefits. Did you realize drinking hot water offers anti-aging benefits for your skin, helps ease pain and can be used a natural way to detoxify your body?

Let’s delve deeper to uncover 7 ways drinking hot water can improve your health:

1. Anti-aging for skin

When you drink water, we know that it is a natural way to remove toxins from your body which helps your skin to recuperate quicker. Dehydration is one of the most common reasons our skin loses elasticity. But, if you drink warm water, this helps your skin even more. Daily, your skin comes in contact with germs and free radicals. Drinking warmer water can help your skin’s cells repair quicker, in addition to improving your skin’s elasticity and appearance. I’m not sure about you, but I’m willing to drink some hot water over buying another anti-aging product. It’s less costly and effective!

2. Improves digestion

Mayo Clinic facilitated some research around the impact of drinking cold water after you eat a meal. They found that when a meal was consumed with cold water, the oils found in the food the participants digested hardened. This was relevant because this is one of the causes of intestinal cancer. But, when food was consumed with warmer water, this same reaction did not occur with the oils. The warm water was actually an aid in helping with the digestion and movement of the food through the system.

3. Relieves congestion

The worse part of a sore throat or nasal congestion is the pain associated with swallowing and the discomfort associated with feeling congested. Swallow something cold can make the process of staying hydrated difficult. However, for the most part when you drink something warm, it is more soothing. It’s not your imagination. Warmer water helps when your throat is sore or when you have coughing associated with your cold. Warmer water moves easier through your system and helps to alleviate some of the built up phlegm, helping you to recover from being sick a little bit quicker.

4. Body detoxification

Lots of time when you think of going through a detox you usually head to your local health food store to explore options and specific detox kits. But, drinking warm water is an alternative way to get that detox. According to the American Liver Foundation, your body temperature will rise and this will cause you to sweat, which is a sign that toxins are being eliminated from your body. All of this happens just with drinking warmer water.

5. Eases menstrual cramping

Being on my period is always tough because of the premenstrual symptoms that occur along with my menstrual cycle. But, what is even worse is the cramping I feel. I am always looking for natural remedies versus taking medication to soothe my cramps.

Here is how you can use something that has worked for me when I have my menstrual cycle. Instead of reaching for cold water, drink warmer water. It helps to loosen your abdominal muscles responsible for the cramping, decreasing your cramps and spasms.

6. Helps with constipation

If you are having some difficulty with being regular and are experiencing constipation, hot water can help with your digestion. Drinking warmer water helps with dehydration that causes your intestines to accumulate stools that back cause constipation. According to studies, which were done by the Digestive Disease Associates of York County, drinking warm water helps to make you regular. And here is another helpful hint. If you have not eaten yet and you drink warm water first before eating, it helps with getting rid of remnants of food that may be left in your system. This is another way to help you get your digestive process going in the right direction.

7. Stimulates hair growth

Dehydration and dry hair is often the culprit of breakage and an inability to get your hair to grow longer and healthier. By drinking warm water, you are helping your roots by giving them the hydration they need to be healthy. Warm water helps to activate your roots, decrease dehydration of your hair, which ends up helping your hair grow.

Now that you know the health benefits of drinking warm water, what’s stopping you? You have nothing to lose and so much to gain with regard to improving your health, alleviating pain, aiding your digestive system and helping to improve your skin. Drink up!

Stop Doing These 5 Things If You’re Trying To Lose Weight

Weight loss can be a serious pain in the you know what. I mean, we can be doing everything right, from practically eating a vegetarian diet to exercising six days a week, and still see little to no results. It just doesn’t make any sense and some of us are about one fat-free Chick-O-Stick away from losing our motivation and being done with the entire idea.

If you’ve gotten to a point in your weight loss journey where you’re starting to question whether or not you can meet your goal, take a second to see if you’re doing one (or more) of these five things. Here are five things that can help you get past your plateau and get the scale moving in your favor again.

1. Being impatient

Weight loss takes time. Instead of stressing about why the scale went up two pounds after weeks of progress, focus on your spiritual journey and mental weight loss. Getting your mind right is just as important as whipping your body back into shape.

A lot of people lose a significant amount of weight and gain it back because they still hold onto the mental baggage that lead them to unhealthy eating habits. Your temporary setback can be as simple as eliminating stress, a common factor of weight gain.

Getting yourself prepared mentally will help ease the expectation of fast results and remind you that you are on a journey of change, something that takes time.

“Achieving and more importantly maintaining weight loss requires patience. When it comes to your overall health it’s important to play the long game… Think about what’s sustainable for you as an individual. Attempting to lose 10 pounds in a week is not healthy or realistic, it’s just not the way the body works. Plus it can lead to bad habits, like yo-yo dieting,” said Tangia Estrada, the creator of Hello Gorgeous Fitness.

2. Weekend binging

An entire week of clean eating can make weekend temptations a little harder to resist. But, falling off of your normal routine not only discredits all of your hard work during the week, it shows a lack of commitment to your decision to adopt a healthier lifestyle.

“The body keeps an accurate record of everything you put into it and it responds accordingly. Just because you stuck to a healthy meal plan for five days in a row, doesn’t mean that you can spend Saturday and Sunday eating everything in sight and drinking like a new prohibition era is about to start,” said Estrada.

According to Estrada, that weekend binge behavior is undoing all the hard work you put in during the week. That behavior not only has a negative impact on your body, it’s also emotionally demoralizing.

3. Focusing on calories instead of nutrition

It’s possible to lose weight by maintaining a caloric deficit, even if that includes a slice of cake or a row of Oreos. This is why many weight loss programs encourage an occasional “treat.” But, many times having that occasional treat means sacrificing more fulfilling meals throughout the rest of the day or prolonging your workout to burn off the excess calories, both of which can lead to unnecessary stress.

“Eating packaged food because it says “low-fat” or “diet” is a poor substitute for quality nutrition. The key to great health and reaching weight loss goals is quality nutrition. Diet food, is really just a code word for “chemical sh!t storm,” as they often have fillers and extra sugar to make them taste good, defeating the purpose of eating them in the first place. Switching your diet from processed products to whole foods will make weight loss easier. It also has the added side effects of increasing energy and mental clarity, and improving overall health,” said Estrada.

4. Staying in #BeastMode

There are several mental and physical benefits of “owning” a workout. But, choosing a routine that has you questioning why you went to the gym in the first place may be causing more stress instead of relieving it. Mix up your routine with high and low intensity workouts, like boot camp and yoga, to balance things out. Most importantly, choose exercises that you enjoy and look forward to.

“The recent trend of forcing yourself through a brutal workout that secretly has you wishing for death is actually holding you back. For one thing, you are opening yourself up to injury. Secondly, extreme workouts cause a hormonal stress response in the body that causes the body to hold onto weight. Stress works against you and your fitness goals. When you workout, you should challenge yourself and it should feel like you are working hard, but it should not feel like you’re going to collapse,” said Estrada.

5. Forgetting to meal prep

Nobody wants to eat the same thing over and over again. But, unless you’re a pro at counting your macronutrients and making sure you’re getting the right amount of carbs, fats and protein while maintaining a caloric deficit, meal prepping is the way to go. Taking a couple of hours, two or three times a week, to prepare your meals will take the guesswork out of figuring out what to eat. It can also help ward off fast-food temptations during the lunch hour.

Work! How To Use Waist Beads For Weight Control

Waist Beads are an excellent tool for women to feel more feminine and beautiful. These beautiful gemstone waist beads are usually hand made and customized. The tradition of wearing beads is an age-old one. They have been worn for varying reasons by royalty for body adornment, deification and decoration.

The wearing of beads on the waist was made popular by West Africans, specifically Nigerians. Overtime the culture of the use of beads has been associated with both spiritual and material reasons. In some parts of Africa, the beads are anointed in oils.

This practice aids in sensory pleasure for the man. Some beads are adorned with bells, which is a signal to let the man know that the woman wants to engage in sexual intercourse. The Yorubas have a revered usage attached to the waist beads. It is also worn as a form of birth control, as a way of preventing obesity or also for their, healing and therapeutic powers.

As far a waist training, waist beads are being used more and more in North America as a waist to control weight gain and shrink your waist. Naturally, as the beads get tighter, you know you’re gaining a few pounds. So you can nip that weight gain in the bud before you’re struggling to button your jeans.

Here’s a few key things to remember when using waist beads for weight control:

1. Know Your Position – It’s important to know where your waist beads are sitting. If you want to use them for weight and waist control be sure to position them around your stomach and not just on top of your hips. They may look sexy on your hips, but they are doing nothing for your weight control. It’s also important to take them off at night

2. Know When To Eat – Even though you may feel that tight fit of your waist beads on days that you are heavier, it’s important to not stop eating all together–just change what you’re eating. When those waist beads tighten be sure to eat foods that will help flush our your kidneys and help you go to the bathroom on a regular basis (carrots, celery, juice blends, etc). That will help get rid of the excess weight you may feel around your waist. Also, stay away from salty foods when that happens because that will store up more water weight than you need.

3. Know The Feeling – They’re waist beads so enjoy them! Utilizing your waist beads as a fun tool to attract/tease your lover is great exercise for your mid-section (think belly dance moves). Also, throughout the day, don’t be afraid to contract and expand your stomach to work your stomach muscles. A good method for those who sit most of the day is to sit straight up and tighten your waist for a total of 5 minutes, then relax for two. Do this 4 times then repeat the whole exercise at least 3 times a day.

7 Ways To Simplify Exercise (So You'll Actually Do It!)

Exercise can be very beneficial for you. While you may focus on exercise primarily as a way for you to manage your weight, there are numerous other reasons you should exercise. When you exercise, it boosts your immune system keeping you healthier, improves your mood and helps you to sleep better. These are just a few of the many benefits exercise can provide for you.

If you are busy and have a lot on your plate here are 7 ways to get some exercise into your schedule:

1. Create extra opportunities to walk. Walking is one of the easiest and most beneficial types of exercise. And often times we don’t take advantage of opportunities to walk more throughout the day. Here are a couple of ways to get in some additional walking. When you are at your kids sporting events, walk around the perimeter of the gym, soccer field, or school. When you are getting on the train or going grocery shopping, park further away then you need to. Those extra steps will add up.

2. Invest in a fitness tool. There are numerous fitness apps and devices which can help you track your steps, sleep, and activity. If you don’t want to invest in a personal trainer, these tools can help you track your fitness activities, manage your sleep more effectively, and send subtle reminders when you are inactive for too long. Some of these include Fitbit, Jawbone, Misfit Ray, Garmin as well as other products. Do your research and find one which help you manage your fitness regimen.

3. Take the stairs. In many buildings, there are generally stairways. Take advantage of the stairs to help you get in more exercise. Taking the steps as opposed to the elevator is a way to add some extra activity into your day, get your heart rate going, and boost your energy.

4. Use your cell phone differently. When you use your phone, get a headset or Bluetooth. This will give you the ability to move around, stand up or walk while you are on the phone. This again gives you a chance to be active versus sedentary. Movement equals exercise.

5. Just stretch. Stretching helps with digestion, strengthening and flexibility. If you are in a job where you have long hours of sitting, try to take at least 5-10 minutes each hour to get up and stretch. Stretch your arms over your head. Bend over and touch your toes. Squat down as far as you can. All of these small movements keep your body looser and more limber.

6. Do the easy push-up. If you are unable to do a regular or modified push-up, here is an easier way to do a push-up. This exercise is a great way to work both your chest and your arms. Place your palms on the edge of a table and make sure your elbows are straightened. Bend your body until you are in a downward position. Your elbows will also be at a 90 degree angle. Bend your body until your chest touches the table. You can even do this while you are preparing a meal. Try to do 1- 2 sets of 10 repetitions of this exercise.

7. Combine cardio and boost your heart rate at the same time with jumping jacks. Try to do 5-10 minutes of jumping jacks. This is a great exercise which works all part of your body and is fun as well. Jumping jacks also can help you burn lots of calories in a short period of time.

Exercise doesn’t have to be hard. Taking time to incorporate exercise as a part of your daily activity can help you have many health and mental benefits. If you exercise regularly, you will realize that these little things will add up and keep you on track to remain healthier for the long term.

Weight-Loss FAQs Answered

Here's the skinny on treadmill calorie counts, "fat genes," the 100-calorie-a-mile myth, and more.

Q: Are the calorie-burn readouts on machines accurate?

A: Not always. If you run on a treadmill, glide on an elliptical, or ride a stationary bike, the number of calories you actually burn can be 10 to 15 percent lower than what’s displayed, says Pete McCall, an exercise physiologist with the American Council on Exercise. Most machines don’t take into account percent body fat, height, sex, age, resting heart rate, or whether you're holding onto the handles, which reduces workload. That doesn’t mean you should totally ignore the stats on the exercise machines. Use the calorie readout as a barometer of your progress. If the number goes up from one session to the next for the same workout, you know you’re working harder toward your weight-loss goals.

Q: Am I doomed by genetics to battle my weight?

A: No. It's true that some people are predisposed to having a slower metabolism, and others put on weight more easily or carry extra pounds in certain areas. Even so, staying slim is not a hopeless battle. You can outsmart your genes and maintain a healthy weight. Case in point: A 2009 Finnish study published in the International

Journal of Obesity tracked 16 same-sex twin pairs (chosen because they had the same genetic makeup) for decades and found that the twin who had been more physically active over a 32-year period accumulated 50 percent less belly fat than the twin who didn’t exercise. The takeaway? By running and exercising regularly, you’re already a step ahead in winning the battle against the bulge.

Q: Does extra walking help that much with weight control?

A: Taking extra steps each day can have a cumulative calorie-burning effect, says McCall. A study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that healthy adults who were car-happy gained up to 15 pounds more over 15 years than those who walk more often to get around. So park your car a bit farther away than you need to; take the stairs instead of the elevator. To motivate yourself to walk more, invest in a pedometer and aim for at least 10,000 steps daily. That’s two and half miles of walking, which means you’ll burn about 250 extra calories every day.

Q: What’s the best way to keep the weight off once I lose it?

A: Regular exercise is key. In a recent study, researchers discovered that overweight subjects who had slimmed down over two years required an average of 40 minutes of exercise per day to sustain a loss of 10 percent or more of their initial body weight. And that was in addition to closely watching what they ate. Those who committed less time to sweating it out were more likely to be back where they started. “Weight loss is not something that happens and then you’re done with it,” says kinesiologist Greg McMillan, an online coach at mcmillanrunning.com. “That’s why quick-fix programs hardly ever work long-term.” To stay motivated, join a running group, sign up for cooking lessons, or splurge on a trainer who can refresh a stale routine.

Q: Is the bathroom scale the best way to measure the fitness I’m gaining and the pounds I’m losing?

A: No! Many people get frustrated when they step on the scale after weeks of exercising only to discover they’re the same weight. What they’re forgetting is that they very likely have gained muscle and lost body fat—a more positive health change than simply losing pounds. There are other, more telling ways to track your progress. You can use inexpensive calipers like those from AccuMeasure to track body-fat changes. Take the measurement about one inch above your right hip. Taking your waist, hip, and thigh measurements on a weekly basis will help you quantify exactly how many inches you’ve lost. And how are your jeans fitting? Every so often, try on that old pair—the ones you wore when you were at your feel-great weight. Once they fit, you’ll know you’re at a healthy weight. And use a belt. Counting the extra belt holes you cinch up is an easy way to get daily feedback on your weight.

Q: I started exercising regularly, but I’m actually gaining weight. What’s going on?

A: This is not uncommon. Newbies are often surprised to discover how easy it is to put on pounds even when you start exercising. Many people go wrong by changing their diets (and not for the better) along with their mileage, or because other factors, such as hormonal fluctuations, come into play.  Starting an exercise routine almost always requires more mileage, which boosts the number of calories you burn as well as your appetite. "Your body is trying to help fuel your increased activity," says Jenna Bell, Ph.D., R.D., a nutrition consultant and coauthor of Energy to Burn.

It's worse for women: Researchers at the University of Massachusetts discovered this heightened sense of hunger is stronger in women than men because exercise accelerates the production of appetite-regulating hormones, prompting them to eat more; men, it turns out, aren't as susceptible to these changes. Pay attention to whether you’re hungry, thirsty, or simply giving in to cravings or feelings of entitlement. "When your body truly needs food, you'll experience fatigue, a rumbling stomach, or hunger pangs that accumulate over time," says Leah Sabato, M.P.H., R.D., a nutrition expert specializing in obesity treatment and prevention.

To keep cravings at bay, remove temptations from your sight—if Doritos aren't on the counter, chances are they won't call your name. You can also try a diversion, such as taking a walk; studies have shown that a brisk 15-minute walk reduces chocolate cravings. Or use your stopwatch as a tool: Force yourself to wait 20 minutes before giving in. Usually after 20 minutes have lapsed, the urge is no longer as strong. And try to avoid falling into the "I deserve it" mind-set. A 30-minute walk does not entitle you to inhale an entire pizza. To limit overcompensation—that is, eating above and beyond what you need for recovery and erasing the calorie deficit achieved during a workout—make smarter food choices all day. Eat mostly whole, minimally processed foods rich in carbs, fiber, and protein. The latter two take longer to digest, keeping hunger at bay and helping you avoid eating more than you should. High-fiber foods (vegetables, fruits, grains) are often low in calories but filling, making them great for weight control.  Don't fill up on carbs from processed grains and sweets. Instead, carb-load with whole grains like brown rice and quinoa, which are more filling and nutrient-dense. And be sure to track what you eat: In general people tend to vastly overestimate the number of calories they burn, and underestimate the number of calories they consume.

Q: If I eat healthy during the week, can I splurge on weekends?

A: Saturday and Sunday represent about 30 percent of the week, so too many slipups will put you on bad terms with the scale. Dieters in a 2008 study dropped pounds during the week but stopped losing weight on weekends because they ate too much. It’s easy to cancel out five days’ worth of healthy eating with a weekend food fest. Consistency is key, says Felicia Stoler, R.D., nutrition coordinator for the New York City Marathon. Consume a similar number of calories on Tuesday as you would Saturday, she adds. Weigh yourself Friday and again on Monday. Any weekend weight gain is a sign you went overboard. On weekends, be sure to eat breakfast. Studies suggest that people who eat breakfast eat fewer calories later in the day. And give in to a treat during the week, so you don’t have the urge to splurge on Saturday.

Q: Is it true that both walking and running burn 100 calories?

A: Not exactly.  Running a mile burns roughly 26 percent more calories than walking a mile. Running burns roughly 2.3 times more calories than the same total time spent walking, according to an April 2012 article in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning. Why is that? When you walk, you keep your legs mostly straight, and your center of gravity rides along fairly smoothly on top of your legs. In running, we actually jump from one foot to the other. Each jump raises our center of gravity when we take off, and lowers it when we land, since we bend the knee to absorb the shock. This continual rise and fall of our weight requires a tremendous amount of Newtonian force (fighting gravity) on both takeoff and landing.

Now there are some caveats to these calculations. They’re derived from an “average” weight of the subjects; there may be individual variations. Also, age and gender make a modest difference. Your weight is by far the biggest determinant of your calorie burn per mile. When you look at per-minute burn, your pace (your speed) also makes a big difference. These calculations aren't meant to be precise. They are good approximations, and much more accurate than the old chestnut that you burn 100 calories per mile. Another caveat: the calculations only apply to walkers doing an 18:36 pace and runners doing a 10:00 pace. Running faster or slower than 10:00 pace doesn’t make much difference in your calorie-burn per mile. (But has a major impact on your burn per minute.)

Walking is a different kind of animal. Increases in walking speed dramatically raise calorie burn per mile as well as per minute. Indeed, at about 12:30 per mile, walking hits a point where it burns about the same calories per mile as running. Walk faster than 12:30 and you will burn more calories per mile than running at 10:00 pace. However, except for competitive race-walkers, almost no one goes faster than 12:30 per mile. Most people walk in the 18:00 to 20:00 range.

Some Easy Weight Loss Tips That You Can Follow

Weight loss can be termed as more of an art where you can make many innovative plans to follow the weight loss program best suited for you. You may not like the traditional ways of losing weight that involves regular hard work out and strict diet plans making your life miserable in all forms. You may not even have the time for regular exercises for office work and such where it also gets difficult to follow the strict diet plans. Therefore, here are some easy weight loss tips that you can follow to get the most effective results.

Heavy breakfast and small snacks

One of the best plans you can follow is to have heavy breakfast instead of a heavy lunch or dinner. Make the breakfast the heaviest meal of your day with lots of carbs and protein. A heavy breakfast would help you to stay full throughout the day and allow those carbs that you have consumed to be broken down into energy making you active throughout the day during work. In this process, if you have small meals after two to three hours with lots of fruits and healthy protein snacks, it will help you a lot in the weight loss process. Moreover, make sure to have a very light dinner before going to bed as this is the last meal of the day where you will not have many activities to perform. Having dinner at least three hours before going to bed is ideal as it would have enough time for your consumed food to get digested and thus restrict them from turning into fat storage in your body while you sleep.

Play Sports and get social

Play sports like baseball, basketball or perhaps soccer especially in the weekends. Gather some friend of yours and start playing the sports regularly which would make you lose some extra pound while having a lot of fun at the same time. You can also get involved in other social activities during the weekends such as joining a dance class or perhaps a yoga class as well which would help you lose weight in no time while learning something.

Walk and be active

Whenever possible, try to walk as much as you can. The best possible way is to walk home after work which would in-fact make you feel good and help you relieve the stress that you might experience after work. The main aim here is to constantly moving whenever possible like taking stairs instead of the lift and so on. You can also start cycling to travel short distances at regular interval which is highly beneficial for weight loss.

Count your calorie intake

It has been found from several recent researches that counting the amount of calories that you consume on a daily basis helps in a significant way in the weight loss process. Therefore, knowing which food items contain how much calories is very important here where you will be aware of what food to eat and what not to eat and thus helping you to lose weight by cutting down the high calorie meals from your diet.

Drink Water

Always drink sufficient amount of water to keep you hydrated all the time. Your body needs sufficient amount of water to burn off the calories and if you do not have the necessary water in your system your weight loss process may get hampered. Drinking adequate amount of water helps you stay healthy all the time as well helping your body with the necessary fibers that it needs.

Best Ways to Start Your Weight Loss Program

These days you will come to find unlimited ways to lose weight as there are so many options all around the corners. And as good as that may sound, but sometimes it can turn out as a sign of panic to choose the right weight loss plan that would work for you. As most may underestimate but the fact is picking the right diet plan and exercise to lose weight is really important. In most cases you would see people to choose diet plans that give effective results for decreasing weight in a short period of time, ignoring the facts weather it is health efficient or not. So let us look into some of the best weight loss plans, which will not only give you effective result but also keep your health entitled with fitness.

Before choosing any weight loss options make sure to closely study it and if any diet plan or workout is causing health problems then its best to drop it off. Always remember that the best way to lose your weight is through a well-balanced healthy diet and smartly executed exercises. Without the combination of these two things, it’s almost impossible to imagine a healthy weight loss. Start taking nutritious foods on a daily basis and avoid starvation or under eating as this will only lead you to more health issues for the future.

Now, as I have mentioned before about the variety of quick weight loss options which are highly in demand this days. This is simply because this kind of diet insures the user an extremely rapid weight loss, in a short period of time. As appealing as this may sound don’t get fooled by it. Fitness is not about cutting down all that extra weight from your body, the main priority of the diet should be good health maintenance. And for this make sure to judge your weight loss guide with full priority and choose the one that proves to be the best for you. And here is where internet communication can kick in to help you make your decision.

Instead of letting to much option confuse you, use the information provided around you to improve your idea based on the topic. You will find many expert doctors who have shared their best diet plans over the internet. Search the net to find full information on this kind of diet plans, see the benefits and problems related to them. For moral support you can also find people around the web or your colony, and take tips from them, on how they have overcome their own weight problems.

Remember to keep your metabolic system active by constantly feeding yourself nutritious meals as that’s the best way for a healthy weight loss. Don’t consider starvation as a part of diet, as hunger for food will only increase your fat deposits in the body, which will initially make you become fatter in the long run. Best plan is to consume 6 meals a day which are low in fat and carbs as it will prove to give you good and effective results.

Hope this was helpful regarding to your weight problems.

4 Weight Loss Side Effects And How To Deal With Them

It’s just fantastic to lose weight, but sadly, there are weight loss side effects. Although dropping excess weight brings many benefits such as getting more energetic and being fashionably attractive, you have to be wary. If you’ve lost a large amount of weight, there are possible strange side effects. The advantages of losing weight overcome the disadvantages, but the following four detriments may stall or get in the way of your progress. Having been aggravated, they could even stop you from reaching your weight and fitness goals. What are the possible weight loss side effects?

1. Depression.

Do you feel a sense of sadness even though you’ve lost a lot of pounds? According to a study at the University College London, the risk of depression may go with losing weight. The study went on for a duration of four years and involved 2,000 overweight adults. Participants who shed at least 5% of their total body weight were 78% prone to develop depression than those who didn’t show any changes in the scale. Typically, people who endeavor to lose weight get too eager, but when they shed pounds and find themselves struggling with the same problems, they feel discouraged or frustrated. Your solution to this problem is to get enough sleep, and when you get hunger pangs, eat healthy foods. You can better cope with your mood challenges if you’re nourished and well-rested. If you have the tendency to isolate yourself from your friends because you’re overly concerned about going to the gym or counting calories at everything you munch, consult a psychologist.

2. Loose and flabby skin.

If you haven’t been doing the right exercises along with your dieting, you may end up having a lot of excess and flabby skin. According to Dr. Adonis Maiquez, when you’ve lost body fat, your skin may not be elastic enough to shrink back to your current figure. It normally depends on your age, how quick your weight loss was and your weight loss habits in the past. What’s your solution to this problem? Plastic surgery may be your only measure to do away with extra skin, especially if your weight loss was extreme. Otherwise, if your skin sagging is minimal, you can engage in muscle building to tighten up.

3. Relationship problems.

Your better half being your weight loss buddy can increase your chances of success, otherwise if you’re preoccupied with different deeds, your relationship may encounter glitches. A survey conducted by researchers found that one party in a relationship losing weight usually lead to hard feelings and arguments between two partners. Your losing weight may lead to your partner feeling jealous, guilty or neglected. How do you resolve this problem? Talk with your partner about the importance of losing weight to yourself. Let him or her understand your motives so that you can gain her support. Not that you actually have to ask him/her to stick to your gym plan. They might misconstrue it as nagging.

4. Stomach pain.

Fast weight loss can cause the development of gallstones. These are the formation of hard lumps in the gallbladder. Limiting fat in your diet hampers the contraction of your gallbladder which consequently causes the concentration of bile to the organ. This leads to the production of stones in the site. How do you resolve this? Your gallbladder should be kept well and functioning properly. Add fat in your daily diet. Although fat generally has a bad reputation, it does not actually inflate your stomach. Calories do that. Fat tastes good, too, making your chows enjoyable. However, be sure not to go overboard on the portions. See your doctor if you’re experiencing nausea, fever or intense stomach pain. These may be symptoms of gallbladder stones and one of the possible weight loss side effects.

Don’t suffer needlessly when losing weight. Eat the right foods, feel nourished and take it easy on your workouts. Check out Weight Loss Diet Plans and read about up-to-date and scientifically-proven diet and exercise methods to be fit and healthy. Weight loss can be fun!

6 Easy Ways To Motivate Yourself to Get Back Into Shape

For many people, getting back into consistent fitness training, particularly when using weights, can be challenging. All too often many people give up on their physical body conditioning due to other interests and commitments that enter their lives – particularly as they get older, or they simply find the regularity and routine becomes a bit mundane. In many cases, the time-lapse between the last time they completed a serious workout and when they decide to start up again could be years – in some cases, decades.

Unfortunately, having quit an activity such as regular weight training, especially over a number of years, can result in unwanted, but inevitable consequences. These include diminished strength, weight gain (or more specifically, fat gain,) a decrease in general activity levels and loss of motivation.

Those keen on making a comeback to start training again, even if only to lose weight and feel better about themselves, can find things just as frustrating. Being unused to having lost some their former fitness and muscle mass is bad enough, but for those in particular who didn’t learn proper technique and posture when they started training when they were younger, find they cannot rely so much on their bodies suppleness and vigour to see them through the demands of strength exercises, increasing their risk of injury.

Like any exercise, if using weight training as part of a fitness routine it has to be carried out regularly and routinely for it to have any meaningful, positive impact – and the desired results of a leaner, toned body, weight loss and more confidence. That means attending a lot of gym sessions – either at the local gym at home or wherever else the workouts will take place, which translates into a great deal of time and commitment, regardless of what level anyone’s at. This repetitiveness can sometimes become tedious, and even for those with the best intentions, the sight of the ultimate reward of why they started up again in the first place can be lost.

Despite all these challenges however, starting up weight training again can be a successful endeavour. All that’s needed is for someone to come into it with a different perspective, a new outlook. This can help individuals realise the rewards that make their time and dedication worthwhile – and help regain their passion and belief for training, and keep them in the game until they achieve their ultimate results.

Here are a few tips when getting back into weight training again, while keeping injury-free and staying motivated for the long-term:

1) It’s All About Technique

Probably the most important aspect of returning to lifting heavy weights is technique. For most returning ‘lifters’ their body conditioning is not it was, and with the keenness and enthusiasm of getting back to doing resistance training again, a case of too much too soon can become their undoing. Taking to the time to focus and re-learn (or even learn this time) correct technique and posture will allow for more efficient, safe and enjoyable lifting. Injuries can thus be avoided – less pressure being placed on muscles, joints and tendons by using correct technique, with the added advantage of quicker results being realised, which can only result in fuelling the motivation to keep on winning in the gym.

2) Slowly Does it

As alluded to in the first point, too much too soon can cause disappointment or even harm. Whatever the level anyone begins at again, it is important to not overdo it by starting with weights that are too heavy, or doing too many repetitions of any given exercise. Admittedly, it can be frustrating to start back below where you left off, but remember you’re not back where you left off any longer – it’s been a long layoff, with age and muscle atrophy filling in the gaps, so take it slow and pace yourself the first few sessions. You will then get an idea of how your body reacts, and when you can push on for greater gains.

3) Set Yourself Goals

Setting goals in strength training is important at any level – but more so after returning to it after a long break. This is because any gains you achieve – either in gaining more muscle or weight loss or change of body shape – will typically happen within a different timeframe to what you might have experienced in the past (see point 5 below.) So it’s important to gauge yourself against how your body reacts now, not how it used to. Setting goals is an entirely personal thing. They can be longer term (such as getting down to a certain body fat percentage by the end of the year) or short term, (such as increasing the weight of a particular exercise by the end of the week) but it’s always useful to remember that they need to be specific and challenging, but not unrealistic for you – at least in the timeframe you’ve allowed. This will only lead to frustration and disappointment. An easy way to start making excuses not to train…

4) Keep a Progress Tracker

You can achieve consistency of training when you track your progress accurately. It is a great motivator when you see your results on paper (or electronic device) – how much heavier you’re lifting, how many more reps you’re doing, how much muscle you’ve gained, your weight loss (or fat loss) – all these facts and stats add up to a satisfying experience that keeps you hungry for more. It will also reveal where you’ve not gained and perhaps slacked off a bit, helping you regain your focus on what needs doing for next time.

5) Use Your Advantage

Did you know that as a previous lifter, your body is naturally ‘programmed’ to build muscle easier than if you were just starting off? It’s a scientific fact (published by the National Academy of Sciences) that even though your muscles regress somewhat during a long break, they more often than not retain some ‘memory’ of having at one time being larger and stronger. This means that when they are exposed to resistance training again, the body is able to employ muscle memory to trigger a much faster reaction and addition of muscle proteins.

6) Make it fun

For many people, doing anything, including exercise is more fun when doing with someone else, or in a group. If you can arrange a regular ‘gym buddy’ to workout with, this can help motivate you to get to workouts more often (and on time!) as well as adding an edge of competitiveness – which can only help to motivate and progress you further.

The Top 10 Myths of Weight Loss Exposed

Whether you want to lose weight to look awesome or because you need to keep a close watch on your health, do not be fooled by what so many people have falsely peddled as fat as weight loss is concerned. Here we have compiled the top 10 weight loss myths that so many people have so wrongly believed.

Myth 1: High protein and less carbs will make you lose weight

Fact: No one really knows the effects of this diet ratio

The problem with this claim is that nutritionists do not tell people that there are good and bad sources of carbohydrates. If you are getting your calorie requirements from food like eggs and red meat, then you do not have a balanced diet because you are also gobbling cholesterol. What you need to do is to eat more vegetables and whole grains. A diet that has high protein with low carbohydrate will cause problems like fatigue, constipation, and nausea.

Myth 2: Starchy foods fatten you up

Fact: There are foods with low fat but high starch content

Contrary to what people say, there are foods that should be a part of your diet even if they have high starch content. These foods have low calories so you do not have to worry about gaining weight. Examples of these foods are:

• Rice
• Cereals
• Pasta
• Fruits
• Bread

Myth 3: Some foods can help burn fat

Fact: No food can burn fat. The only way to lose weight is through proper diet and exercise.

Myth 4: Herbal slimming products are effective

Fact: This claim is not scientifically proven.

If there is truth to this, then no one in the world today should be fat. You need to be aware that some of these herbal products have harmful contents. Before taking these pills, consult a doctor. Better yet, couple your weight loss diets by drinking water spiked with fruits like lemon because there are many benefits to drinking lemon water.

Myth 5: You can lose weight without watching what you eat.

Fact: This is incredibly irrational.

You see, we gain weight because we put too much in and put less out. If you keep on eating without disposing want you eat, you will not lose weight at all. The key to losing weight while eating all you want is portion control. Eat what you want but with lesser portions.

Myth 6: Eating at night can cause weight gain

Fact: The dining time does not have anything to do with weight gain.

What matters is how much you eat and what you eat. Another factor is the physical activity you are engaged in. Everytime you eat, your body gains calories. All you have to do is to compensate this weight gain with physical exercise to burn fats.

Myth 7: Skipping meals will help lose weight

Fact: This is not backed up by science

Studies about weight gain proved that those who eat during breakfast and eat less during the day gain more weight than those who eat five times a day. This is because those who skip meals are hungrier and therefore do not control the portions of what they eat later on.

Myth 8: You have to eliminate red meat if you want to lose weight

Fact: Lean meat is good

What you need to do is to choose the part of the meat that has less fat and less cholesterol. You do not have to remove this food from your diet at all. Choose the tenderloin cut, flank steak, sirloin, or round steak.

Myth 9: Lose weight by being a vegetarian

Fact: Vegetables are still food and will add to weight gain

People who are on a veggy diet eat less calories. However, this is not a guarantee that you will lose weight. As mentioned earlier, vegetables are still food and if the portion is not controlled, you will still gain weight.

Myth 10: Weight lifting bulks the muscles and will add weight

Fact: Weight lifting is a fat burner.

Weight lifting is an effective way to lose weight. You only need to control the repetitions of the exercises so you do not bulk up your muscles.

7 Quick Tips On How To Lose Weight Without Exercise

Want to know how to lose weight fast without exercise? Well, exercise is better, but there are a few tricks you can do without breaking a sweat and can help shed the pounds.

You can do it by making a few healthy changes to your daily diet and lifestyle. In fact, “To speed your results, research shows that what you do when you’re not exercising is nearly as important as the workout itself”, says Stacy Sims, Ph.D., an exercise physiologist and nutrition scientist at the Stanford School of Medicine’s Prevention-Research Center in Palo Alto, California.

Let’s cut to the chase and talk about how to lose weight fast without exercise.

How and What to eat.

1. Drink a couple glasses of water or herbal tea before each meal.

Sometimes we are confused between hunger and thirst, so drink a glass or two of water and wait for a few minutes to make sure you’re really hungry before you dig in.

2. Eat foods that take some time to digest.

You will feel full for longer if you eat foods that take longer to break down in your stomach. Focus on foods that are high in fiber, such as: particular fruits (raspberries, pears and apples..), Vegetables (peas, artichokes and broccoli) and Grains (like whole-wheat spaghetti, bran flakes and barley).

3. Eat slow and take smaller bites.

By dividing your meal into more crumbs, this helps you eat slower which in turn can stretch out your meal and make it easier for you to identify when you’re full.

4. Breakfast in the morning.

Studies show that eating breakfast jump starts your metabolism and gets it working for the day. Skipping this meal will not help you lose more weight. Giving your metabolism something to do first thing in the morning gets it burning calories. When you don’t eat for long periods of time, your body functions as if you’re fasting because food is scarce, and accordingly burns less energy, and this doesn’t help if you want to know how to lose weight fast without exercise.

5. Eat on a regular schedule.

If your eating times are unpredictable or you tend to skip meals, your body will hang onto calories for an emergency, so try to have your meals at the same time each day if you can.

6. Turn off your TV and Computer when you’re eating.

Don’t eat while you’re watching a show. Instead of having the right amount that you need, you run the risk of eating until the program is over or you hit a commercial break, which might be well past the point of feeling full.

7. Avoid stress eating and midnight snacks.

Instead of eating for comfort, do something like meditating, exercising, playing a musical instrument, or reading. And don’t eat late at night as your body doesn’t burn a lot of calories while you’re asleep.

8 Effective Ways To Lose Your Facial Fat

You want to lose fat in your face? Unhappy with that fat chin? Feel like those fat cheeks are making you look “chipmunky?”

First, we must understand that reducing grease stain, through exercise or diet however, is not possible. It would be nice if you could direct our problem areas – thighs, a spare tire, flabby arms, or in this case a chubby face – and focus our efforts on melting the fat from those specific places. Nice, but not realistic.

This does not mean that the situation is hopeless. Here are all the ways that I’m aware of for help to get rid of a fat face, or at least diminish its plump appearance.

1. Exercise and diet to lose overall body fat.

When you lose weight, you tend to lose fat from all over your body. If you are overweight, then sensible diet with a regular cardiovascular workout will burn fat from all areas, including the face. For some people the difference is dramatic, for others less so, but all should enjoy some improvement in facial appearance. Remember: Spot fat loss through exercise is not possible, but the loss of fat is.

2. Drink more water.

Drinking eight large glasses of water a day has been shown to aid in weight loss. Sometimes when we think we are hungry, our body is actually just thirsty. Drinking plenty of water can take the edge off our “hunger” and keep us from overeating, thus helping us to lose fat.

There is another reason to drink water, though. Sometimes a fat looking (or puffy) face is caused by swelling, fluid retention in the body as a response to being water private. If you are a woman – especially if you’ve just gone through a pregnancy or are experiencing menopause – this could be part of the problem. So drink up! Good ‘ol H20, that is.

3. Firming face.

Some people swear by facial exercise, others feel stupid and questioned its effectiveness. It will not hurt to try for a couple of weeks or a couple of months to see if it works for you. Remember, your goal is to tighten and firm the skin, do not try to identify, reduce the underlying fat (since it is impossible anyway).

Here’s an old firming of a double chin: With the back (top) of your hand, a slap / tap the bottom of the chin quickly but firmly. Do it often, every time you think of it.

For cheeks: Sit. Relax. Smile, keeping your lips closed. Now suck in your cheeks and hold them in while you count 8 seconds. Relax and repeat at least ten times. This is good to do while driving, as it requires no hands to perform. Another exercise for your cheeks is simply to smile as wide as possible (closed lips), as you imagine that you are trying to touch your ears with the corners of the mouth.

4. Grow older.

This is the easiest way of all to lose fat from the face – only requires patience!

If you are in your teens, twenty or even thirty, the round face could be caused by fat child who has yet to melt. Give it a little ‘time, and in the meantime be sure to work to reduce overall body fat if necessary. As people age they tend to lose a lot of their facial fat. The disadvantage of this process is natural that, in his fifties, some people end up with faces looking too sparse. This is a problem to face another day, though.

5. Losing face fat way the magician.

Magicians use misdirection to fool. You can “lose” fat face in the same way – by misdirecting the viewer’s attention and passing to the roundness.

Sorry, guys – it’s women only subterfuge … unless you are trick or have long hair. And so, ladies …

If you have a double chin you want to camouflage, they told me that adding a bit ‘of redness, along the jaw line will do the trick. It starts just below the ears and brush up to the chin, making sure to mix. If you also put some ‘of white powder on the tip of the chin to a climax, the overall effect will be dramatically slimming.

Similarly, to make your face look thinner, just brush bronzer on your cheekbones and temples, as well as under the chin. Potentiates the effect with white-powder reflections on the tip chin, cheeks, forehead and the bridge or nose.

Finally, ask your hairdresser for a style that hide or divert attention from a round face. Hairdressers are experts to know what are the best models for which face shapes.

6. One word: ultrasound.

Ultrasound is increasingly used for cosmetic purposes. A special ultrasound machine can be used to send energy deep under the skin, where it liquefies fat cells without damaging the underlying nerve cells or tissues. The liquefied fat is then expelled naturally from the body – or at least that is what the supporters and practitioners claim ultrasound therapy.

7. Another word: liposuction.

Liposuction is the most invasive ultrasound therapy for her. It can also be combined with ultrasound. As you probably know, liposuction involves making one or more small incisions in the skin, inserting small “suction hoses and suction” the fat. It works especially well on the double chin and jaw, and can be used to “deflate” the fat cheeks, too.

8. Two words: cosmetic surgery.

Celebrities do it. Average people do. For some, the results are stunning. For some, they are a nightmare. Botched work happen. And in any case, facelifts and similar cosmetic procedures are expensive.

This article on how to lose fat from the face would not be complete without mentioning ultrasound, liposuction and cosmetic. I deliberately did not go into detail on them.

If you are considering having any expensive and invasive procedure to reduce facial fat (or for any other purpose), you must do your due diligence. Talk to people who have had the same procedure. Search through the Internet. Get your medical opinion, advice and perhaps a referral. More information on the costs, side effects, recovery time and possible complications. Most importantly, get a realistic understanding of what the procedure can and can not do to your appearance. This way you will avoid disappointment.