What foods reduce belly fat?

May 23, 2009 
Filed under Diet And Nutrition

 

  Foods and belly fat

 

  • In part it is due to your genetics. However, it can be helped. Eliminate or cut right down on refined carbohydrates. Eat an appropriate amount of calories for weight loss, watch what you eat and exercise to burn calories. Tone, tighten and strengthen the muscles of the stomach only after you have lost the belly fat.

 

  • Eating a diet like the South Beach Diet that is lower fat, lower carbohydrate and monitoring calories plus aerobic exercise can help get rid of belly fat.

 

  • Refined (processed) carbohydrate is a major cause of fat accumulating around the abdomen (and insulin resistance in general). For more information about how to deal with it, see the page link, further down this page, listed under "Related Questions."

How to lose belly fat?

May 23, 2009 
Filed under Weight Loss Tips

 

It is not possible to tell you how to lose belly fat because it is not possible to spot reduce. The way to learn how to lose belly fat is by learning how to lose fat from all over your body. In short, cut out refined carbohydrates, eat several small meals per day that include eat quality fat burning protein. Eat low carbohydrate non-starchy vegetables, and low carbohydrate fruits such as berries. Drink more water. Cut out sugars and empty calories. In addition, exercise.

If you want to know how to lose belly fat, cut down on refined carbohydrates. Then exercise. Ideally, people should train both aerobically and anaerobically. Pick a sport or exercise you enjoy and increase the difficulty levels. Be more patient if over 50 years of age. Maintain a balance between the energy input from food and the energy output from daily activities. Remember losing weight is about energy balance.

To know how to lose belly fat, remember that what you put in your body (nutritionally) will reflect on the outside. Cut sugar intake and the resulting insulin rush that causes fat to accumulate. By decreasing sugar and other high carbohydrates while increasing fat burning proteins, low carbohydrate veggies, low carbohydrate fruits, and adding a good daily multi vitamin and mineral supplement, you will change the way your body uses stored fat. Eat 5-6 small meals daily. 8-10 glasses of water daily. Aerobic exercise at least 5 days/20 mins. In addition, do weight training 2-3 times a week to lose belly fat.

A bulging belly is not always belly fat. Sometimes we get out of shape, our abdominal muscles are not strong enough, and everything droops. If you do not have much extra weight anywhere else, try the pinch test. See how much "fat" you can pinch. If it is not fat, try to build abdominal muscles to see if you can pull it all in. However, if you DO have belly fat, you will need to follow the fat burning plans described above and below.

Other than surgical intervention, it is not possible to spot-reduce (even then it is likely that the fat would return). There is only one way to lose stomach fat. You must limit carbohydrates and exercise to burn more calories.

You can lose body fat and build firm muscles through cardio exercise and weight training. However, you cannot neglect the second half of the equation. There is no short cut to losing body fat; you must change your eating habits.

Can I lose belly fat or have a flat belly by starving and not exercising?

May 23, 2009 
Filed under Weight Loss Tips

 

No, you cannot get a flat stomach by starving yourself. Semi-fasting long term can mess up your metabolism and cause all sorts of health issues. The longer you go, the more problems, sometimes not reversible, will occur. Your belly is likely to balloon out in the final stages of starvation and the internal organs start to shut down.

A well balance diet and sensible exercise will do it. However, you must remember, you did not gain that weight in a day, or a week or even a month. It can take as long to lose it as it did to gain it. Think long-term health, not short term looks.

Instead of starving yourself start eating healthier. Eat smaller meals, eat more meals a day, eat more vegetables and fruit, drink more water, less sugars and empty calories (less soft drinks, cakes, cookies). Switch to whole-wheat versions of your bread and pasta, brown rice instead of white rice.

Losing or maintaining an ideal weight is not a difficult task if you follow a healthy lifestyle including low GI eating, regular aerobic exercise and suitable supplements. Whatever you do, do not starve yourself. Talk to a doctor or a family member. You need to lose body fat if your BMI is over 25. Excess body fat, or obesity, will affect not only your appearance but also your health and can lead to heart disease, diabetes, and more.

Nutrition is important. In the pursuit of a flatter stomach, many people diet or starve themselves. Little do they know that by starving themselves, they are slowing down their metabolism and forcing their body to go into starvation mode as a defence mechanism.

How to get rid of belly fat?

May 23, 2009 
Filed under Weight Loss Tips

 

  • Many people believe that exercises that target your abs will help you to get rid of belly fat. However, most experts and fitness trainers agree that there is no way to lose fat from one area of your body. Ab exercises will make the muscles under your fat stronger, but not get rid of the fat. Then you will look worse because you will be left with bigger muscles under layers of fat. You first need to get rid of the fat first before doing exercises.

 

  • You can lose body fat and build firm muscles through cardio and weight training. However, there is no short cut to losing body fat; you must exercise and you must change your eating habits. Cardio, weight training, and a low carbohydrate diet, will speed up metabolism and enable you to lose body fat and keep it off.

 

  • Practicing Yoga may be of benefit in losing weight in the abdominal region and there are specified poses that aim to remove the superfluous weight from the stomach region. Linked to a customized healthy diet, individuals attempting loss of weight in the abdominal area are likely to get solutions by practicing yoga. Sun salutations are a coordinated sequence of positions that precedes the actual asanas or a fully fledged yoga session. Due to the nature of the Sun salutation movements you are likely to notice a noticeable loss of weight after daily performance in a few days. Sun salutations also help to tone and build abdominal muscles. Other forms of yoga exercises useful in shedding weight from the stomach include the bow pose, the peacock pose and abdominal lifts. Do not attempt to do any of these poses if you happen to be under any form of ailment; also check with your doctor if you can go ahead with the exercises.

Guide To Body Fat (Adipose Tissue)

May 23, 2009 
Filed under Fitness

 

Body Fat Explained

What Is The Purpose Of Storing Body Fat?

Storage of fat on the body is a critical defence mechanism. Remember, the human body has not changed essentially since the Stone Age. At that time starvation and famine were ever-present dangers to survival, while over-consumption and obesity were unheard of. To enable Stone Age humans to survive periods of food scarcity, the human body was designed to store energy which could then be drawn upon in times of famine. Thus for example, people could overeat during the hunting season, or when food was plentiful, and the surplus would be stored as fat tissue (adipose tissue). And when food was short, the body would burn the deposite fat as energy. Of course Stone Age life and body chemistry was/is much more complicated than this simple explanation suggests, but it suffices to explain why we have a built-in fat storage facility.

How Are Carbs, Protein And Fat Absorbed And Stored?

The human body needs energy to power muscles and to fuel the millions of chemical and biological reactions which take place throughout our system every day. This energy comes from the food we consume in our diet. Food consists mainly of water and three types of nutrient – protein, dietary fats and carbohydrate – which are found in varying proportions in most foods. These nutrients are broken down, digested and absorbed by the body in the gastrointestinal tract, running from the mouth to the anus. Each of these macronutrients is processed and absorbed by the digestive system in different ways.

How Are Surplus Carbs Used And Stored?

Carbohydrate is the major source of energy for the body. This is because, of all nutrients, it converts most readily to glucose which is the body’s preferred fuel. When we eat carbohydrate, it is converted to glucose in the digestive tract and distributed via the liver to cells throughout the body for use as energy. Once our immediate energy needs are satisfied, the remaining carb glucose is handled in one of two ways. Either it is converted to liquid glycogen (a temporary source of readily available energy) and stored in the liver or muscles. Or, it is converted into fatty acids by the liver and stored in adipose cells (fat-cells) around the body.

How Is Surplus Protein Used And Stored?

Protein is broken down into amino acids in the stomach and small intestine, then distributed via the liver to cells throughout the body for a variety of uses included cell formation and repair. Some surplus protein amino acids are kept circulating in the bloodstream, the remainder is either converted into a type of simple sugar and used as energy, or (like carbohydrate) is converted to fatty acid and stored in adipose cells.

How Is Surplus Dietary Fat Used And Stored?

Dietary fat is broken down into fatty acids and glycerol by the stomach and small intestine. It is then distributed (in the form of triglycerides) via the lymphatic system and bloodstream to the cells for a variety of specialized uses or, in the absence of sufficient carbs, for energy. However, since dietary fat cannot be converted into protein and only about 5 percent (the glycerol part) is convertible into glucose, and because dietary fat is not the body’s preferred choice of fuel, a significant amount ends up being stored as body fat in the adipose tissue.

Conversion Of Body Fat To Energy

If energy is required suddenly, the body first uses up its glycogen reserves. After this, it converts the body fat in the adipose cells into energy by a catabolic process called lipolysis. During lipolysis, triglycerides within the adipose cells are acted upon by a complex enzyme called hormone sensitive lipase (HSL). This converts the triglyceride into fatty acids and glycerol. The fatty acids are then transported via the bloodstream to tissues for use as energy, or (along with the glycerol) taken to the liver for further processing.

Adipose Tissue

Adipose cells which make up adipose tissue are specialized cells which contain and can synthesize globules of fat. This fat either comes from the dietary fat we eat or is made by the body from surplus carbohydrate or protein in our diet. Adipose tissue is mainly located just under the skin, although adipose deposits are also found between the muscles, in the abdomen, and around the heart and other organs. The location of fat deposits is largely determined by genetic inheritance. Thus it is not possible to affect where we store fat. Nor is it possible to influence from which area the body burns fat for energy purposes.

Why Do We Get Fat?

Most of us develop body fat because we eat more calories than we burn in exercise. Given a culture which emphasises "value for money food portions" and "super-sizing", along with an steady increase in serving size, an upsurge of new tasty high-calorie foods and energy drinks, such over-consumption is perhaps only to be expected. Lack of exercise is also a major contributory factor. However, overeating and lack of fitness is not the whole story.

Why Are So Many People Obese?

The prevalence and incidence of obesity (the disease of excess body fat) has risen considerably over the past 25 years, both in the developed and undeveloped world. Why is this? We don’t know for sure. Despite extensive research into the causes and predictors of obesity, they remain unquantified. In other words, although we know that (eg) excessive calorie intake, lack of exercise, metabolic disorders and genetic inheritance all impact on the incidence and symptoms of obesity, experts still don’t know the relative contribution of these causal factors. The only thing that most experts agree on, is that the recent upsurge in obesity cannot be attributed in any major way to the influence of genes, since genetic changes typically take millennia to appear, not two decades. Even so, the connections between type 2 diabetes, raised blood fats, obesity and insulin insensitivity – a cluster of symptoms which form the condition known as insulin resistance syndrome – is evidence of a progressive deterioration in the body’s metabolic efficiency, which may be a growing underlying factor in the development of excess body fat among many people.

How Do You Reduce A Fat Belly?

May 23, 2009 
Filed under Fitness

 

Is a Fat Stomach Unhealthy?

Yes. For people with a BMI of 34 or less, a fat belly is regarded as an additional health risk. Fatty tissue which is stored around the stomach and abdomen (sometimes called intra-abdominal, or visceral fat) carries a greater health risk than fat located in the lower body around the butt and thighs. Some health studies show that abdominal fat leads to raised blood pressure, high cholesterol levels, high blood sugar, insulin resistance syndrome (metabolic syndrome X) and heart disease. Because of this, some experts believe that waist circumference and fat-distribution is more important than your actual weight in predicting future health risks.

 

What Causes a Fat Belly?

Where we store fat (surplus calories) is largely a combination of gender, age and genetic inheritance. Men tend to store fat around their middle (apple shape), whereas women typically store fat around the pelvic region, hips, butt and thighs (pear shape). However, women are prone to develop an apple shape in mid-life, after menopause. This is because the female hormones are present in smaller amounts and so their shape tends to become more ‘male’.

NOTE: To understand how surplus food calories from carbohydrate, fat or protein are converted to body fat and stored in adipose tissue cells, see How We Gain Body Fat (Adipose Tissue)

Stress and Stomach Fat

Some health studies show that abdominal fat can develop as a result of stress. This is because the hormone cortisol is released during stress, and a high level of cortisol in the body appears to stimulate the storage of fat around the belly and abdomen. Researchers at Yale University studied 60 women and found that the more stress they were under, the more fat they stored around their stomachs. So it appears that a fat belly is most likely to develop in stressed men of any age, and older stressed women.

How to Prevent a Fat Belly?

If you are prone to store fat around your middle, the healthiest solution is to maintain a normal weight. By matching your calorie intake to your calorie needs and prevent weight gain, you will prevent the development of any excess fat.

How to Reduce a Fat Stomach?

However, if you already have a fat belly, the best option is to follow a healthy weight loss diet, combined with fitness exercises such as aerobics (to burn extra calories) and a stomach-toning workout to help tighten and strengthen abdominal muscles. That said, reducing a fat stomach takes time – especially if you are an apple-shape. Despite what commercials say, there is no diet-plan or type of exercise that can "target" your fat stomach. So please don’t get impatient. Your fat belly will disappear, I promise.

Narural Body Building

May 23, 2009 
Filed under Weight Loss Tips

When it comes to the subject of amateur and professional body building, only the most naive person would not acknowledge the prevalence of anabolic steroids in the sport.

Needless to say, there is a great deal of performance enhancing drugs in competitive body building, but also there are a number of people who prescribe to natural body building which is essentially a drug free approach to the sport of body building. Sadly, many people who are proponents of natural body building do not always get the credit they deserve in regards to the contributions to the sport.

Understanding Anabolics

So what exactly are anabolic steroids? These are drugs designed to increase the body’s ability to grow muscles by increasing the body’s ability to release growth hormones, reducing the amount of rest one needs in order to grow muscle, and allowing the body to exercise for significantly longer durations than what would be possible without the use of drugs or drug agents.

Needless to say, the physiques that these drugs create are more massive and more defined than what could ever be achieved with a natural body building physique. Of course, there are a host of negatives associated with anabolic steroids as well. For example, excessive use of steroids has been associated with a number of serious medical conditions such as heart disease, kidney failure
and many other problems. As such, sticking with a natural body building program is much better for overall health and safety.

For the Hobbyist…

For the hobbyist, there is really no reason to use anabolic steroids. While there are many arguments for and against the risks associated with taking drugs for a profession in body building, for someone who is simply trying to get in shape or look good the risks associated with drug taking simply makes the risks not worth it. There is an old saying that many gyms use as a mantra: “It is better to feel good than to look good.”

This is a veiled reference to all the problems that are associated with the health issues that can derive from using steroids. If you are a hobbyist, then it is best to stick with natural body building because there are no risks associated with it. In fact, this is a healthy pursuit that can greatly increase a person’s quality of life.

Why would anyone want to do anything different? AgainPsychology Articles, it is best to stick to the natural route.

Take a look at how I did it successfully using "the truth about six pack abs" – the #1 rate fitness program on the internet for anyone who needs to lose weight (and their stubborn tummy fat) and getting a tight, firm and sexy stomach.

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Advantages Of Smart Lipo

May 22, 2009 
Filed under Weight Loss Tips

Losing fat is usually not a big deal when you go to the gym or spend hours on your treadmill or cardio equipments. But there are always chances that you may lose some fat here or there without losing an inch on the bigger and problematic zones or body parts. How often do you workout hoping to get a flat tummy or respectable looking thighs? Fat when sticks on to the body, has strange outcomes, such as body areas where it just won’t budge off from. SmartLipo is a technology or tool of medical science which works towards removing all that stubborn fatty deposit on your body.

SmartLipo is similar to liposuction, but has greater advantages and is capable of giving smarter results or outcomes. Using a laser technique SmartLipo burns out or melts down the fat or obese body parts causing less or no side effects and distress or soreness. This new method of medical science has proved to be current revolution and is quite popular among people with heavy body sizes that just wont come down, no matter how hard they workout.

Following are some of the benefits or advantages of SmartLipo that makes it a better option than other treatments for reduction of fat from the body:

-Unlike any other treatment (such as Liposuction) SmartLipo has a quick recovery period, thus you do not have to go through those lengthy and time-consuming healing period.

-With the local anesthesia, the procedure of SmartLipo is less traumatic and less discomforting.

-The after effects of bruising or any swelling in SmartLipo is quite restricted and is there for a short period of time.

-SmartLipo also tightens or binds that lose skin on your body.

-This technique of reducing or removing fat from the body can be used to treat more than one fat loaded are on a body in one session.

-SmartLipo is also good in treating areas which were not possible to be treated for fat removal. Such as, knees, stomach and areas around it, face as well as under the armpit or forearms.

-The downtime or rest session required after the procedure of SmartLipo is minimal or very less, as compared to the downtime required by other treatment procedures, that is you can come back to your daily routine in a day or at times even on the same day. velashape works

SmartLipo has proved to be quite safe and effective method for removal or reduction of the stubborn and rigidly stuck body fat, but to utilize these benefits and the outcome of the technique you need to follow some simple instructions given by doctors.
And more than anything else, you always need to remember that this technique acts as a benefit only if you keep a healthy lifestyle, disciplined eating habits and a fitness regime on an active mode.velashape cellulite

Starting an Exercise Program for Better Health

May 21, 2009 
Filed under Fitness, Indoor Activities

 

We are all well aware of the importance of exercise. Studies
constantly come out showing that exercise can reverse many
serious health problems and increase our longevity. Americans
spend more on health and exercise equipment than any other
country. Yet few of us follow through on an exercise regime. The
main reason for this is time. It can be hard to find time in a
busy schedule to include an hour or more at the gym. By starting
with a manageable schedule and choosing something you enjoy, you
can begin an exercise program and stick with it.

Be sure to see your doctor before you begin your new exercise
program, especially if you have not been active in a long time.

Start Small

Begin your exercise regime slowly. Jumping in too fast can lead
to injury which will definitely decrease your desire to stick
with it. Do not expect too much too fast. Start out with small
goals that you can measure.

Choose a small amount of time each day such as 10 minutes and
schedule it into your daily routine. Do not let exercise to be
the thing that gets cut out of your schedule when you get busier.
Think of it as a regular part of your daily duties such as
brushing your hair or flossing your teeth.

Before you begin, remember to do some warm-up exercises. Warming
up prepares your muscles for the exercise and helps to prevent
injury. Do about 5 to 10 minutes of jumping jacks or a slow jog.
If at any time during your exercise you begin to feel pain, just
stop. If you keep going it could lead to injury. Drink plenty of
water before you start and have an extra glass if it’s a hot day.
Don’t exercise on an empty stomach especially if you do your
routine first thing in the morning.

Make It Enjoyable

The most important thing you can do when starting an exercise
regime is to choose something that you enjoy. If you have always
wanted to learn to dance, sign up for dance lessons. Take a
beginner aerobics course at a gym or join a tennis league. Aim
for about 30 minutes of physical activity per day.

One of the best exercises for the beginner is walking. You can
easily adjust the intensity and length of your workout, and
increase both as you become more fit. It can be done at any time
that best fits into your day. Studies have shown that walking can
combat health problems such as diabetes, high cholesterol and
high blood pressure.

Exercising can be especially valuable for women in combating bone
loss which comes with age. As women get older they begin to lose
about 1% of their bone mass per year. Following menopause it
increases to 3% per year. Weight bearing exercise stimulates the
bone to make new bone cells.

To enjoy the health benefits of exercise you have to make it part
of your daily routine. Start by doing something you enjoy or even
began with walking. Schedule exercise into your daily routine and
do a little each day. Before you know it you will be healthier
than ever before!

Weight Loss Solutions – Article You Must Read Before Decide To Use One

May 19, 2009 
Filed under Weight Loss Tips

Weight loss solution are use of medications or drugs to control or treat obesity. Most of these slimming-pills work by making you feel less hungry or making your stomach feel fuller soon. Food and drug administration (fda) does not recommend the use of drugs in the treatment of obesity, as they were found to cause serious heart valve problems. People disappointed with the orthodox forms of treatment, also opt for acupressure and magnet therapy as weight loss solutions.

Weight loss solutions are an ideal complement to the south beach diet, atkins diet or your own chosen diet plan. Not currently using a pre-designed diet plan? you’ll find reviews and news about some of today’s most popular diets right here on this site, along with our own sound advice for modest exercise and a. When you use the products as directed and follow the recommendations on slimstuff.

Weight loss solutions are the hoodia diet pills and patches. But like any drug, remedy or medication, proper dosage is of utmost importance. In order for one to gain maximum benefits from a hoodia diet, the right amount of dosage should be taken with care. It is also essential to know if the hoodia to be taken is actually pure hoodia as there are those who mislead people in believing that it is what the label says it is, but actually not. The internet could also be of great help in giving information as to what companies are trustworthy and selling products which are guaranteed safe and according to standards.

Weight loss solutions are too much complicated that they disable them to lose weight quickly or easily. They never discuss the issue of weight loss with their doctors and do not consult them when there is need to do so. What they usually do is following the traditional methods that they think they would help them losing weight. There are some people who determine for themselves that they are fat, obese and need weight loss solutions even when they are not as what they think to be.

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Weight loss solutions are simply too busy to properly evaluate all of the programs and methods available today. Because of this, many settle for in-effective diets, programs or expensive fat loss pills only to experience results that are less than stellar. The failure usually lies with the diets themselves or the inidividual unable to meet the exacting requirements of the program. Some opt to change their diets without proper instruction, and start. Low calorie diets, eating low fat foods and following low carb regimes. While all of these options have been around for decades, north americans and indeed most western countries have seen a dramatic rise in obesity.

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