Lower belly fat is typically the last area of fat to go. Diet and exercise are the keys in reducing excess body fat. In order to burn fat you have to create a caloric deficit; this means consuming fewer calories than your body is burning. In addition to diet, strength training will help to burn additional calories as well as increase your lean muscle mass.
Yes…eat smarter and exercise. Eating small frequent meals (5-6) throughout the day will help to keep your metabolism more active. Try to limit your meals to lean proteins and complex carbohydrates, excluding saturated fats whenever possible. Limit or cut out completely, your intake of processed grains and refined sugars. Eating this way will also allow your body to release its stored body fat to be used as energy. In addition, exercising with weights (resistance training) will increase your lean muscle mass…provided that you are meeting your nutritional needs. Muscle tissue burns most of your body’s calories. So, the more muscle you have…the faster your metabolism will become.
Any number of days is better than none at all. However, 3 days is the minimum I would suggest in order to make a noticeable difference. Use a combination of both cardiovascular exercise (at least 20 min.) and resistance training (at least 30 minutes) and soon you’ll see positive changes in your health, attitude, and appearance.
Even if you are careful, injuries can still happen. Strain is a term describing damage to muscles and tendons. You will usually feel a sharp pain followed by an achy feeling. Sprains describe injury to joints and ligaments. Throbbing pain is felt accompanied by swelling and/or bruising. If you sustain an injury, it can take anywhere from 3 days to several months. If you feel that the injury isn’t healing, be sure to see your physician. You can speed the healing process of most minor strains and sprains by following these principles: R-I-C-E.
Rest: Stop any activity that bothers the injured area. Wait until the injury is completely pain free before using it again.
Ice: This reduces the swelling and pain. Ice the injured area for 15 minutes 3 or 4 times a day until the pain has subsided. Don’t let the ice stand directly against your skin.
Compression: Put pressure on the injury to help reduce swelling. Wrap the bandage or brace (you can get these at your local pharmacy) tight enough so you feel pressure but not so tight that you cut off circulation or feel numb.
Elevation: Put the injured area above your heart (propping it up on a pillow or two works well). This helps drain fluids and reduce swelling.
More than 85 percent of adult women develop some cellulite on their lower body. Cellulite is just fat deposits beneath the skin. It appears lumpy and dimply because it’s being smashed between the muscle and skin. If you want to get rid of the cellulite…you have to burn the fat. So, do your cardio to burn extra calories, eat right to minimize fat storage, and weight train to tighten up your muscles and increase your metabolism!
I get asked this question a lot. I’ve heard several different answers from several different experts. Some say working out first thing in the morning on an empty stomach increases the metabolism, allowing for more calories and fat to be burned. Others recommend working out in the afternoon, arguing that muscle strength and mental alertness are at their peak at this time of day. The answer I give is…pick a time that you can be consistent with. Maybe you like to exercise after work to releive stress, or first thing in the morning before your hectic day starts. Whatever the time…pick one that works best for YOU.
Millions of people made a promise to themselves to become more healthy and fit in 2008. We’re nearly three months into the new year, and many people have found themselves resorting back to their unhealthy eating habits and non-active lifestyles. Why? Whatever the reason…DON”T GIVE UP! Get back in the game. Summer is right around the corner, and you have plenty of time to lose the fat, build the muscle, and start feeling GREAT again.
Here are a few tips to help get you back on track:
1. Make a promise! Commit to someone other than just yourself; a family member, friend, or co-worker. Being accountable to someone other than yourself will help keep your promise.
2. Have a plan!. Make a monthly calendar that lists what activities you’re doing on each day of the week. Example: Monday-workout (upper body), Tuesday-cardio/abs, Wednesday-workout (lower body), Thursday-cardio/abs, etc. Plan on doing some type of physical activity at least six days a week.
3. Be patient! Don’t expect to see results over night. Most experts say it takes 21 days to make a habit. This is plenty of time to start seeing noticeable changes with your body.
Are you getting bored with your steady paced cardio sessions? Incorporate interval training into your cardio workouts. Choose a cardio exercise, e.g., treadmill, elliptical, bicycle, or even walking. Start off with a 3-5 minute warm-up…then start your hi/low intensity intervals. One minute at a fast pace (approximately 80-90% of maximum effort), and one minute at a slower pace (approximately 60-70%). Continue these hi/low intensity intervals for approximately 20 minutes. Not only will you burn more calories with these high intensity interval sessions, but you will also increase your cardiovascular strength.
If you’re just starting a cardio program…start off slow and listen to your body. If the high intensity durations are too difficult, decrease the intensity, duration, or both.
You started a new diet plan. You’re motivated…excited about losing weight and feeling great, and then that sweet tooth kicks in. What do you do?
1. Eat small frequent meals throughout the day. This will help to sustain your body’s blood sugar (glucose) level; one of the causes for sugar cravings is low glucose levels.
2. Eat a protein source with each meal/snack. The protein will help slow the release of carbohydrates into the bloodstream…controlling blood sugar levels.
3. When choosing your carbohydrates, go with low glycemic ones, e.g., spinach, green beans, asparagus, yams, oranges, apples, and peaches. (You can find more low glycemic choices at www.glycemicindex.com)
Here are a couple of “sweet” alternatives that will keep you faithful to your diet.
- Frozen fruit snacks - Choose low-glycemic fruits, e.g., grapes, cherries, and strawberries. Freeze them in those small Ziplock snack bags.
- Cottage cheese with berries - Mix your strawberries, rasberries, or blueberries with your low fat gottage cheese.
Turn your workouts into a muscle building, fat burning, heart conditioning workout. Combine your resistance training exercises, e.g., chest presses, lat rows, bicep curls, etc., with active rest exercises, e.g., crunches, jumping jacks, push-ups, etc. For example, perform a set of 8-12 reps with dumbbell incline presses, and without a rest break drop to the floor and do a set of push-ups or crunches…to failure (until you can’t do another rep). Take 30 seconds to catch your breath or get some water, then do it again. Do this for three sets and then change up the exercises. Each workout should take you approximately 30 minutes.