While it's no secret where fat accumulates in the body... you can see it with your own two eyes, a harder question to answer is where does the fat go when you lose weight?

You may have heard (or tried) programs that promise to melt away fat from specific areas of the body, but the evidence (MRI and CT scans) sadly doesn't support these claims. It would be great if fat could simply disappear... but when you understand more about fat cells, you'll see why this just isn't possible.

So forget the fads and best-selling diet books; focus instead on long term weight loss that comes as the result of a sensible diet and exercise program in order to see that fat disappear for good.

You'll want to choose more healthy, low calorie, non processed foods and increase your activity level on a regular basis in order to see the fat start to slip away.

Eat less and move more... it's not glamorous, it takes time and effort, hard work and persistence, but the results are lasting and incredibly beneficial to your body, not to mention your self-esteem.

As you work toward your weight loss goal, remember these important points about body fat and weight loss...

1. You can change sizes, but you can't change your body shape. So when you lose weight, you lose it all over in the same proportions as the fat is distributed throughout your body. If you are pear (or apple) shaped to start, you'll lose weight, but will remain the same body shape, though certainly a smaller, leaner one than when you started. Of course, the problem is the weight, not the shape of the body, which is out of your control, often determined by your genetics or body hormones.

2. Body fat is not the same. Fat in the belly area, called visceral fat, is far more dangerous than the more unsightly subcutaneous fat that is found in areas like the thighs, because it's not only metabolically active, but it's surrounding some of your most vital organs. This type of fat disturbs the natural mechanisms of the body, releasing biochemicals that bring on inflammation, which is incredibly dangerous for both your heart and liver, as well as being bad for muscles and joints.

3. Fat cells shrink during weight loss, but you keep the same number. Humans have from 10-30 billion fat cells, and if you're obese, you can have as many as 100 billion. When you lose weight, you don't change how many fat cells you have, their size gets smaller, but the ability to expand right back remains. So even if a procedure like liposuction removes the fat cells, this does not mean that the fat cells in other non-lipo'd areas can't get bigger. How big (or small) your fat cells are depends on diet and exercise.

Remember, experts say that for weight loss to be truly successful, you need to make changes in the way you eat that you can maintain over a lifetime... not just for a few weeks or months. This is the reason most "diets" fail... they have you eating in a way that's not realistic or natural, one that very few can stick with over the long haul.

So if you're looking for shortcuts, quick fixes or magic pills that will make the fat disappear, you're sure to be disappointed. Those who have lasting success will tell you it comes from making small, simple changes that can be maintained over a lifetime.

 

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Tags: Weight, Where

The best benefit of juicing for weight loss is each drink is filled with enzymes, vitamins and minerals that will help you boost energy and your immune system while consuming minimal calories and little fat.

Appetite suppressants are associated with many side effects, but consumers feel they have no other option to lose weight. But fresh vegetable juice helps curb hunger harmlessly. Enjoy a glass of fresh juice before a meal and see your hunger diminish. Vegetable juice also can help stabilize blood sugar. The sugar content is much lower in vegetable compared to fruit juice, and you drink 50 percent less calories. But it still satisfies the sweet tooth. This makes this type of diet plan a pleasure.

Unlike joining various programs that require meal plans, this weight loss regime does not require spending a lot of money or spending a lot of time. Jump-start juicing for weight loss with an inexpensive juice machine.

One way to use juicing to assist weight loss is to begin a short juice fast. Fasting aids detoxification. If you have more than a few pounds to drop, you may want to consider kick-starting the process with a short fast. The miracle of juice fasting aids detoxification. While a water fast may drain energy, juicing can give an energy boost. It also clears all systems to ensure the body will be in the best shape to shed extra weight.

Enjoying variety is important when trying to lose weight, and juicing provides variety. Use veggies and fruits of every color, rotating different kinds to extract diverse nutrients. The body will still consume all the calories it needs to be active and healthy.

Juicing can be part of a nutritional eating plan. Drinking one glass of vegetable juice each day will make it easier to reach your weight loss goals. Fresh juice also will help you maintain your weight later. Once you taste the benefits of juicing, you will not be tempted to return to bad habits. By enjoying a more healthy body, you will find it easy and want to maintain a healthy nutritional routine.

Make a commitment to add juicing as part of a healthy lifestyle. Do not this type of program to be all you need to eliminate pounds. Incorporate juices as part of a healthy, sensible nutrition program and include some sensible exercise. Then wait to see the positive change in the mirror.

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Tags: Drinking, Healthy, Juices, Juicing, Weight

Do you ever feel guilty when you give into a craving? Do you eat a few pieces of chocolate or a slice of cake and immediately feel like you need to hop on the elliptical, or be "good" for the rest of the day? Does your guilt around eating "bad" foods or going off of your diet determine your mood?
Cravings are a natural part of life. Everyone has them-whether they are for sweet things, salty things, crunchy things or chewy things. The reality is that you will always be faced with cravings and temptations. The trick is to get really good at managing your response to these cravings and reacting to them in a way that doesn't make you feel deprived or guilty.
Here are my top five tips for kicking your cravings and losing your guilt:
1. Stop and think. Are you craving that Reese's Peanut Butter Cup because you want the delicious combination of chocolate and peanut butter? Or do you need a hug? Ask yourself: is my life fulfilling? Or am I using food to fix something it isn't capable of fixing?
2. Call for a Sub. If you find that you just want something sweet, try substituting a healthier option for that Reese's. Try some almond butter with a square or two of organic dark chocolate, or a piece of fruit instead.
3. Just Eat It! So the fruit isn't doing it for you-you know that you won't stop thinking about that peanut butter cup until you're holding the empty wrapper. Then just eat it! If you know that you won't be satisfied with anything else, go ahead and indulge your craving.
4. Get Back to Normal. Once you've eaten that chocolaty peanut buttery goodness, get right back on the wagon by returning to your normal eating patterns. Don't try to make up for treating yourself: if you skip a meal or eat very little, you will perpetuate feelings of guilt, deprivation and restriction. What's done is done, but nothing is "ruined." Your next meal is your next opportunity to get back on track.
5. Get Support. If you find that you feel a lot of guilt when treating yourself or indulging your cravings, it may be a good idea to seek support. A health coach is a great partner to work through your food issues and help you to develop a healthy, guilt-free relationship with food.
Next time you have a hankering for a Reese's Cup take some time to check in with yourself and get really clear about why you're having this craving. You may be surprised at what you discover.
Always remember: the key to managing your cravings and enjoying your life is to be understanding and kind to yourself. It's unrealistic to think that you'll never eat another Reese's Peanut Butter Cup as long as you live. It is realistic to have healthy tricks in place to handle these cravings-whether it means a healthy substitute, or mindfully indulging.

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Tags: Cravings, Guilt

You've tried every gimmick in the book and you are at the end of your rope with weight loss programs. The one question you continue to ask yourself over and over is, "Why can I not lose weight naturally?" It is perfectly normal to feel this way. What is not perfectly normal are some of the eating habits that you have picked up over the years. Losing weight has become more of a science than a system or way of life. In order to master any science, one must avoid the pitfalls and become an at the fundamentals. Below are two answers to your question, why can I not lose weight naturally?

You eat for the sake of eating

I previously wrote in one of my articles about the binge eating habit known as pica or cribbing. Whenever there is a lack of nutrients in the body, it causes one to eat junk food or snacks continuously without ever quenching the appetite. Snacks or sweets can only be things that you have an appetite for. You will never hear anyone say, "I am hungry for ice cream." They may say "I have a craving for ice cream." On the contrary, hunger is earned generally from laboring or from the depletion of the body's vital nutrients. Your body is built to let you know when you are hungry. Understand that hunger will require a hearty meal. When a construction worker comes home from work he should not hope that his wife has prepared a Twinkie.

He would probably expect a steak, some potatoes and some other vegetables. Many people seem to think that when you wake in the morning that it is mandatory to eat a breakfast. Nothing could be so far from the truth. If you eat late at night it is literally impossible for you to be hungry when you wake because the body is at a resting state! Anyone who eats a meal at 8 o'clock at night and goes to bed should not experience hunger until about 10 am to 12pm the next day. When you are programmed to eat at certain hours you will eat anything no matter if you have a full stomach. Never eat unless you have a true hunger to eat or unless you are instructed by a medical practitioner to do so.

You eat then go directly to sleep

For the first time those late night owl hours have come home to haunt you. You stay up watching movies, talking with friends or if you are younger you might play video games. The longer you stay up the more fuel your body will require to function. It is unlikely that you will eat a meal at 2 am in the morning and wait for the food to digest four hours later. As a guideline it is good to wait three to four hours after you eat before you retire for the night. The foods that are eaten at the wee morning hours are not very nutritious.

Let's say you eat at 12 midnight then crash for the night. When you are sleeping your body is in a dormant state. It will try to repair anything that is damaged in the body. If you put junk food in the body at this hour then it will have no real nutrients to draw from and therefore the fatty foods that you have eaten will not be of much use. This means that the food that you consumed will turn into fat. Fat on the outside means fat on the inside. When fat builds up, the organs start to get pushed around and crowded. This is another reason for high blood pressure and heart attacks.

Knowing this, it is important to eat as early and nutritious as you can. This will allow for proper digestion.

When trying to lose weight naturally, you have to take every small thing into account. Never overlook anything or think that something is too minute. You must be cognoscenti of all activities that could hinder the overall weight loss process. If you can remember to correct small things such as these two examples, your question of, why can I not lose weight naturally will be eliminated.

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Tags: Naturally, Weight

With summer here, I'm sure most of you have fallen prey to the summer fitness neglect program, come on, you know it's true, you've decided to slow down or stop your fitness routine because it's finally here! The nice weather, the back yard BBQ's, the pool parties, landscaping, washing the car, the beach, social gatherings or whatever else you want to call it. I hear it all the time, "I'm not motivated in the summer time" "I'm going to do my walking outside" or "it's summer, I'll do my fitness routine later" "I'm too busy" Sound familiar? Then I hear it in September "Well, now it's time to get back at it" or "I never should have stopped, now i have to lose 10 pounds from the summer" "Help me!"
Why not make this summer different? Why not choose to continue to keep it up this time? Why come back and have to start all over again when you don't have to? Well, here are some tips to help you if you so choose:
Set a Goal: I know you've heard it many times before and you know what, experts tell you to set goals because they work, period! Set some realistic and measurable goals this summer...maybe only a slice of pecan pie instead of the whole pie, maybe add some chicken breasts to the BBQ or add that fruit and veggie tray with light dip instead of the usual snack tray. Instead of not going to the gym, set a goal to make it 2-3 times a week. Setting goals keeps you focused and really puts in front of you what's most important...your health.
Motivation : Saying you're going to get in sick shape this summer and actually doing it are two different things. In most cases, the biggest problem is motivation. At the end of the day, only you can decide if you're going to put down that cookie or go the extra 10 minutes on the Treadmill. The fix...try a workout partner Your partner can be your sibling, boyfriend or best friend, as long as they make the same commitment to summer fitness that you're making. Find a partner, and you've got yourself a fitness challenge! or hire a trainer for the summer and guarantee that you'll be in your best shape for the beach and to help keep you motivated and on track!
Know your numbers: Have a qualified fitness professional do your weight and body fat to know where you are, then followup every 2 to 3 weeks to ensure you stay on track, this really helps to stay accountable to yourself, there's nothing like getting your fat pinched every couple weeks to keep you honest and on track.
Have a calorie budget: Know what you're putting in your body, and how much of it you actually need. The best way to keep track of what you're eating - and how much of it - is by keeping a food journal. It forces you to realize everything that you're eating, and being brutally honest with yourself makes you want to eat healthy, there are many great, free resource to help with this.
Tell Someone: Sounds strange doesn't it? Tell someone what? Well, what i mean is to tell someone or everyone that you plan on losing weight (or staying in shape, whatever your goal is) this is called positive pressure, so when you tell people, every time you see them they will ask your how your goal or program is coming along and the last thing you want to do is to tell them you couldn't stick to it, right? It's a great little technique that works, so try it.
Strength Train: I frequently hear how people do things outside, they bike, jog, walk, run, stretch etc...but they always neglect strength training, I rarely see anyone doing tricep dips on a bench, or walking lunges, or even a simple push up. Unless you're strength training, you lose seven pounds of muscle every decade of life. Less muscle means a slower metabolism, the primary cause of fat gain. Adding muscle helps you lose fat and keep it off because muscle affects your metabolism, making it faster, which increases the rate of fat burn. The American College of Sports Medicine recommends that you strength train at least two days a week, performing eight to 12 repetitions of eight to 10 strength exercises, and Dr. Wayne Wescott's research reveals three, 30-minute weekly strength sessions can increase your resting metabolism rate by 7 percent and daily energy requirements by 15 percent in just weeks. Sounds good to me.
Well there you have it, some tips to help you stay fit through the remainder of the summer, question is, what are you going to do about it? Will you be where you were after last summer or the summer before that? Dreading to lose the new pounds you gained or is this time going to be different?

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Tags: Fitness, Summer

Summers are here - the scorching heat is in full swing, short shorts are out, lemonades are being served and air conditioners are a man's best friend. While many people look forward to beach season, even more dread it due to the extra pounds they packed on during the winters. Don't lose hope, your plan to lose weight for summer might not be the easiest thing you will do this year, but is definitely worth looking amazing in a swimming suit.

Exercise

While exercise may not be what you want to do, don't worry. You won't have to run a marathon to lose those pesky pounds. Simply incorporate 30 minutes of exercise into your daily routine. This could be a brisk walk to and from work, walking your dog, bicycling to the local store or even walking on a treadmill while watching television. It's also easy to start a DVD workout since you can do this any time of the day. If you can't exercise every day, aim for 45 minutes three to four times a week.

Low Sodium

Cut out the salt from your food. Not entirely, but do stay away from those packaged snacks and fast foods as they can have up to three times your daily requirement of sodium in one serving. Excess sodium will make you retain water, making your weight go up, so when you cut out sodium you will lose the water weight your body has been holding on to since the winters.

Drink More Water

Water is your friend. Have 16 ounces of water before and after every meal, before and after you workout and as soon as you wake up. Three to four liters of water every day will help in flushing out excess salt and toxins as well as reduce your appetite for food since you'll feel full longer.

Eat Less

Weight loss is 80% calorie control and 20% of following fads. An average person needs between 1600-2000 calories to maintain their daily weight. You can calculate your body's exact requirement by using an online calorie calculator which will use your height and body weight, along with age, to determine how many calories you need in a day to maintain your current weight. Reduce that number by 500 to have your calorie limit to ensure you lose one pound per week. If you're incorporating exercise, you'll actually lose more than that. It's not advisable to eat less than 1200 calories per day, since your body will think its starving and lower your metabolism making it difficult to lose weight in the future.

Eat Healthy

Whether you're eating 1400 or 1800 calories, you need to make each one count. Focus on eating one gram of protein for every pound of lean muscle on you. For most people, this falls between 120-160 grams. You can use the remainder of your calories any way you want. Just make sure every meal has a protein component and that you focus on eating healthy fats as well as fruits and vegetables rather than snacking on junk food all day. Incorporate homoeopathy for weight loss into your routine as well.

If you follow this advice while you lose weight for summer, you will find yourself at your goal weight in no time.

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Tags: Summer, Techniques, Weight

Have you ever took inventory of the foods you eat, the fitness plan your on, what your doing to stay healthy, and the methods your using to lose weight?

If you are one of the few that actually looks and studies the things you are doing, you will know exactly what is working and what is not.

You may have a particular fitness workout that you do follow along with some type of nutrition plan like choosing the less fat foods or not drinking sodas.

Now let's be honest with one another, are you really sure as to which things are working and which things aren't?

Really, do you know what you're doing that is causing you to lose weight, if you are?

As far as weight loss goes it is more of a mental game than a physical one. Though you may have a crazy craving every now and again that you have to deal with, most of the weight loss is battled in your mind. And wherever you store the fat on your body, waste line or rear end, if you can beat it in your mind then you will pretty much get rid of it for good.

Weight loss is very possible and you can do it to if you will learn how to re-train your mind in the way you think when it comes to weight loss.

Whatever you think, you are. This is a motto that I have lived with for years. If you think your fat then you will end up fat.

Here is a quote that I took from Napoleon Hill that will better explain what I am saying.

"Our brains become magnetized with the dominating thoughts that we hold in our minds. And, by means which no man is familiar, these magnets attract us to the forces, the people, the circumstances of life which harmonize wit the nature of our dominating thoughts"

If I were to try and chop up this quote it would sound more like this:

It is up to you to make yourself think that you deserve to lose weight and not only think it but believe it. Don't wait till tomorrow; you need to believe it right now.

If you don't, it is another day that just gets flushed away and you might as well tell yourself that you don't deserve to be thin.

In all reality if you don't believe it, then it is never going to happen.

Now you can't wish yourself thin, there is some work required and if you follow the right plan and create the right mindset, then you will get to reap the rewards.

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Tags: Battlefield, Weight

Before I start, I'm going to say one thing. I'm not here to criticize or make people feel down about themselves. I'm here to state the truth on why people aren't getting the results they want when it comes to fat loss.

When it down comes to it, people say cardiovascular exercise is the number one thing to fat loss. However, even though a cardiovascular exercise helps with losing fat, the number one key to fat loss is your diet. No matter how many hours you put into training and working out, if your diet isn't good, then you won't receive the results you want.

What should I do then?

Well, for starters, I would increase my metabolism. If you have high metabolism, you'll be able to burn more energy than you consume. You can increase your metabolism through exercise, eating something small every 2 hours, drinking green tea, eating spicy foods, drinking lots of water, reducing your meal sizes and so forth.

You must discipline yourself and stay on task. Many people I've talked with say that they aren't seeing the results. Yet when I look at what they do; they eat lots of junk food, eat too much, and aren't making a valiant attempt at exercising.

It's going to be difficult because temptation is always around the corner. When it hits however, don't worry, just remember that if you have absolutely HAVE to eat that chocolate bar, or that handful of chips; make sure you eat those items in moderation and make sure that for every junk food you consume, you do something that will burn it off.

What kind of exercises should I do?

Well, cardiovascular exercises are considered one of the top forms of exercises to do for fat loss; however strength training is another form that has the ability to burn calories and fat.

In strength training, you force your body to lift heavy objects for low reps. Unlike bodybuilding and cardiovascular exercises, in strength training, after you are done your exercise; you'll enter the "after burn" mode. Basically put, your body will be burning calories when you aren't even doing anything!

Cardiovascular exercise are aerobic (with oxygen) forms of training; meaning that they require oxygen and usually last longer than 45 minutes to an hour. As well, it takes some time before the metabolism raises to the point where it can burn fat.

Bodybuilding and power lifting (Strength training) are forms of anaerobic training methods (without oxygen). Depending on the workouts, they last shorter than most aerobic training sessions and your metabolism will shoot right up depending on the intensity and stress that is put on your muscles.

High intensity interval training is another great type of exercise that can really burn fat. The Tabata protocol is a popular high intensity interval training program. It is praised by many people saying that it is the greatest exercise method to burning fat. Within a Tabata regimen, you are to perform an exercise within 20 seconds doing as much repetitions as you can. Then take a 10 second rest and move on to the next exercise. The exercise(s) are yours to pick. This is a sample of what a Tabata regimen looks like:

•Squat

•Chin ups

•Push ups

•Pull ups

Tabata regimens usually last 8 minutes and are to be performed by the practitioner at a very high intensity. You have 20 seconds to work at a very high pace for the exercise you are doing, then you get 10 seconds rest and you repeat the exercise, or move on to the next.

So in order for you to lose fat, you must fix your diet, exercise and most importantly, stay committed to them.

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Tags: Committed