Lose Weight

Ask most people what their New Year’s Resolutions were and you’ll likely find the answer- lose weight. With so many of us wanting to shed the pounds, why is the obesity pandemic reaching new heights?

Weight loss tends to conjure up images of near starvation and tons of cardio. Most of us do not even start on our New Year’s Resolution simply because the thought of it stops us dead in our tracks.

What if we had some tools for weight loss? 4 simple ideas that are practically guaranteed to shed fat, drop the weight, and slim us down? That would be a major first step towards a weight loss program.

Tool 1- Strength Training

We have to recognize this as a viable fat-loss method. Every pound of muscle burns 35-50 calories per day. Adding lean muscle mass is the best way to jump start and sustain fat reduction.

Tool 2- Cardio

Cardio is good, but it’s not the only tool we should use. Cardio should be done as a partner to the other ideas. Anything that gets your heart pumping will do: walking, jogging, running, dancing, swimming, biking, or house cleaning.

Tool 3- Nutrition

Nutrition is often the hardest part of the weight loss process. We simply forgot how to eat well in our culture. We need to eat protein, carbs, and fat to sustain our way of life. Cut one of the three out and imbalances will occur.

Tool 4- Rest

Rest is not a luxury. It is a necessity. We should eat well every day and we should workout 5-6 times per week. The leftover 1-2 days are meant for rest. Our muscles need time to rebuild and repair themselves.

Using strength training, cardio, nutrition and rest to our advantage will result in fat loss. There is no magic bullet. Just simple and effective tools to create the body we want. Make a promise to yourself right now. Try using the above tools consistently and to the best of your ability for 4 weeks. You’ll look great and feel amazing.

Copyright 2005 http://www.strength-training-woman.com

Lynn VanDyke is the proud owner of http://www.strength-training-woman.com. She is a personal fitness professional, yoga instructor and nutritionist. Her site is quickly becoming the authority for all things strength training.

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One of the most important things you can do for fat loss, controlling weight gain and for overall health is often overlooked. MORE SLEEP! Yes, you actually need to sleep more to gain less!

A lack of sleep could be contributing to America’s obesity epidemic. A recent Columbia University study found that not getting enough sleep could put you at increased risk for weight gain.

The study, presented at the meeting of the North American Association for the Study of Obesity, analyzed data from 18,000 adults and found that those who slept less than the recommended seven hours a night had an increased risk of obesity. People who slept for less than four hours per night were 73 percent more likely to be obese than those who slept for seven to nine hours. Getting five hours of sleep or less decreased that risk to 50 percent, and getting six hours or less decreased it even more to 23 percent.

While it’s still unclear exactly what causes this increased risk, scientists believe that lack of sleep lowers the amount of leptin your body produces. Leptin is a protein that suppresses appetite and is responsible for telling your brain when your stomach is full. In addition, when you are sleep-deprived, you are less able to make clear decisions and may eat more food than your body actually needs.

What’s the lesson? A good night’s sleep is not only critical for your mental health; it may also be a crucial part of your diet.

So, good night and sleep tight!

Be well & stay fit!

Aimee Deak

Aimee Deak is a certified personal trainer, nutrition analyst and author of the book, “Every Body Loses”, an easy-to follow,
step-by-step guide to fat loss.

You can find more information about fat loss and exercise on her
website http://www.aim4nutrition.com

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As a personal trainer I routinely field questions about flat stomachs and six pack abs. Men and women want the secret formula to a rock solid mid-section. There are 5 tips that can help anyone increase their chances of a slimmer, fat-free waistline.

Flat Stomach Tip 1) Eat plenty of fibrous foods. This helps aid digestion and elimination. All too often the protruding lower abdominals are caused by enlarged intestines. Aiding the body’s digestion and elimination processes will help give a flatter appearance to the lower stomach area.

Flat Stomach Tip 2) Create a strength training routine that addresses all of the major muscle groups. A nice trick I learned along the way is to increase the musce in your shoulders. This gives the appearance of a smaller waist. Working your whole body is more advantageous for many reasons. A few reasons are:

- Working the entire body creates balance. Working just the abs will result in an imbalance and may lead to over-use, under-use or injury of certain muscles.

- Working the entire body will add more lean muscle. Women need to add lean, toned muscle to their body. They should not be afraid of bulking up or looking like men. The more muscle we have, the more calories we burn. Each pound of muscle burns 35-50 calories per day.

- Just working the abs usually results in over training. With a full body routine each muscle receives attention and proper rest.

Flat Stomach Tip 3) Drink plenty of fluids. Water and unsweetened teas are best. Keeping the body properly hydrated will aid in digestion and elimination.

Flat Stomach Tip 4) Participate in a cardio activity most days of the week. I recommend doing a mix of session lengths and intensity levels. The total workout time should typically be kept under an hour (including strength training). A few days should be medium intensity and medium length cardio sessions. A few days should be reserved for long sessions with low intensity. One day each for a higher intensity, shorter program and a rest day.

Flat Stomach Tip 5) Incorporate the Plank Pose into your ab routine. The Plank Pose works the transverse abdominis muscle. This muscle is responsible for holding the stomach in and supporting posture. This is one of the best ab workouts in my opinion. It really works the muscle responsible for a flat stomach. More info can be found on the Plank Pose at http://strength-training-woman.com/ab-exercise.html

Combine these 5 tips for a flat stomach and get ready for results. Genetics play a role in the over all appearance of your stomach, but just about everyone can benefit from a reduction in body fat. The simplest way to a tight mid-section is to make a lifestyle change. Dieting is a quick fix that usually results in frustration and weight gain. Learn to achieve optimal health by applying positive habits.

Copyright 2006 strength-training-woman.com

Lynn VanDyke is the head trainer at http://www.strength-training-woman.com Her wildly popular ebook, Melt the Fat, comes complete with over 100 exercises, 160 daily menus, 63 ways to stick with it, 100 strength training routines, 800 healthy meal suggestions and loads more. Learn more by visiting: http://www.Melt-the-Fat.com

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