Think Fat Loss, Not Weight Loss

Weight loss is one of the hottest topics ever. Everyone seems to be trying to lose weight nowadays. Most diet programs are about weight loss and body weight is often used as an indicator of fitness progress. But, this is an incorrect approach.

Your ultimate goal should always be to lose fat and reducing excess body fat is what you should be concerned about. Weight loss and Fat loss is NOT the same thing! Many people confuse the two terms, often believing that they mean the same, when in fact weight loss and fat loss are very different from one another. This article will help you understand how weight loss is different than fat loss and how fat loss is far superior to weight loss in almost all ways.

Weight loss is not just fat loss

What Is Weight Loss?

(Weight Loss = Muscle Loss + Fat Loss + Water Loss)

Weight loss is attempting to lower your total body weight. It simply refers to a lower number on a scale.

Your body weight is composed of all the parts of your body such as muscles, fat, bones, water, organs, tissues, blood, water etc. When you lose weight, you lose a little bit of... fat, muscle and water.

You lose fat but very little and along with the fat you lose muscle and some amount of water. The higher you reduce your calorie intake, the faster you drop weight and the more muscle mass you lose.

Do know your muscle matters? Loss of muscle affects your health and your overall appearance.

Being fit means more than just fat loss

When you lose weight too quickly, your body cannot maintain its muscle. Because muscle requires more calories to sustain itself, your body begins to metabolize it so that it can reserve the incoming calories for its survival. It protects it fat stores as a defense mechanism to ensure your survival in case of future famine and instead use lean tissue or muscle to provide it with calories it needs to keep its vital organs such as your brain, heart, kidneys and liver functioning. If you reach a point where you have very little fat or muscle, your body will metabolize your organs to keep your brain functioning leading to heart attack, stroke and liver and kidney failure.

As the body loses more muscle mass, the body's overall metabolic rate decreases. The metabolic rate is the rate at which the body burns calories and is partly determined by the amount of muscle you have.

So the more muscle you have, the higher your metabolic rate; the less muscle you have, the lower your metabolic rate and fewer calories you burn. This explains why it is crucial to protect your metabolic rate and not have muscle loss.

Loss of muscle also leads to loss of tone underneath the skin leaving you soft and unshapely with no form or contour. If you lose weight too rapidly, your skin won't have time to adjust either. Also muscle is what gives you strength and loss of it means a weak body.

With weight loss you shrink in size and become a smaller version of yourself with a fragile frame with saggy skin.

Weight loss works in the short run to make you smaller but is temporary, almost everyone rebounds and regains the weight. This forces you to find another diet. And then another one, and another one - because eventually they'll all fail.

What Is Fat Loss?

(Fat Loss = Loss Of Stored Body Fat)

Fat loss is attempting to lower your total body fat - i.e. the percentage of your total body weight that is made up of fat.

The right approach for fat loss is to exercise smartly and

Eat the right food to have the right body

eat intelligently in a way that maintains muscle and focuses on fat loss exclusively.

The muscle you have is not there forever. If you don't feed it and don't use it - you lose it. A proper plan with right combination of resistance and cardiovascular training with adequate progression and a right nutrition plan to support it can help you achieve this. Exercise only boosts the burning process but doesn't just melt the fat away on its own - if you do not create a deficit and feed the body too much - it won't touch the stored fuel reserves. On the hand if you drastically cut your calories and do not feed your muscle properly or don't exercise and use your muscle, you will lose it. Fat loss is about finding that right balance.

With fat loss you maintain the muscle and keep the metabolic rate running high. You also develop stronger connective tissue, tighter skin and stronger bones and joints. With fat loss you transform your body.

Fat loss is a lifestyle approach where you give your body what it needs without depriving and shocking it with threat of starvation. You get to see slow but permanent steady progress.

It may sound odd, but it's possible to get thinner without actually seeing a change in your weight. This happens when you lose body fat while gaining muscle. Your weight stays the same, even as you lose inches.

Lets see how this happens.

Muscle uses less weight than fat

Fat tissue is very loose and not dense. It occupies a lot of space in your body. Whereas muscle is more dense and takes up less space. When you lose fat, this space is freed and you can notice inch loss. If you are following a consistent strength training program then gain in lean muscle tissue will balance out this loss of fat and weight stays the same. Since muscle takes less space than fat, you lose inches and start to look more toned, lean and shapely.

consistent strength training program then gain in lean muscle tissue will balance out this loss of fat and weight stays the same. Since muscle takes less space than fat, you lose inches and start to look more toned, lean and shapely.

Myth: "Getting fit" means "Losing weight."

Truth: Getting fit means lowering your body fat percentage!

This Article By Written By:
Rashmi V Jolly
Online Fitness Coach & Founder of Body Redesign
Website: http://www.body-redesign.com

Article Source: https://EzineArticles.com/expert/Rashmi_V_Jolly/2240871

The Many Benefits of Coconut Water, Milk and Oil

What are the benefits of coconut water and other products derived from coconut? Not that long ago, unless you lived in the tropics, you probably seldom thought about coconut. Perhaps you had a coconut flavored drink every so often (more likely than not, one containing alcohol!) - but you never considered coconut to be one of the healthiest foods on the planet. Now, however, it seems that every other product that's for sale in a natural foods store has coconut in it!

Yes, we're hearing about the benefits of coconut water, coconut milk and coconut oil all the time. Coconut oil is not only good for cooking, but it's used in all kinds of skin care products. Coconut water is now becoming popular as an alternative sports drink. Coconut milk, meanwhile, is starting to become a leading milk substitute, especially as soy based products are becoming suspect in many ways. So let's take a closer look at this coconut craze and see what benefits can be derived from this wonderful fruit from the tropics!

Coconut Water

Coconut water is cool and delicious

Coconut water is the clear liquid you find when you open a young coconut. It's naturally sweet, yet low in calories and it's fat and cholesterol free. For this reason, it makes an excellent sports drink. It's the ideal compromise between people who find plain water too boring but who don't want to load up on sugar and empty calories that are found in commercial sports drinks.

Coconut Milk

Coconut milk is the thicker, creamier white liquid that's prepared from meat of the coconut. In other words, you can't crack open a coconut and get coconut milk - you only get coconut water this way. Coconut milk has to be made.

Coconut milk is sweeter and richer than coconut water, making it a good substitute for regular milk or soy milk. While coconut milk is considered by many to be very healthy, these claims are sometimes disputed because it's high in saturated fat (the same is true for coconut oil, as we'll shortly see). However, many nutritionists are rethinking the whole "saturated fats are bad" philosophy.

Coconut Oil

Discover the benefits of coconut oil

Coconut oil is enjoying a real renaissance in the health food community, probably even more so than coconut water or milk. Suddenly, we're hearing that this oil, though high in saturated fat, is ideal for cooking as well as for skin care.

It seems that previous research that supposedly proved that coconut oil caused a rise in cholesterol was based on using hydrogenated coconut oil. As many people are now aware, this is a process that produces the "bad fats" or trans fats that are the cause of so many health problems. Trans fats in anything raise the LDL or bad cholesterol to go up. Pure coconut oil, however, has no such effects - just the opposite.

One of the major benefits of coconut oil is that it contains lauric acid, which is a natural enemy of many harmful microorganisms and possibly even cancer cells. Lauric acid helps protect the body against bacteria, fungi and viruses, so it has many healthy qualities.

Coconut Products and Weight Loss

Coconuts can help with weight loss

If you're trying to lose weight, which coconut products should you consume? The short answer is, "all of them!" This doesn't mean, however, that you have to go overboard and drink or eat coconut products from dawn till dusk. Even though coconut milk and oil both contain healthy fats, if you're trying to cut back on calories you obviously don't want to overdo it with any kind of fat.

You can use all of the products in moderation and gain the benefits. This is true for everyone, whether you want to lose weight, gain weight or maintain your current weight. You can drink coconut water as a sports drink, or just when you want a refreshing cold drink. Don't drink it in place of regular water, though. Pure H20 should still be your primary beverage of choice!

Coconut milk is probably the best milk substitute if you're vegan or lactose intolerant. Even if you do eat dairy, there's no reason not to add coconut milk to your diet. You can find many healthy recipes that use coconut milk, or you can just drink it as a refreshing beverage that's a bit more substantial than coconut water.

Coconut oil is ideal for cooking. This is one big edge it has over the other super healthy oil - olive oil. I'd never suggest giving up olive oil, as this is not only delicious but it's one of the healthiest "good fat" foods you can consume. However, olive oil is not good for cooking, as it loses its benefits and actually becomes toxic. So, if you want a simple formula, consume olive oil raw and coconut oil for cooking (though coconut oil is also fine uncooked).

Coconut oil also has many other benefits, and it can be used as a moisturizer and even in your hair. You can find many products on the market that contain coconut oil, but very often it's safer to just use it straight up. Many products, even those sold in health food stores and online from health and nutrition companies contain all kinds of suspect ingredients.

Do your research - the Dr. Mercola website has a lot of good information on the dangers of many supposedly healthy and natural skin care products, shampoos and so forth. With plain coconut oil, you don't have any such worries! You can't really use pure coconut oil as a shampoo, but you can use it in your hair as a conditioner and then wash it out with a gentle and preferably organic shampoo.

In conclusion, more benefits of coconut-derived products are being discovered all the time. Of course, the native peoples of regions where coconuts grow - many tropical regions from Africa to the South Pacific- have long known how healthy, as well as delicious this fruit is. Now, however, modern civilization is finally catching up. So, coconut water, coconut milk, coconut oil - and just plain coconuts of course- are all foods you can eat with pleasure and without guilt!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Maire_Brody/205861

Top 10 Weight Loss Tips That Burn Fat

As the number of overweight and obese Americans approaches three-quarters of all adults, dropping those extra pounds becomes a serious objective of many who are concerned with their long term health. For most, losing weight and keeping it off is a lifelong battle made more difficult with frequent on-the-run meals and failed fad diets.

Abdominal fat can be dangerous to health, as it increases the risk of heart attack, diabetes and certain cancers. Targeting belly fat has been shown to considerably reduce the incidence of health related concerns and provides for an improved level of self-esteem and confidence. Fortunately there are a variety of steps which can help with overall weight loss and specifically eliminate stomach fat. Create your own weight reduction program by choosing from these fat burning tips.

Tip 1. Eat Smaller Meals Throughout the Day

Eat smaller nutritious meals

Eating 2 or 3 larger meals per day causes the body's metabolism to stall as it's forced to process a higher number of calories. Eat 4 to 6 smaller meals each day and limit calories to no more than 300 to 400 at each sitting. Eat sensibly and avoid heavily processed foods in favor of natural choices including plenty of raw vegetables. Most important, never eat after 7 PM to allow complete digestion of your last meal before going to sleep.

Tip 2. Develop an Exercise Routine

To be successful in any weight loss plan, it's essential to incorporate an exercise regimen. It doesn't need to be strenuous, but must be done regularly on most days of the week. Use a combination of strength training and cardio to make it fun, and be sure to train for 20 to 30 minutes each session.

Tip 3. Eat at Home - Dine Out on Special Occasions

Most dieters have no concept of the excess calories they eat when dining out. Most restaurant meals include twice the number of calories as a home cooked meal. For weight loss to be successful, you must be able to control the healthy ingredients and quantity.

Tip 4. Drink Green Tea

Green tea is a known fat fighter

Studies confirm that drinking tea, especially the less processed green tea boosts metabolism when you're resting and specifically targets the release of stored fat. Brew the tea yourself to avoid the sugar added to prepackaged teas.

Tip 5. Drink More Water

Some dietary advocates promote the idea of drinking as much as 64 oz. of water daily. While the majority of studies don't confirm this, they do indicate the importance of drinking water through the day. Water reduces fluid retention naturally and promotes the release of toxins from the body.

Tip 6. Eat Slowly and Enjoy Your Food

Slow down when eating to allow your brain to send the satiety signal so you know when to stop eating. You should enjoy your food and chew each bite a minimum of 20 times to aid the beginning of the digestive process.

Tip 7. Cut the Sweets and Refined Carbs

Resist the temptation of sweets

All calories are not created equal. Refined carbohydrates and sweets are broken down immediately upon eating, providing an immediate surge of blood sugar and the desire to eat again in a couple of hours. Slow release calories from vegetable and protein sources require much more energy to metabolize and are less likely to be stored as fat.

Tip 8. Use a Smaller Plate

Most dieters don't even realize that the average dinner plate has gone from 9" to 12" in size. This means that 40% more food fits on your plate, and studies confirm that if it's on the plate, it's in your mouth.

Tip 9. Avoid Sugary Soft Drinks

The best place to begin cutting calories is in soft drinks. Each drink packs 150 to 200 calories, and most people consume several each day. Replacing sugared soft drinks with a no calorie substitute will result in losing 1 pound per week without any other changes.

Tip 10. Make These Changes Your New Lifestyle

Following these tips with the thought of short term weight loss can be beneficial, but it's important to develop a totally new lifestyle which incorporates most or all of these tips. Start by making these changes for 15 days, and be strict. You'll find that it becomes much easier as you go on, and the scale will provide encouragement.

All of these tips have been proven to deliver results. Follow as many as possible for maximum results, but don't let one or two push you away from your ultimate goal of permanent weight loss. Losing fat, especially from the midsection is critically important to living a long and healthy life.

Read More Expert Advice on Diet, Health and Nutrition

John Phillip is a Health Researcher and Author who writes regularly on the cutting edge use of diet, lifestyle modifications and targeted supplementation to enhance and improve the quality and length of life. Visit my Optimal Health Resource to continue reading the latest health news updates.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/John_L._Phillip/571991

Fat Loss Friday - Foods That Speed Up Metabolism

Eat For Heat: Foods That Rev Up Your Metabolism

Stoke Your Furnace

Metabolism makes up all the processes that fuel our bodies. The constant need for energy for all the things that make us alive is demanding, and the more active we are, or the more mass we have, the more energy is necessary to keep us running. Eating in general creates a thermic effect, that is, since it requires energy to breakdown and extract nutrition from food, food itself increases our metabolism. That's great, but there are certain foods that speed up metabolism even more than others. Focusing on including these in your diet can really boost your metabolism over the long term, increasing fat loss and improving health in general.

1 - Spice Up Your Life!

Spicy foods like jalapeno and habanero peppers and spices like cayenne can get the heart rate up and the body heat activated, requiring sweat to cool us down. This small spike in metabolic rate is actually used by hot countries to help keep them cool. As counter-intuitive as this might sound, by causing a little bit of sweat from food, you're constantly in a state of cooling as it evaporates from your skin, keeping your metabolic furnace stoked and your body cool.

2 - Protein Punch!

Protein is king for metabolism boosting

As stated above, all food requires energy to break down, but protein in particular requires a bit above and beyond. About 25% of the total energy provided by protein is required to break the food down and absorb the nutrients. That means a 100 calorie portion of meat will require about 25 calories to process it, leading to a net intake of 75 calories. Not only does this off-set some of the ingested calories, but it also increases your metabolic rate for a while after eating as it takes your body longer to break down protein than it does for carbs or fat. As far as foods that speed up metabolism are concerned, protein is king!

3 - Ice, Ice Baby

Cold drinks in general that have no calories, but particularly water, have a great effect at slightly boosting metabolism. The energy your body needs to return your temperature to normal after ingesting cold drinks makes your metabolism spike, even if only for a short while. Starting your day with a big glass of ice water is a great way to wake up and get your metabolic furnace firing on all cylinders.

4 - Coco-nuts About Coconut Oil!

Coconut oil is almost entirely made of medium-chain triglycerides. This type of fat is immediately useful to the body and a perfect addition to foods that speed up metabolism, providing a quick boost of energy that is harder for your body to store than other types of calories. Pure MCT oil is another source of these medium-chain triglycerides, and an even more potent one than coconut oil. Saute food in it, use it instead of butter, or if you're brave, try blending 1 or 2 tbsp in your coffee with heavy cream for a fatty, frothy coffee that boosts your metabolism to new heights!

5 - Coffee and Green Tea

Coffee is great for boosting metabolism

For most people, a quick pick-me-up is a nice cup of coffee in the morning or afternoon. Tea is a staple the world over, and both are great sources of caffeine, which greatly boosts mood, metabolism, and fat-burning rate, as well as concentration and focus. There's also evidence that daily coffee intake protects the liver and helps prevent diabetes, so grab yourself another cup (just maybe skip the sugar and flavored creamer!)


Read more: Foods That Speed Up Metabolism http://www.sooperarticles.com/health-fitness-articles/weight-loss-articles/foods-speed-up-metabolism-1482910.html#ixzz4G0B49ecS
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Wednesday Video - How to Lose 10 pounds in 2 Weeks

Can you safely lose 10 pounds in 2 weeks? Yes, it is hard, but very doableHave you been looking in the mirror and telling yourself that it’s about time you shed off those pounds? Or were you staring at a pair of skinny jeans and feeling bad that they can’t fit you anymore? Or maybe swimsuit season is fast approaching, but your body fat still thinks its winter and doesn’t want to leave yet? Whatever your reason, losing weight can be a good idea, not only for a sexier new look, but also for a healthier body.

Watch this video tutorial to learn how to lose 10 pounds in 2 weeks.

Fat Loss Friday - Foods That Can Help You Reduce Weight

You know how obesity has become a disease nowadays. The most disturbing feeling is that it has also spread to children below 12 years too. Hardly any child is thin and lean nowadays. Being obese can lead to high cholesterol, the rise in blood pressure, and problem in walking even raise chances of a heart attack too. Hence, to the most, we should eat food that is healthy and does not add extra layers of fat. These essential food items are

· Black Coffee:

Take your coffee black for fat burning power

We all love coffee with a little bit sugar and a cream flavour. Yes, it is tasty and has a lot of benefits too. But with sugars and cream, you are putting more calories in your body. If you are serious about reducing fat in your stomach, then you should drink black coffee twice a day. Its caffeine and necessary acids break down fat decomposed in our body and help in indigestion. Though it is tasteless, but it has lots of health benefits.

· Water-Melon:

Water Melon consists of 90% water and only 10% calories. It not only keeps you hydrated in summer but is also a rich source of amino acids that helps in burning fat in our body. The fruit is quite fulfilling keeping hunger pangs away for a long time. The fruit is best suited for lunch hours so that you don't feel hungry in evening hours and can avoid unhealthy snacks.

· Coconut Water:

Try coconut water instead of sugary beverages

Coconut Water has only 46 grams of calories. Taking this drink once or twice a week will definitely reduce weight in your body. If you are addicted to sugar beverages; then this drink can easily replace it. The Coconut water is not only sweet in taste, but also contains potassium, acids that can easily burn fat in your body.

· Apple:

There is no fruit like apple when it comes to health benefits. The fruit keeps your heart healthy, helps in teeth whitening, reduce chances of cancer and also helps you reduce weight too. It doesn't contain any fat and is fulfilling too. Hence, you should always include it in your diet if you are keen on weight loss.

· Leafy Green Vegetables:

Spinach, Mustard Green, Turnip Greens leafy vegetables are a rich source of fibre and low in calories. You should always include it in your diet plan if you are keen to lose weight. Apart from low calories, they also contain essential vitamins and minerals that can play a vital role in reducing your weight.

· Salmon Fish:

It is a high source of protein and omega 3 fatty acids that keep you thin and lean. The fish also has contains iodine in a sufficient manner that helps in maintaining thyroid level.

Above all these foods you have to do regular exercise and avoid high calories food such as pizza, burger and soft drinks to the most possible. They are the main reason for obesity nowadays. Hence, you should replace them with green vegetables, lots of healthy fruits, beverages and see results within 3 months.



Read more: Food That Can Help You Reduce Weight http://www.sooperarticles.com/health-fitness-articles/weight-loss-articles/food-can-help-you-reduce-weight-1511248.html#ixzz4G09QWvMy By Sumit Arora on July 30, 2016
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Wednesday Video - The Deal With Fat

Dietary science is complicated-- one day something is good for you and the next it's not. Learn what we DO know about fat chemistry in this short video from SciShow

Fat Loss Friday - Exercises to Lose Fat Rapidly

Would you like to learn about a handful of workouts to get slimmer easily? 

It is not a secret that high intensity workouts are what will get results. Aerobic exercises such as jogging will help burn up fat, but if you are not careful,

Cardio can help

you can also burn off lean muscle doing these (remember those scrawny cross country runners from high school?). Since muscle tissues help burn up body fat, you want to keep them around even when you are not looking to get buff. High intensity sprints on the other hand are good workout routines to lose weight fast without burning up lean muscle.

Therefore, for the high intensity exercise session, we will be doing basic Cardio exercises. Yet, we are going to be shifting between extremely high intensities and decreased intensities. If you are just getting started, this can be quite strenuous, So it's better to begin with less and then work it up as your stamina increases. you can repeat this with cycling, stair machines, or other exercises, But doing this with sprinting is probably the best physical exercise to burn fat quickly.

To start this, we are going to first warm-up and stretch. This is a very critical thing to do to make sure you do not hurt yourself.

Afterward we start a jog-sprint-jog series. jog for 1 minute, And then burst straight into a full-out sprint for one minute, followed by returning to jogging. Keep changing from one to the next for about 20 to 30 minutes. If this is simply too strenuous for you, start out with two minute jogs with one minute sprints, Just make it a goal to build up to one minute jogs and one minute sprints. After you get comfortable with this, you can test yourself even more by repeating this up slopes, getting started with gentle slopes and working up to more challenging ones. Try this about four to five times weekly and you’ll begin to get some extremely incredible results.

Remember, that while you are doing your intense component of the workout it really does need to be extreme! To do anything else, will merely lead to an ordinary aerobic exercise session that probably won't give you the effects you would like. You need to force yourself to your max and be totally out of breath.

You can vary your workout to keep yourself from getting overly bored to death throughout your high intensity exercises. Try doing totally different workout routines or doing your running at a new place. You might sprint around the community you live in, try out the gym, or a close by park.

During off-days, try to hit the gym.

Muscle burns fat even at rest

Do a handful of weight lifting exercises to build some muscles and tone your body a bit.

This can be a great way to burn off extra fat and shed those pounds. On top of that, you are going to be building your endurance and energy at the same time too. high intensity exercises are excellent workout routines to lose weight easily and they also are more enjoyable and more reliable than normal cardio exercises.

You should make sure to talk with a physician before you do this on your own though, considering that high intensity exercises can be really taxing on your body, to begin with.

Stay with it, though and you are going to have a slimmer body and the energy and endurance you need to feel good each day!

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Wednesday Video - How to Burn Stored Fat

Everybody wants to burn off fat (that's why you're watching this) but not everyone is sure about how to go about it.

There are ways to burn fat, but do you know the proper ways to burn stored fat? 

The body is conditioned to store fat in preparation for lean times, so it burns the food you eat first instead of burning the stored fat. Since you are not likely to suffer from food deprivation or malnutrition in the near future, the body just keeps storing fat without burning it off. Here're some tips on how to burn stored fat quickly, easily and safely

Fat Loss Friday - 2 Things You May Not Know About Fat Loss

It is a sad and very unfortunate fact that many people and companies take advantage of the lucrative weight loss industry, by convincing people that their latest gadget will do wonders for their weight problems. These unscrupulous people and companies fool the public into believing that their gadgets really work. The truth is, abdomen flatteners or thigh trimmers really do not work and tests prove they don't, but still people fall for the lies some companies tell them. In nearly all cases these gadgets do not work for people and are just a complete waste of money.

Now the time has come to put these so called wonder gadgets to bed and tell the truth so that people will gradually learn and stop buying these useless machines. People who seriously want to lose weight are being fooled into purchasing these wonder machines and it does nothing to help them. So, here are two things you need to know about fat loss in order to make sure you do not become another victim.

Exercise at a time that suits YOU

Exercising in the morning will not help you burn off more fat than exercising at any other time of the day. Let's face it, physical activity is going to help you burn fat and it really doesn't matter when you exercise as long as you exercise. Don't be fooled by companies that tell you to use their exercise machines first thing in the morning. It really doesn't matter when you exercise one bit.

Alongside that, it is not possible for many to exercise first thing in the morning. Most people have to go to work or have other things to do. These people need to do their exercise in the afternoons or early evenings.

Some people though will have more energy in the morning of course and for these people they should go ahead and exercise first thing, but please do not believe that you will get the most benefit from exercising in the morning before you do anything else.

There is no such thing a spot fat reduction. It is fitness experts who fool people into believing this foolish notion so that they can sell a gadget or something to them. Do not believe this myth or you will end up buying something that says it will help with spot reduction of fat for special areas of your body, like your stomach or thighs. The only thing you will spot reduce with these gadgets is your bank balance!

No matter how or where on your body you try to lose weight,

Your body decides where it loses fat

ultimately it is your body that will decide which fat to burn. It will always win no matter what you do. Some people will lose fat around their buttocks or thighs, while others will firstly lose it around the waist or face area. Don't be fooled into believing that doing hundreds of sit ups each day will burn fat around your abdominal area. Just doing abdominal exercises will simply help you to lose your abdomen muscles and lose no fat!

I hope this article helps you to understand important things about fat loss.


Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Gary_Kidd/21894

Fat Loss Friday - Understanding HIIT

Of all the exercises in the world none will improve your fitness as dramatically and lose your fat as quickly as HIIT(High Intensity Interval Training). Its tough to do but incredibly effective

Individuals who are trying to lose fat use this method most often. It has a number of distinct goals and differences which make it unique.

Torch fat using HIIT

The major difference is the amount of time you will spend doing this routine, which should take no longer than twenty minutes, not including warm ups and warm downs. This may appear to be a very short space of time; however, if you do the workout as it is designed you will be very tired at the end of it. Holding an anaerobic state for as long as possible is the main goal of High Intensity Interval Training. Since there are rest intervals in High Intensity Interval Training, you can sprint harder for a longer time. For example, if you were sprinting 100 meters, you would go all out and very fast for about 15 seconds. In the advanced High Intensity Interval Training workout, you might spend seven or eight minutes going full-on for a 15-minute routine. Four to six total workout minutes are perfect for a novice.

High Intensity Interval Training allows for a range of different activities. Using the largest muscle groups in your body safely is important when choosing an activity. The energy source found inside the muscle is tapped by the High Intensity Interval Training. Your benefits increase with an increase in the size of the exercised muscle group.

Sprinting is the ideal choice for High Intensity Interval Training. Pick another activity if you have injuries or problems which may prevent you from sprinting. One excellent option is using a stationery spinning bicycle.

High Intensity Interval Training routines are not designed to be done on consecutive days. The goal of a workout is to operate at quite a high intensity. In order to maintain this level of exertion, put as much effort as possible into your reps. This is when High Intensity Interval Training is at its most productive. After working out, give your muscles time to regain energy. You have a much greater chance of injuring yourself if this doesn't happen, and you will not be able to workout with as much intensity as before. The more rested you are, the more intensity you can put into your workout, getting the benefits in your body during your rest period.

It was believed that doing High Intensity Interval Training on an empty stomach was the optimal method for maximum fat loss.

Easily digested food helps fat loss

However, new studies have shown that this is not the case. Before you exercise, make sure you eat something balanced and easily digestible; also ensure that your meal is not too heavy before you exercise.

One of the goals of High Intensity Interval Training is for continuous improvement, never to hit a wall, or plateau. High Intensity Interval Training capitalizes on your body's natural ability to continuously adapt to increasing levels of demand; because of this innate ability, your body inevitably will adapt to whatever you demand of it. Your goal results will not be as quick if this occurs. Avoid this by keeping your body guessing. After eight weeks on one High Intensity Interval Training program, take a week off and start a different routine. There are many options available.

Source: Greg McKenzie Free Articles from ArticlesFactory.com

Monday Muscle - 3 Must Do Exercises For An Impressive Back

If You Want An Impressive Back Then These 3 Moves Are Crucial

Your back is one of the most important body parts to train and train hard to ensure that you have a balanced physique. I've seen guys who have an impressive chest or arms but then their back is underdeveloped and it makes that physique look weak, unimpressive and unbalanced. There are a lot of different exercises that you can do for your back because your back is one of the largest muscle groups so training with different angles and exercises is key.

In this article I'm going to share with you 3 very important exercises that you must incorporate into your back routine if you're looking to get that mind blowing back to complete your physique. These 3 moves are crucial when it comes to building your back because they hit your back from the lower section to the top.

Deadlifts

Deadlifts are a crucial exercise

Main Muscle Worked: Lower Back

Secondary Muscle Worked: Arms, Legs, Front Delts, Middle Back

Sets: 5 Reps: 10 Weight: Heavy but controlled

Deadlifts should be a staple in any back routine as it's an excellent power move to build your lower to mid back. A lot of guys will shy away from doing deadlifts because they believe that it's a dangerous exercise which is only true if done with improper form - any exercise done with improper form is dangerous. The key to deadlifting is to build up your strength slowly, this means that one rep max shouldn't be utilized until you have full control of the weight you're lifting and you have nailed down the proper form. Once you have done this, you can then start to increase set weight by 10-20lbs each week or every other week. Don't try to lift too much too soon, if you're lower back isn't developed well enough, the stress could cause serious injury, especially if your form is not right.

Wide Grip Lat Pull down

Main Muscle Worked: Lats

Secondary Muscle Worked: Arms, Shoulders

Sets: 5 Reps: 15 Weight: Moderate but keep intensity high

Wide grip lat pull downs are one of the best lat builders that you can incorporate into your back workouts. Make sure that you're pulling weight that you can control - this means a stretch at the top followed by a squeeze of the lats at the bottom. If you cannot do this then you have to lower the weight, as you won't be doing much good for your lats.

Bent Over Rows

Correct form for bent over rows

Main Muscle Worked: Middle, Upper back and lats

Secondary Muscle Worked: Arms, Lower Back

Sets: 3 Reps: 12 Weight: Heavy but controlled

One of my favorite exercises and a very good back builder to add thickness to your back as well as your lats. Bent over rows should be done by keeping your chest up while bent over and using your hips to stabilize yourself. If the weight is too heavy, either lower it or use a weightlifting belt to reduce stress on your lower back. Make sure to pull the barbell toward your belly button, not your upper chest or middle of abdomen. Pulling toward your belly button will hit your lats nicely and also activate your middle and upper back muscles as well. Try to keep a nice pace throughout each set and as always make sure you can control the weight.

I hope you enjoyed this article!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Alex_Ghaznawi/2292583

Fat Loss Friday - Watch Out for the 9 Signs of Dehydration

Our bodies are composed of a lot of water. For adult males, its 60% while for the ladies, its 55%. Imagine if the water levels go down significantly, all sorts of problems can set in.

We are made of water so drink up

Whether you're physically active or just going about your everyday routine, you can get dehydrated. But how do you know you're already lacking fluids or just being affected by the summer heat? Watch out for the 9 signs of dehydration.

Always Hungry. 

Most of the time, thirst is mistaken for hunger. People unnecessarily eat rather than drink. This is because the part of the brain which indicates hunger and thirst is the same area. How do you know thirst from hunger? Hunger happens gradually, not suddenly. So if you become hungry all of a sudden, reach for a glass of water first and not for a sandwich.

Sudden Sweet Tooth. 

The lack of water reduces the liver's release of glycogens for energy. The brain sends this as craving signals, which you may interpret as a sign to grab a chocolate bar. When you have that craving, reach for a high water content snack, like a watermelon. Not only will your thirst be quenched, but you get to satisfy your sweet tooth in a natural way.

Dry Skin. 

Let's say you're out for a run. A good SPF cream will take care of your skin right? While it's true the cream moisturises and protects, you also need good fluid intake to keep your skin from drying. Even the best moisturiser can't keep the skin from drying because of dehydration.

Cramps. 

If you're physically active, cramps are a good indicator that your fluids are on the low side. Muscles are composed of over 70 percent of water, imagine when you hit 40 percent or less because of sweating, muscles can cramp up. All that sweating depletes sodium and potassium levels as well, so besides water, a sports drink may be necessary.

Dry Mouth and Smelly Breath. 

Stay hydrated

Salivary glands use water to produce saliva, when there is a low supply, the glands reduce production significantly, leaving you with a dry mouth. But it does not stop there, the lack of saliva and warm environment promotes bacteria build up which then results in bad breath.

Headaches and Dizziness. 

There is a fluid sack which envelops the brain, protecting it from the impact of sudden blows. If the fluid sack's water level significantly decreases, expect severe headaches. Also, when you're dehydrated, there is a tendency for your blood pressure to decrease, leaving you dizzy. Some even experience disorientation.

Reduced Sweat. 

This one's a bit more basic, you don't drink much and you're dehydrated, your body can barely produce sweat even on a very hot day.

No Twinkle in your Tinkle. 

Urine is another indicator of dehydration. If you have dark urine, and has a really pungent smell, then you lack fluids. Urine should be clear or light yellow. Some vitamins and medicine can affect the colour of your urine, but they will only make it into a darker shade of yellow.

Constipation. 

Your bowels need enough water to successful pass stool, without it you'll be constipated. Being well hydrated also helps your intestines absorb nutrients from digested food.

What's your best option to prevent dehydration? Well, you can always buy bottled water, but in the long run you'll be throwing away lots of money and adding plastic to landfills. So you're better off buying a reusable drinking bottle.



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Wednesday Video - 5 Must Eat FOOD for a Flat Tummy

Do you feel bloated or tired at the end of a meal? Do you always feel lack of energy? Do you struggle to lose weight despite cutting back on excess calories & doing regular exercises?

The SECRET to rapid weight loss & a flat tummy comes down to your DIGESTIVE HEALTH! You could be eating the cleanest, nutrient-rich diet in the world, but if you're not digesting well, you won't be absorbing all the nutrients from your food. As a result, wastes build up, you retain water and your body converts excess calories to fat.

Watch this video to discover 5 foods for better digestion

Fat Loss Friday - Torch Fat Through High Intensity Interval Training

Understand High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) and why several trainers, amateurs and professionals all declare it to be the most effective method with regards to physical activity, removing stubborn fat and increasing aerobic capacity.

There are quite a few tried and tested training and exercising programs all maintaining to accomplish the desired results. Some are more effective than others; some have little effect at all (although consuming a healthy diet, you often always see some gains).

Always try to consume a healthy diet

One of the proven programs for burning fat that actually works is High Intensity Interval Training, known as HIIT, and this method is outstanding in accomplishing results. Sports scientists have been getting excited over HIIT for years, it is becoming frequently more common amongst amateur and professional athletes, and should be built in any fat burning or lean muscle workout regime. Standard steady state cardio still has its advantages; however, nothing quite gets rid of excess fat and increases overall levels of fitness in the quickest time possible quite like HIIT. Would you more enjoy spending up to an hour casually jogging or cycling along at a relaxed and steady pace in the morning, after your heavy lifting, or on your days off? Alternatively, would you refer to get it done with under twenty minutes, feel anxiously out of breath, be sweating furiously and really feel as if you have worked out at your maximum level?

Intense exercise burns fat far better during and after the activity than steady state cardiovascular activity, which is fact. The so named fat burning zone, which is the rate of intensity at which you burn the most fat when exercising, is not the level of intensity at when your body burns the highest amount of calories. After performing HIIT, your body carries on burning calories and fat even when at rest, this because your metabolism has been rapidly increased.

HIIT generally consists of combining intervals of steady state cardio with periods of quicker and more intense cardio. This not only increases the overall number of calories burned, it also enables you a quick recovery so you can perform the intense intervals with maximum effort. Research shows this has a massive effect on fat and calorie burning during and after performing cardio activity.

When doing HIIT, you also see a gain in aerobic and anaerobic performance. What this generally means is your performance will improve covering both long and short distances, which makes HIIT an excellent option for both sprinters and marathon runners looking for stamina and endurance.

HIIT isn't confined only to running

Studies have also proven that gains may occur when involved in heavy lifting, as participants have been able to accomplish more reps on the heavy compound exercises such as squats and deadlifts, whilst recovery time between sets seemed to have shortened at the same time.

To totally appreciate the concept behind this, you have to think about the energy systems within your body. If an adequate level of oxygen is present, your body uses aerobatic energy paths. Once this supply of oxygen diminishes, it changes to follow the anaerobic paths. To hit the anaerobic zone, some extreme and intense cardio needs to be performed. HIIT therefore means you reach the anaerobic zone helping boost your resting metabolic rate by increasing what scientists call excess-post oxygen consumption (EPOC), it is understood EPOC may result in improved V02 max. EPOC is basically your body working harder to repair following intense training, which needs increased energy and hence higher calories burned. A greater V02 max means more calories and oxygen can be managed by your body hence improving ability over a given time period.

When you have a depletion of oxygen (represented by the EPOC), all your blood sugar has been burned off by your body, which means your body begins to burn fat as an energy source. Using fat as energy is appealing in the period post training. The vast majority of energy is burned during actual exercise when involved in aerobic activity, whereas when following short intervals of anaerobic exercise (HIIT) vast levels of energy are burned during and for many hours following.

You can create a HIIT regime pretty much any way you want, it could be circuit training, performing burpees, cycling or up-hill sprints, anything that will result in your heart rate pumping. The crucial thing is to make sure you can perform the activity for as fast and intense as you can for twenty to sixty seconds. You can then recover for anything from twenty seconds to as much as four minutes. You might be thinking that four minutes is too long to catch your breath, however after many circuits of flat out sprinting in between you soon start to realise how taxing HIIT can be.

HIIT torches fat in a short time

To start HIIT for the first time, you need to warm up for a good five minutes before sprinting at your most intense level for say thirty seconds, before slowing down over the next thirty seconds so you are able to perform the same intensity at the same max effort for a further thirty seconds immediately after. If you cannot, then you need to either decrease your maximum intensity interval or lengthen your recovery interval. Remember it is the max effort you put into the exercise, rather than the time it takes. It is not necessary to achieve 100% on every high intensity interval; you can choose to build up to your max level if you want to. Once you hit it, you can pyramid back down. Similar to resistance training, just ensure you mix up the intensity. Completing pyramids might help to avoid over-training and injury, however; maximum fat burning and metabolic rate will be through maximum intensity.

Article Tags: High Intensity Interval, Intensity Interval Training, High Intensity, Intensity Interval, Interval Training, Steady State, Thirty Seconds

Source: Ben Wain Free Articles from ArticlesFactory.com

Wednesday Video - High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) vs. Cardio

We look at the highly trending HIIT cardio and how it stands against traditional, low-intensity cardio. Can HIIT dethrone low-intensity cardio as the best fat and calorie burning exercise? This video explains it all

Fat Loss Friday - Water Consumption Myths & Facts

Water Consumption-H2O

Is there a difference between drinking H2O and just any other form of liquid?

Make sure you keep drinking pure water

The myth is that water is the easiest and most economical fluid to keep you hydrated. But when you compare the cost today of purchasing water to drink, and purchasing other liquid products, the cost is very comparative and sometimes water can even cost more.

Does drinking H2O flush toxins from your body?

Fact: It does not necessarily neutralize toxins; the kidneys do use water to get rid of certain waste products. If you do not drink enough water, your kidneys do not have the amount of fluid thy need to do their job properly. If the body does not have enough water, then the metabolic wastes will not be removed as efficiently as they should. In essence, the body would be holding in toxins instead of expelling them, as is required for proper health.

Does drinking H2O help you lose weight?

Water can help with weight control

Fact: It will not specifically trigger weight loss, but it can aid in the process. Water replaces other calorie-laden beverages in the diet, causing you to reduce your overall number of calories. Plus, it can make you feel fuller, so you many eat less at each meal. Water. particularly cold water, may play a role in increasing your metabolism.

Does drinking H2O help to keep your skin moist?

Myth: It used to be believed that staying properly hydrated led to youthful, vibrant skin, the reality is that the amount of water you drink probably has very little to do with what your skin looks like. The moisture level of the skin is not determined by internal factors. Instead, external factors such as skin cleansing, the environment, the number of oil glands, and the functioning of these oil-producing glands determined how dry the skin is or will become. The water that is consumed internally will not reach the epidermis (top layer of the skin).

If you are thirsty, are you already beginning to dehydrate?

Myth: If you start to feel thirst, the you are headed in the wrong directions and should grab a drink of water, but thirst doesn't necessarily mean you are dehydrated. "Thirst begins when the concentrations of (substances in the) blood has risen by less than 2 %, whereas most experts would define dehydrations as beginning when that concentration has risen by at least 5 percent."

Is it possible to drink too much H2O?

Fact: People with certain health conditions can put themselves at risk of complications if they drink too much water. People with some heart conditions, high blood pressure, or swelling of the lower legs (edema) need to avoid excessive water consumption. If you have a history of kidney problems, especially if you have had a transplant, consult your doctor before increasing your fluid intake. You should not drink too much water while eating, as it dilutes your stomach acid and can cause digestion problems.

Should you save water bottles and reuse them?

Plastic is convenient but buy a proper water bottle

Fact: Plastic water bottles can present a couple of risks to people who drink their contents and then refill them up time and again. These bottle leach chemicals into your water after multiple uses. The bottle, if not properly cleaned, may also harbor bacteria from your mouth.

Water is essential to survival - You as an individual are the only one that can determine if you need to increase your intake or feel reassured that you are drinking enough.



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Fat Loss Friday - 4 Effective Exercises to Lose Belly Fat

Have you tried different exercises to lose belly fat yet failed to drop the weight? There is no need to invest in high tech equipment and expensive gym membership fees. Check out this article to learn more about the effective ways to get that toned belly.

Have you tried different exercises to lose belly fat yet failed to drop the weight? There is no need to invest in high tech equipment and expensive gym membership fees. The truth is, anyone can get a flat stomach. With the right exercise and proper diet, getting that body you have been dreaming can be within your reach.

Aside from proper diet and exercises to lose belly fat, it is important that you stay committed to the whole process. Commitment is necessary in achieving your end goal. I should warn you, this is not an easy task. The road may be a little bumpy but the results will be worthwhile. You will be tempted to stray from your program along the way. Just keep in mind your end goal and tell yourself that you can do it.

AB machines and fat burning pills are not as effective as doing exercises to lose belly fat. There are exercises that concentrate on the muscles of your stomach. You should focus on your abdominal and oblique muscles. Here are some of the exercises that will transform your belly from fat to flat.

Exercises to Lose Belly Fat #1: Side Bends

Side bends tighten your obliques

Do this by standing straight with your feet apart. While firmly holding your pelvis, bend sideways to the right, and then back to the center, then to the left. Side Bend exercises will give your oblique muscles a good workout (editor's note: if done with weights only have the weight on the side being worked - this way the resistance is against the side being worked. If you have weights in both hands they act as counter-weights and negate each other. This exercise can also be done while holding a low pulley cable) 

Exercises to Lose Belly Fat #2: Sit Ups

Lie on your back, bend your knees, and place your feet flat on the ground. Tighten your abdominal muscles and lift your body. By doing this, you are letting your abdominal muscles do all the hard work. Do this at least 100 times a day and you will see a more trimmed upper body.

Exercises to Lose Belly Fat #3: Crunches

Crunches tone your abdominal muscles

Abdominal crunches are just like sit ups. Instead of lifting your back, you will only need to lift your upper back. Just make sure that you tighten your abdominal muscles while you lift your upper back. This will result to a more toned abdomen.

Exercises to Lose Belly Fat #4: Push Ups

Place your palms flat on the ground and put your feet together.

Push ups also work your abdominal muscles

Tuck your tummy in and let your abs do the hard work. Doing push ups will give you a toned belly. It is a great exercise for the arms too.

Now, let's talk about everything beyond exercise. Change your diet. Do not engage in those fad diets that celebrities have made popular. These diets will not give you enough nutrients and will slower your metabolism. They will only result in temporary weight loss, but you will eventually gain back all the weight.

Eliminate the white carbs and replace them with their corresponding healthier versions. For example, instead of buying white bread, opt for whole wheat bread. They are equally tasty but healthier. Foods high in fiber will aid in better digestion.

Remember, doing exercises to lose belly fat and eating the right kinds of foods work hand in hand. You will not get that flat tummy when you just exercise without being conscious about your diet. In the same sense, just changing your diet will not work if you do not exercise regularly. There are no shortcuts. Hard work is all it takes!

Source: Dominique de Rooij Free Articles from ArticlesFactory.com