Archive for the ‘Lose Belly Fat’ Category

When it comes to how to burn stomach fat or flab, people think immediately about what they are eating and how they are exercising. But science is starting to show that there might be a lot more to it, and it starts with our heads.

We all know about the power of the mind because of the placebo effect. The placebo effect is “the measurable, observable, or felt improvement in health not attributable to treatment.” You have heard about sick patients being given sugar pills but told it was some new, wonder drug and seeing drastic improvements in their health. Now science is showing this happens with exercise and diet too. Two groups of people were given identical exercise plans. One group was told their plan would help them to lose weight and the other group was told the exercise would just be ok for them. Sure enough, the group that was TOLD they would lose weight, lost weight. This wouldn’t apply to just how to burn stomach fat but fat all over your body as well.

If you have tried and failed to burn stomach fat….

Are your beliefs about what your body can and cannot do holding you back? If so, how can you change it?

You have to increase your belief system. You can do this a few different ways. One way is to find someone who you feel is similar to you that has done it. So, check out some success stories online or in Weight Watchers magazine and find someone you can relate to who has done it. Once you see that it is, in fact, doable, your own belief system will be raised.

The other way you can achieve a different attitude is through meditation. Now this can either be guided where someone else “guides” you through the process or you do it on your own. I highly recommend guided meditation for weight loss as it helps to replace negative thoughts with positive ones. For instance, you might listen to a soothing voice saying over and over “You can lose weight” and even if you don’t believe it yet, listening consistently can help to change your thinking. Guided meditations can even be found on iTunes and other .mp3 sites.

So don’t give up hope if you think you can’t figure out how to burn stomach fat or flab, your body might have been doing the right things all along, now it’s time to get the mind in line too.

You know it’s time to get belly fat off for good when you look down and all you see is the flabby tire around your midsection. Is it popping out over your jeans? Does it make the zipper hard to pull up lately? We have all been there and know how frustrating it can be to get the belly fat gone for good.

Points to remember when working on the midsection:

• Any whole body exercises you can think of will help to lose belly fat so keep MOVING!

• Situps and crunches wont lose the fat, but they will help build the muscles so you have a nice look once the fat is gone.

• Track what you are eating. Use either MyDailyPlate.com or Fitday.com to track your calories, sodium, sugar, fat and carbs. You might be amazed at how a “little bit here and there” adds up to excess calories.

• Eat healthy. I one time went to Whole Foods and just watched to see what the “healthy people” were buying. They have places where you can sit right by the registers and see everything. Then go to regular grocery store and compare. Healthy, lean people eat healthy things. Greens, vegetables, fruits and lean protein are the building blocks for great abs.

• Find a belly fat burning program to keep you on track and focused. Use a plan that was designed by a certified trainer and has proven results so you can be successful and get belly fat off!

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You would be surprised how much homemade gym equipment you already have available. You do not need to go out and buy expensive machines and gadgets to get started with your exercise program. If anything, one of the best pieces of equipment you have costs nothing, goes with you anywhere and you don’t have to slide it under the bed to hide it away. It’s your own body. Truth About Abs is a great , inexpensive plan for working out at home but until you can get it, consider grabbing these pieces of equipment to get started.

• Cans of Food – You don’t have to do anything with these other than take them out of the pantry and start lifting. Bicep curls are a great beginner exercise to start with these.
• Milk Jug Weights – Take milk jugs of all sizes and fill them with water, sand, rocks, or even concrete. The handle makes these great “kettle ball” replacements for swinging-type exercises.
• Sand Bags- Make sand bags in different sizes that you can toss with a partner or carry around the backyard. Nothing to make sand bags with? Just lug around the dog food or barbecue briquettes!
• Tire Pull – Have an old tire laying around? Tie a rope around it and pull it over your shoulder up and down the driveway.
• Bench – a bench makes a great spot to do push-ups against or turn around and do them backwards to work the triceps.
• Step ladder – Use this for doing stepping routines, or you can just use the first one or two steps of your stairs.

Be creative and have fun with your exercise routines and homemade gym equipment. They do not have to be boring or expensive.

We know it’s there, jiggling when we walk, getting in the way our pants’ zipper, but what causes fat belly?  It appears chronic stress may be the a common culprit.

For some who are not even overweight, they can have too much belly fat. They work out, eat right, and still they can pinch more than an inch along their waistlines.  Women should keep their waist size below 35 inches, and men should keep it under 40 inches. The fat that is  most dangerous is called visceral fat and it is located deep within our bellies and surrounds our organs. Even those who are of “normal” weight can have high levels of fat and find this in their abdomens. The fat that is less dangerous but more unsightly is called subcutaneous (under the skin) fat.

When we are stressed, our bodies realease the hormone cortisol.  Cortisol is a vital hormone which is secreted by the adrenal glands. It is involved with  metabolism of glucose and release of insulin to maintain blood sugar. When we are stressed, the cortisol levels rise and can result in increased abdominal fat. Increased belly fat is related to strokes, bad levels of cholesterol (LDL) and heart attacks.

So what can we do to reduce the effects of stress on belly fat? When you are experiencing stress, it is important to be able to regulate your “fight or flight” response to reduce levels of cortisol. Things like deep breathing, guided imagery, music, exercise, and  meditation can all help your body to relax and ward off the negative effects of stress. Sometimes having a mantra like something your mother or grandmother used to say helps too. Didn’t your grandmother say “This too shall pass” and “God doesn’t give us more than we can handle”?

Of course, remember to eat well. Do not reach for the quick-fix of junk food to cure what ills. Instead, keep in control of the situation and opt for fruits and vegetables, lean protein sources, whole, unprocessed foods and limit sugars. Fiber is important too so that you will feel full and avoid overeating.

If you know what causes fat belly, you can be proactive and learn to react to your body’s stress response in a relaxed way. This will only add years to your happy, active life!

Are you thinking of trying new exercises to get rid of belly fat? Well there is some good news! Have you heard that spot exercises don’t work to get rid of the bulge? It turns out that might not be true.

Belly fat is made up of both subcutaneous fat (fat under the skin) and visceral fat (fat deeper in the abdomen around the organs). According to the Mayo Clinic website, there is now research pointing to spot exercise training being very effective at removing visceral fat. That is the dangerous fat than can cause a variety of diseases to our body’s organ systems. Well this sounds good for our health, but what about the way we look? How do we get rid of the pudge?

Belly fat responds best to exercises that work the entire body. You do not need to do a million crunches a day to lose the pooch. Instead, try long lean exercises like pilates partnered with cardio to lose the fat in the cells. Cardio is what will burn fat, crunches will build the muscle below the bulge, but if you can’t see them, it wont do much toward your appearance. So, running, brisk walking, and long tummy stretches are all going to be effective in removing belly fat.

Here are two suggested exercise from the Mayo Clinic website:

• Deeper abdominal muscles. Target deeper abdominal muscles by doing “abdominal hollowing” or “drawing in the bellybutton.” First, get down on all fours. Let your tummy hang down as you take a deep breath. Let your breath out, and at the end of your exhalation, gently draw your bellybutton inward and upward toward your spine. You should feel a slight tightening around your waist — think of it as trying to squeeze through a partially closed door. Hold for 10 seconds, then rest for 10 seconds. Work up to 10 repetitions. During each effort, your spine position shouldn’t change and you should breathe freely. Eventually, you’ll be able to do this exercise standing up. It’s so subtle, no one should be able to tell you’re doing it.
• Lower abdominal muscles. Tone your lower abdomen by doing pelvic tilts and pelvic lifts. To do a pelvic tilt, lie on your back on the floor with your knees bent. Flatten your back against the floor by tightening your abdominal muscles and bending your pelvis up slightly. Hold for five to 10 seconds. Repeat five times and work up to 10 to 20 repetitions.For pelvic lifts, lie on your back with your knees bent up toward your chest and your arms relaxed by your sides. Tighten your lower abdomen and lift your buttocks up off the floor, with your knees aimed toward the ceiling. Hold for five to 10 seconds. Repeat five times and work up to 10 to 20 repetitions.

Exercises to get rid of belly fat can be easy to incorporate into your workout routine. Don’t forget to follow good eating habits by consuming lots of fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and limit refined, processed foods and sugars.