Transform! for Women

How To Get Rippled Abs?

2005-09-18T08:33:00.000-07:00

How To Get Rippled Abs?
Guest article by: Rajesh Shetty

Want sexy abs? But don't know how to get rid of those love handles? Then read on...

There are many factors responsible for abdominal fat like processed food, refined sugar, lack of exercise etc.

But the following two invisible factors are mainly responsible for abdominal fat deposits.

1)STRESS

2)ALCOHOL

1) STRESS :

Stress has become part of daily life. Job pressure, financial insecurity, problems in personal relations, traffic & pollution all take a heavy toll of our mental well being.

All the above factors combined with continuous negative thinking and not living in the present moment lead to a pressure-cooker environment of the mind

All of us lead a life either in the past or in the future.Your mind either thinks about the past or fantasizes and worries about the past. Nobody lives in the present moment living every moment and enjoying it as it is!

This constant oscillation of the mind from past to present and present to past like a pendulum takes a heavy toll of your mind and body.Stress builds up and ageing becomes accelerated.The efficiency of the body’s various fat burning organs becomes very low.

Stress is the main cause of stored toxins in the body. These toxins impair the normal functioning of the various fat burning and excretory organs like thyroid gland, lever, kidney etc.

This results in the body not being able to cope up with even normal pressures exerted at various levels due to heavy work or faulty diet and the net result is obesity and weight gain.

Accumulated stress and anxiety from daily stress full modern living releases a hormone known as cortisole.

Research indicates that Cortisole is the hormone responsible for preferential deposition of fat in the abdominal area.

So if you want a sexy six pack, getting rid of stress is very important.

There are thousands of books on relieving stress and positive thinking. But no book has the exact answer for the varied stressful states of mind.

Your breath has a vital connection with your mind. By concentrating on your breath you can control your wandering mind and bring it to the present moment.

Various breathing techniques, Yogasanas and Pranayamas have the power to expel toxins and stress out of your mind and body and make you more and more centered.

My e-book "Proven weightloss secrets revealed" shows various ways to easily overcome stress and to burn abdominal fat without working for hours in a gym.

2) ALCOHOL :

Alcohol consumption leads to abdominal fat.

Stanford university school of medicine has reported a link between drinking alcohol and abdominal fat.

Recent findings report that alcohol drinkers have atleast twice the hip-waist ratios as compared to non-alcoholics.

Alcohol also seems to make the body burn less fat and favours fat storage and subsequent weight gain.

The main problem with alcohol drinking is that the stomach walls directly absorb alcohol. Since it never reaches intestine, the intestine doesn’t give "full" signal to the brain. This causes the person to eat more. It has been observed that you tend to eat atleast 400 calories more when you are drunk.

So, to reduce abdominal fat you need to reduce alcohol consumption or atleast reduce fat consumption whenever you drink.

Spot reduction of abdominal fat is very difficult because fat melts evenly throughout the body. As such to reduce abdominal fat you must strive to reduce fat all over the body.

Expelling the toxins out of your system and correcting the body’s fat burning mechanism can achieve this. Detailed explanation of how to do this has been explained in my free email ecourse at:www.eweightlosstips.com

Alcohol also seems to make the body burn less fat and favours fat storage and subsequent weight gain.

Additionally, doing crunches regularly will help you a great deal in overcoming excess abdominal fat.

About The Author

Rajesh Shetty - Expert in weight loss principles of Ayurveda Medical Science and Author of the Best selling book, "Proven weight loss secrets revealed".

www.eweightlosstips.com

article@eweightlosstips.com

How do women over 50 lose weight around the waist?

2005-07-28T07:19:00.000-07:00

This is a question I was recently asked: how do women over 50 lose weight around the waist?

And the answer is this: the same way women under 50 lose weight around the waist. Specifically, through diet and exercise. The "secret" formula to losing weight around the waist is to take in less calories per day than you expend -- that way your body turns to your fat stores for fuel.

You see, there's no such thing as "spot training." That means that doing crunches endlessly or using your ab king pro or any other piece of waist and ab equipment will NOT help you lose weight around the waist -- UNLESS you are taking in less calories per day than your body neeeds.

So here's the bottom line: if you are looking to lose weight around the waist and abs, use a combination of diet and exercise to decrease your daily calories by 500 below your maintenance level.

For example, eat 250 less calories and do 250 calories worth of exercise. That's an easy way to hit 500 calories. But be sure that you're taking in 500 calories less than your maintenance. To learn more about maintenance, read this article about a sensible diet.

Abdominal Training

2005-07-13T07:50:00.000-07:00

Abdominal Training
by Scott White

It’s the million-dollar question: How can I get a flat stomach, washboard abs, and a 6-pack in my midsection?

Finally, I will unlock the secret to training your abdominals so you can know, once and for all, what it takes to achieve a rock-hard midsection that everyone at the beach will admire. The answers to all your questions are finally revealed in this Ab Training Secrets manual. These are the nuts-and-bolts facts about training your abdominal muscles correctly to achieve the hard, sculpted look you want.

Let’s start with basic anatomy.

Before we even begin discussing how to train your ab muscles, you first have to understand some basic anatomy.

Inner Core/Transverse Abdominals

Chances are you’ve heard tons of hype about your core. Don’t get me wrong — this underlying musculature is extremely important, so much so that if your core does not function correctly, you most likely will never achieve great abdominals. The inner unit (core) consists of many small muscles, but the most important ones are the transverse abdominals (TVA). Your TVA acts like a girdle, or belt, keeping your body stable when external forces are placed on it. The TVA works as a stabilizer for the internal organs, in a girdle-like fashion. The TVA also acts to stabilize the back through the thoracolumbar (spinal) fascia.

Internal and External Obliques

Next are the internal and external oblique muscles, which wrap around the body for protection, allowing you to freely twist and rotate your spine. When it comes to spinal rotation, the obliques are the body’s most important muscles. The internal and external obliques work as trunk rotators and flexors. For example, when the torso is turned to the right, the external oblique on the left side works synergistically with the right internal oblique; and vice versa for leftward rotation of the torso. The internal and external obliques assist the rectus abdominus to flex the abdominals as they simultaneously contract to flex the torso.

Rectus Abdominus

The rectus abdominus is actually an 8-pack of muscles that is separated and innervated into the upper and lower abdominals. Modern research indicates that the upper abdominals are innervated starting above the belly button, while the lower abdominals are innervated by a different set of nerve fibers, making these two completely different muscles, as opposed to the old belief that both sets of abs belong to one muscle. The rectus abdominals primarily flex the torso, but they also work as a shield to protect the internal organs from outside forces, such as getting hit. In the event of an external trauma, the rectus abdominus braces the body and protects the organs from damage. These are the muscles that, when fit, give a person a great-looking midsection — the proverbial 6-pack.

This sums up the simple anatomy of the abdominal muscles. To properly work the abs, the whole body must function correctly — you cannot just focus on the rectus abdominals to obtain the beautiful washboard abs you want.

There is NO shortcut to a killer 6-pack.

I know, I know . . . let’s cut to the chase. Just tell me how I can get rid of the beer belly to achieve that awesome midsection, a killer 6-pack — more correctly known as an 8-pack.

Simple answer? Begin by dumping your other 6-pack, the one in your fridge. Really. Even the so-called “light” stuff.

You say you want a real answer. Then let’s cut the BS. You will never see tight abdominal muscles if you have too much fat on your body. And there is no abdominal exercise on the planet that will remove the fat from your midsection, exclusively. “Sport reducing” is a myth. It is impossible to perform any single exercise or set of exercises to lose fat from one specific area of your body. The only way to lose fat from one specific area of the body is to cut it off surgically — in other words, go have some liposuction.

So how many crunches is it going to take to get great abs?

Hello? Hel-loooo!!! You’re NOT LISTENING. So we’ll go through it again.

Abdominal exercise don’t get rid of the fat around your midsection. The only way to get rid of fat at your abs is to get rid of fat on your whole body — and to do that, you must perform proper weight training and regular cardiovascular exercise, as well as eat a healthy, nutritious diet that works for you and your lifestyle. We’ll go into these in more detail later, but let me reiterate one point: There is no such thing as spot reducing. You can exercise until you turn blue in the face — I don’t care if you do 1,000 crunches — there is no such thing as spot reducing a certain area with a particular exercise. You must burn the fat from all areas of your body — and studies show that weight training is the most efficient method of burning fat. Combine it with cardio training and a proper diet to see huge successes in shedding those calories and fat to get a lean, rock-hard abdominal region.

Weight Training

To burn the most fat and shed the most calories through weight training, you must perform many free-weight exercises that will elevate your body temperature. This alone will shed fat and calories. To learn which are the most effective exercises for getting ripped abdominal muscles, click HERE.

Cardiovascular Training

Aerobics vs. anaerobic cardiovascular training. Which is which, and which is more important?

Anaerobic exercise is of much higher intensity than aerobic work, using up oxygen more quickly than the body can replenish it in the working muscles. Anaerobic literally means “without oxygen.” Anaerobic exercise is necessarily done in short blasts because it causes the body to build up a significant oxygen debt that forces you to quickly end the exercise session. Anaerobic exercise burns up glycogen (muscle sugar) to supply its energy needs. Short bursts of all-out effort, such as sprinting or weightlifting, are examples of anaerobic activities.

Moving the most body parts at the highest intensity possible burns the most calories and ultimately sheds the most fat to turn those abdominals into a rock-hard 8-pack. This means it’s important to do more anaerobic training than aerobic exercise. Shorter bursts at a higher intensity sheds way more calories and fat than working at a longer, steadier pace. To learn more about how weight training works for weight loss, click HERE.

However, cardio exercise is essential to the weight-loss process. Performing aerobic exercise will get you better conditioned as well as accelerate the fat burning. There are no two ways around the fact that the higher the intensity at which you perform any exercise, the more calories you burn.

Regardless of your conditioning or how long you’ve been training, cardio should be performed for no longer than 20 to 30 minutes at a time. But just because it’s only 30 minutes — and not an hour — doesn’t mean you shouldn’t push yourself hard for those 30 minutes!

Proper Nutrition

Proper nutrition is one of the most complicated subjects when it comes to getting fit and healthy, and I’ll tell you why. Nutrition is a science. Your body is a complicated, unique structure, and many of us forget that we are unique and vary in so many ways. This includes which specific foods we should eat — determining which ones will function with our personal metabolism to keep us super-lean year-round. Because everyone is different, there is no single diet that will work for everybody.

Discovering which foods your body needs to function optimally so you can be and stay lean year-round is simple, when you know the right things to look for. Click HERE to learn more about proper nutrition for your particular metabolic type.

Fighting Bacteria

One last important consideration when putting together your weight-loss regimen has to do with your level of bacteria. It’s possible that your body has too many unfriendly bacteria, or yeast overgrowth. The scientific name for this is candida ablicias. This problem afflicts most people without their even being aware of it. Candida, or yeast overgrowth, causes the intestines to become inflamed, which in turn shuts off the overlying muscles (your abdominals). Bottom line? If your abdominal muscles don’t work, you won’t ever achieve great looking abs.

Typical symptoms of bacterial overgrowth include yeast infections, athlete’s foot, dandruff, bloating, cramping, and excessive gassiness. There are good products you can buy to help you fight these bacteria and get your internal environment functioning properly. To learn more or purchase these products, click HERE.

Is there a specific order in which I should train my abdominal muscles?

It is extremely important to develop all of the abdominals, especially the lower abs, which in most cases haven’t been used in a very long time. Underactivity of the lower abs is why many women (and men) have that nice pouch hanging out below their belly buttons. When strengthening the abdominals, you should always begin first with the lower abs, followed by the oblique muscles (sides), and finishing with the upper abs. Like all muscles, the abdominals should be strengthened over their full range of motion (unless there is a limitation due to injury or other factors). Core work is very important, as well, to enable your abdominal muscles to function correctly.

Which is the best exercise for training my abdominals?

The human body is remarkably adaptable and will easily acclimate to the demands of any given exercise. In order to see measurable and consistent results from your exercise regimen, the muscles — including the abdominals — continually need different stimulus. Therefore, there is no “best” exercise that will specifically work the abdominal muscles. The main point of ab training is to twist and flex the abs in a way that targets all the different abdominal muscles.

Lower Abdominals

Internal and External Obliques

Upper Abdominals

Core Abdominal Training (Transverse Abdoninus)

What about side bends — will they help tighten my abs and remove my love handles?

AAAARRGGGGHHHH!!! How many times do we have to go through this? There is no such thing as spot reducing, unless you’re talking stains — and in that case, I’d refer you to the Queen of Clean. No. Side bends will not reduce your love handles; in fact, they can actually make your oblique muscles bigger. Think about it. When you lift weight to target any given muscle, the muscle responds by getting bigger. This means exercises targeting your obliques (side muscles) will make your sides bigger. Exercise, proper diet, and a regular cardio routine will help you lose the fat from your sides.

One thing about side bends — they can be beneficial to strengthen up your oblique muscles, thereby strengthening the whole body.

Which is the best regimen (sets, reps, and rest periods) to follow for an ab workout?

Abdominal muscles such as the rectus abdominals and internal and external obliques are mainly fast-twitch fibers. This means they work best when performing explosive movements. The body uses them for things like throwing, jumping, and sprinting.

Ab Exercise Regimen

l Use fewer reps (6 to 12 per set) and more weight.

s More reps is not better.

s When performing 6 to 12 reps, you maximize the benefits for developing larger abdominal muscles, defining them so you can see the abs better.

l Add more sets, not more reps.

s It is less beneficial to perform thousands of crunches in a row. Completing your sets, and adding more, if you desire, will work better every time than doing more reps in one long set.

l Add more weight, not more reps.

s The goal is for the abdominal muscles to hypertrophy (grow). This is best accomplished by using heavier weights and performing fewer reps.

l Rest for between 30 and 120 seconds to fully recover the muscle.

l fewer reps (6 or less) will develop greater abdominal strength — although this isn’t the best method for developing larger abdominals.

l Use perfect form for your training cycle.

Proper form when training the abdominal muscles is essential.

Good abdominal exercise includes proper training and form. You must always maintain good form throughout your training cycle. This means doing each exercise correctly while bearing as much weight as possible for the rep. The best way to ensure you are performing each exercise correctly is to hire a professional trainer. A secondary option is to buy a good-quality video. Abdominal Training would be a great choice.

If your psoas (hip flexors) are taking over the bulk of the work during your abdominal training, you typically have a faulty recruitment pattern which you need to correct in order to start achieving great-looking abs. It’s essential to asses you abdominal muscles to determine whether they are recruiting (turning on) in the right order. Your muscles are supposed to activate in a particular sequence. If they do not follow that sequence, your abdominals and other muscles are compensating, creating a faulty recruitment pattern that will overdevelop certain muscles and leave others undeveloped, making your physique less symmetrical.

Remember, though, it’s actually possible that you do not need to do focused ab work, so be careful before beginning any exercise program. I suggest finding a qualified professional who can suggest appropriate exercises to get your abdominal muscles working correctly. Quite often, I see people performing ab exercises incorrectly. And not infrequently, these individuals are working under the guidance of a personal trainer — albeit an extremely uninformed one! Make sure the person evaluating and/or training you is properly qualified, so that training your abs doesn’t actually worsen you posture or impede your results.

No matter what, make sure you do the exercises properly. Doing them incorrectly will cause far more harm than good. It is recommended that you receive at least a periodic assessment to see if your abdominal muscles are functioning correctly. To find a qualified Corrective Exercise Kinesiologist who can assess your abs and TVA, click HERE.

Don’t forget, though: Losing the fat is your quickest way to a tighter, slimmer waistline.

How often should I perform ab exercises?

Abdominal muscles are no different from other muscles in that they need rest, recover, and then build back up. You should work your abdominal muscles 3 to 4 times per week. Then, it’s a good idea to give them one to two days of complete rest. If you train your abs one day but they are still sore the next time you’ve scheduled to train them, skip the ab workout that day. Rest until they are no longer sore. You should never work out the muscle if it is sore. Allow it to fully recover before you blast your abdominal muscles again. The last thing you want to do is have your muscles inhibit (shut themselves off) because they’re experiencing pain when you try to use them because you have not allowed enough time for rest. Rest and wait until the soreness passes.

An alternate pattern would be to separate out each set of abdominal muscles. For example, you would work your lower abs on Monday, obliques on Tuesday, and upper abdominals on Wednesday. Following this pattern, you would rest each set of abdominal muscles for two days — so that on Thursday, you could work you lower abdominal muscles, beginning the cycle again.

Is it possible for me to do all these things and still not get great abs?

No. With proper exercise and diet, you can obtain these great results, although you must do the work and exercises correctly. For optimal results, hire a professional to ensure you are on the proper diet and the right exercise program for your body type. To achieve the best results and avoid injury, it is very important to consult with an expert.

You say you’ve tried all this before and still are not seeing results? It is possible that you are performing your ab exercises incorrectly or participating in an exercise program that’s not designed to get you hard, super-lean abdominals.

It’s also possible that you are following the wrong diet for your body. The diet that’s right for you should make you feel great, with lots of energy, and enable you to lose fat easily.

Your best bet is to consult with a professional who knows how to assess which of these factors could be holding you back. Once you begin doing things correctly and your body’s environment is on the right track, you will reap the benefits and obtain that lean, rock-hard 8-pack of abdominal muscles.

I hate doing ab exercises — is there any other way to work out my abdominal muscles?

Abdominal exercises aren’t always necessary when developing a slim, trim waistline. The major thing performing abdominal exercises will do is help build the muscles up, so that you can see them. However, you still can achieve a lean, nicely toned abdominal area without doing any specific abdominal exercises.

Any time you move, you generally activate your abdominals, so there are many other “non-ab” exercises that do work the abs. The rate and degree of activation depend entirely on the type, range, and length of the movement.

l Explosive sprinting, jumping, throwing, and kicking movements are great abdominal exercises.

l Yoga, Pilates, and belly dancing are great lighter activities that help develop strong abdominals. Any of these would be a great form of ab conditioning during pregnancy or for beginners.

l Any exercise using Swiss balls, balance and wobble boards, or any other form of balance stabilization equipment are great for working the abs.

l Sports that require a ton of abdominal control and strength are:

s Gymnastics

s Sprinting

s Wrestling

s Dancing

s Football s Rugby

s Basketball

s Volleyball

s Golf

s Track and Field

Just about every sport that requires you to move explosively for short periods of time is a good form of ab exercise.

Is doing all this abdominal training good for the back?

Abdominal training can help correct back pain, but it also can contribute to back pain. Abdominal exercise is very important if you have a goal of achieving a 6-pack (or, more precisely, an 8‑pack) with your abdominals.

With regard to the back, though, working out the back extensors is a very important component of ab training. If you train only your abdominals without spending any time strengthening your back extensors, you will become out-of-balance and develop poor posture. Poor posture can lead to many injuries, aches, pains, and other difficulties down the road. Maintaining a proper balance between flexors and extensors throughout the whole body is extremely important.

How should I train my lower and upper back muscles in order to keep my whole back healthy, strong, and free from aches and pains?

Performing exercises like the prone cobra and the horse stance is vital for developing a strong, stable back and core musculature. Developing strong, stable lower back muscles is essential to ensure flexibility and movement throughout your entire body. Sure, it’s great if you can squat or deadlift 1,000 pounds, but if it hurts to bend over to brush your teeth, you’re facing some serious pain and problems.

Learning the elements of proper lifting is essential. You must train the strong, primary movers, as well as focus on the small postural muscles that are so often overlooked. Inattention to these muscles is one reason back pain is so prominent in today’s society.

Focus on stability exercises to strengthen your back muscles. Performing the horse stance complex as well as the prone cobra will benefit your back, as well as improving your squat and increasing the weight of your deadlift. In addition to the horse stance and prone cobra, exercises like squats and deadlifts are important for strengthening the back. For pictures and instructions about correctly performing the horse stance, prone cobra, and others click HERE.

Is there an ab machine I can buy that will work wonders for my midsection and get me a-6 pack?

Hmm . . . let’s see. I think we’ve established that spot reducing doesn’t work. But most machines target one only one muscle group. So, is there a miracle machine that will get you flat abs quickly?

No.

The best abdominal training tool available would probably be a Swiss ball, which allows you to work multiple muscle groups, including the abs. Other than that, no ab machine or gadget on the market can possibly promise you a quick fix, spot reduction, or flat abs in 7 days. I hate to break it to you, but if you ever bought one, you got hosed. Nothing will benefit you as much as performing daily exercise and increasing your functional movement.

You may already own some anti-gadgets that will work on your abs.

Don’t misunderstand me: abdominal machines can be of some benefit to your ab training, but nothing beats getting on the floor, or even better, on a Swiss ball or other balance stabilization tool. Such devices are designed to develop a full range of motion while training your abdominals.

Swiss Ball

The Swiss ball is an excellent piece of equipment with a wide array of functions. Use it in place of your regular chair; sitting on it all day will help you develop and maintain good posture, and it will burn 300 to 500 more calories than sitting in a regular chair. A Swiss ball also allows you to employ your natural curve on the ball to get a full range of motion for your abdominal muscles. The versatility of Swiss balls make them excellent for ab training, as well as for many other exercises which are great for burning more fat and calories. An added benefit is that while you’re performing any exercise on the Swiss ball, you are simultaneously strengthening your core. Swiss balls are required equipment for any gym or regular workout regimen — but be certain to buy a quality Swiss ball, and not one of the cheap one. PURCHASE a Swiss ball now.PURCHASE

Blood Pressure Cuff

A blood pressure cuff can be used for more than just measuring blood pressure. A blood pressure cuff with an extension cord is an excellent tool for assessing core and lower abdominal function. You may use this device as a biofeedback mechanism to see if you (or your client) are correctly activating your abdominals. For optimal abdominal training, invest in a blood pressure cuff today. Click HERE to learn more about using a blood pressure cuff to assess and correctly perform abdominal exercises. PURCHASE A BLOOD PRESSURE CUFF

So you’re saying all abdominal devices are bad?

Although you may see some results from the various ab devices on the market, these abdominal machines typically deliver nowhere near the results they promise. In fact, they actually often compromise your body’s mechanics and contribute to back pain and poor posture.

Muscle Stim Machines

You’ve heard that old phrase, “If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.” Muscle stim machines are a case in point.

Let’s hook up electricity to our muscles, as we sit watching the big game while eating pizza and guzzling beer. The machine does nothing but stimulate the muscle in a nontraditional manner. Exercise works when your brain causes you to contract your muscles — not so with some electrical stimulating machine. Since the device causes your abdominal muscles to contract, work, or move minimally, the only benefit this machine may offer is in building a minimal amount of strength. Mostly, as you sit and do nothing — sorry — I mean, as you watch intelligent, informative programs on your television in the comfort of your own home, this device does nothing but make your fat jiggle. And, voila — the results are . . . nonexistent. Are we really surprised? This machine does nothing, in terms of spurring fat loss or muscle gain.

Certainly, it’s your choice whether or not to buy one — it’s a free country. Just know ahead of time that you will most likely be disappointed if you think you’re going to get awesome abs with this device.

Abdominal Roller Devices

One of the biggest selling points of the Ab Roller, and similar devices, is their promise to protect you from neck pain. There’s one small problem with that claim. If you neck fatigues while you’re exercising your abdominals, it means you have an imbalance in your flexor chain, meaning that you need to work on strengthening your neck. Bottom line? You don’t want to buy a device that promises to hold your head up. Rather, you want to strengthen your neck by performing crunches, stopping when your neck fatigues. As time goes on, your neck will get stronger, as will all of your ab muscles, and you will be much better off than you would by purchasing or using this machine.

If your goal is to trick yourself into thinking you’re training your abs as you continue to weaken and destabilize your neck, buy this machine and work it, baby. Down the road, you can also look forward to making bad posture, aches, and pains your friends as a result of improperly training on this device.

Stop making the manufacturers of these machines — and their ad companies — rich!

Ads for these machines work because they tell you what you want to hear: there’s a shortcut around putting in the work and changing your eating. They appeal to your emotions, and you allow yourself to believe them. The makers of these machines know that — it’s why they pay those ad companies big bucks!

The truth is that no abdominal machine or gadget will ever get you a ripped abdominal region. The fairy tale promise will always beckon — and even after reading this, you may decide to purchase one of these abdominal devices in the pursuit of awesome abs. Obviously, I can’t stop you. Just go in with open eyes, knowing that even if one of these ab machines does get you great results, you are likely sacrificing your posture and health for some very short-term results.

Ab machine claims and descriptions. . . some with review and commentary by Popular Mechanics magazine. Decide for yourself!

6-Seocond Abs — This machines claims to help you maintain perfect form while sitting. “Get great abdominals in 6 seconds.” Is that per day, per week, per month? You tell me — is this too good to be true?

8-Minute Abs — This device claims that in just 8 minutes a day, you can firm up your abs and trim your waistline. Another joke? It might even work your abdominals, but you’ve read the truth about abdominal training above, so you decide.

Ab Chair — This machine works your abdominal muscles through a full range of motion. The chair is comfortable and works great for conditioning the abs. The comfortable Ab Chair can strengthen and condition your abdominals — and you may actually see visible results from using it. However, why buy a single product that will work one specific area of your body when you could spend less on a Swiss ball that can be used to work many other areas besides your abs?

Ab Coach — This unit is remarkably difficult to assemble; comes with a multitude of parts and poorly designed instructions. Its thin-walled tubing and lightweight padding give it an overall flimsy feel. Popular Mechanics rating: acceptable.

Ab Doer Pro — This ab machine uses a unique, patented flexibility that claims to effectively exercise your abdominal muscles. Ab Doer Pro may work your abs to achieve some results, but it’s neither as safe nor effective as using a fitness ball or blood pressure cuff. Still, if you like gadgets, by all means go get yourself one. Just remember one thing: no gadget that stands unused in the corner of the room will get you any results — except for the small caloric expenditure of dusting it from time to time.

Ab Energizer Belt — The Ab Energizer Belt is a complete abdominal system that includes gel, an instructional video, a weight-loss guide, and two electronic exercising units. See above comments about muscle stim machines.

Ab King Pro — Ab King Pro offers an amazing 200-degree range of motion that claims to target your upper, lower, and middle abs and obliques all at once. Yes, it’s possible that the Ab King Pro will work as promised and ensure the wide range of motion it claims. Gotta ask yourself, though, how often will you need those movements in your practical, day-to-day activities? Why not spend fewer dollars on an exercise ball to get a broader range of real-life motions?

Ab Revolutionizer — The Ab Revolutionizer claims to make it easier and faster for you to work both your upper and lower abdominal muscles. Revolution or revelation? If it’s a true ab revolution you want, and you’re using only this machine, you may be in for a long wait. As for revelation, that’s easy: It’s impossible for the Ab Revolutionizer alone to get you to a great-looking rock hard abs. Period!

Ab Roller Plus — Ordered by phone, delivery took 3 weeks. Shipping and handling cost $12.95. Upon arrival, all the screws and nuts were missing. After ordering the missing parts by phone, we waited 6 more weeks for delivery. During the 6-week wait, the unit was unusable. Popular Mechanics rating: not recommended.

Ab Sculptor — Other than flimsy construction, this simple unit has few drawbacks. But it also has few highlights, and its price is up there. Popular Mechanics rating: acceptable.

Ab Slide — “You’ll never miss a workout with the Ab Slide. It’s small and lightweight enough for you to tuck away in your suitcase!” Ever notice how many of these machines offer their hide-ability as a selling point? It’s like they want you to buy their gadget, then slide it under the bed or into a closet and forget about it forever . . .

Ab Slider — As opposed to the Ab Slide? Claims to dramatically improve and strengthen your arms, shoulders, and upper and lower abdominal muscles. While you’re sliding the Ab Slide, save some room for the Ab Slider . . . under the table, bed, workbench, etc. The problem with this machine is that most people can’t handle the back stress it creates. Though it’s possible the Ab Slider will benefit you, more than likely it will hurt your back because your body isn’t yet strong enough to perform these exercises correctly.

Ab Swing — The Ab Swing comes with the patented “swing glide” technology that contracts your abs from the bottom up; it claims to give you a very effective abdominal workout. Although the Ab Swing can offer an effective abdominal workout, it’s still not going to get you to eat better, lift weights, and or get regular cardio exercise. Buy it and you may gain some muscle, but don’t become disappointed when you still have fat over your newly developed ab muscles because you haven’t taken any other measures to improve them.

Ab Toner — The accompanying directions were so poorly written that they instruct you to install the headrest upside down. With few features to offer, the unit’s only appeal is its low price. Popular Mechanics rating: not recommended.

Ab Works by NordicTrack — Ordered by phone, this unit was received in 2 weeks. Shipping and handling cost a hefty $19.95. The Cadillac of ab machines, its high price reflects the quality. This device is capable of doing more than all the others and, as a result, it requires some coordination and a fairly steep learning curve. The most comfortable unit among those tested, it offers the best support. Popular Mechanics rating: highly recommended. For better support, I recommend a push-up bra. Just joshin’. Seriously, though — why would you need support from an ab machine? Isn’t that the job of the very abdominal muscles you’re supposedly working out with this machine? You should be using your abdominal muscles to support yourself, not relying on the exercise machine.

Body Vibes — The BodyVibes belt holds a device that monitors your abdominal muscles and gives you a silent, gentle vibration every time they relax. This does what to work your abs??

BodyShaping Ab Blaster Plus — Since “BodyShaping” is an ESPN program, the instructions for this unit came on video. However, the video cartridge we received was damaged, and it took 4 weeks for a replacement to arrive. The instruction booklet covers assembly information only. Despite needing traction pads beneath its slippery foot stands, the unit is comfortable to use and effective. Popular Mechanics rating: recommended.

Cable Gym — Cable Gym is compact, lightweight, and claims to work virtually every muscle in your body. One plus: Cable Gym’s resistance adjusts to your fitness level.

Rio Ab Belt — “Using the Rio Ab Belt is easy: Just put the belt around your waist, switch it on, then relax and enjoy.” See comments for Body Vibes machine.

Weider Ab Shaper — Along with NordicTrack’s Ab Works, this machine exemplifies a clever design and durable, sturdy construction. It’s priced right, too. Popular Mechanics rating: highly recommended.

In Summary

First thing: the machine cannot do the work for you. No matter how sexy the promise or how slick the machine looks, if you don’t use it and eat right and lift weights and get regular cardio exercise, all you’ve done is bought yourself a very large, very expensive paperweight. Why spend the money on any of these devices when you can achieve the same results — and more — by purchasing a high-quality exercise or Swiss ball?

Get off your butt and move, move move! That should be your first step — before you ever think about getting an ab machine. Follow the directives in this article, and I guarantee you will get the rock-hard 6-pack you’ve always dreamed of but never thought possible.

Unless you have lots of disposable income and loads of gadget storage space. In that case, be my guest and try all the machines. I’ll be waiting for your comments about how you got super, rock-hard abs from using only an ab machine, without changing any other aspect of your diet or your life. If you can prove me wrong, I’ll gladly admit it — but I don’t think that’s gonna happen.

Keywords: abs, abdominal training, abdominals, 6 pack, crunches, six pack, stomach, flat stomach

About the Author

Scott White, Scottsdale arizona

swhite@personalpowertraining.net

Learn more about abs, abdominals, Abdominal Training,

Personal Trainer Scott White is one of the top personal trainers in the industry with his knowledge he has been educating individuals on health, fitness, and nutrition as well as developing strategies for personal trainers for business success.

Planning how to cheat on your weight loss diet...

2005-05-13T06:07:00.000-07:00

I've been gone for a while traveling and dealing with health issues, so not only have I not posted here, I also took a vacation from my diet and exercise routine.

Because I lead such a healthy lifestyle most of the time, complete gluttonous, decadent, and sinful vacations from this lifestyle are completely acceptable. In fact, they can even be beneficial. The break from exercise gave my body time to heal. The break from the lower calorie diet may have helped jack my metabolism and convince my body that it doesn't need to cling to fat.

But for many, the psychological benefits of the weight loss diet cheat are the best part of cheating. You can eat those cookies and not feel guilty, because you've given yourself permission. It's a wonderful feeling.

Now granted due to health issues I took a longer vacation than planned. But right there is the key word: PLAN.

In order to make a "cheat" work, you need to plan exactly when the cheat begins and exactly when it will end. A "cheat" can begin next Tuesday at 1:00pm and end at 2:00pm. Or perhaps it begins today and lasts three days.

Whatever you decide, make sure you decide ahead of time. The biggest trap you can fall into is failing to nail down a time the cheat ends. Next thing you know, you've been "cheating" for three months and have gained all your weight back and then some.

Yikes!

Diet shmiet ... my new "pig out" food...

2005-04-05T16:51:00.000-07:00

Have you ever had one of those days (or perhaps nights) when you just wanted to pig out? Every so often I get in that sort of mood. Perhaps it's emotional eating or maybe yearning for a "taste" of the past. But whatever it is...sometimes you just gotta give in.

When I get in this sort of mood, if you hand me some Hershey's Kisses I can down many hundreds of calories before I even come up for air. Same with most calorie dense sweets (cakes, cookies, etc) and other snack foods (chips, fries, etc).

Then the other night I found something that satisfied my need to just crunch, crunch, crunch away without blowing one thousand calories.

So what was it? Puffed Wheat.

OK, so don't turn your nose up just yet. Even if you don't like puffed wheat (and oh man, I sure do), just hang on for another minute...

The box I had listed that there were 10 servings at about 50 calories each (not counting milk). So even if I ate the ENTIRE box at that sitting, I would be taking in 500 cals plus whatever milk I drank.

But of course I didn't eat the entire box in one sitting. Yet I felt like I was eating and eating and eating...and yet I had only consumed 300 calories.

Sure, those weren't the cleanest 300 calories on the planet. But it was cleaner then some sugar or bad-fat laden food. And it was a whole heckuva lot better than snarfing 1300 calories. Plus it was just dang satisfying.

The point? If you get the urge to munch and treat yourself, find something that won't make you feel guilty. And enjoy. :)

Weight loss supplements -- yay or nay?

2005-03-30T17:49:00.000-08:00

I'm often asked what weight loss supplements I use to lose weight. Inevitably someone is always wondering if I use fat burners, appetite suppressants, or other diet supplements and aids.

The answer is yes I use supplements. But you won't find little pills in my medicine cabinent.

What you will find on my supplement counter include:

Vitamins. Yep, just plain ol' multi-vitamins.

Optimum Nutrition's 100% Whey Protein. Since I enjoy weight lifting, I support this activity by taking in approximately 30% - 40% of my calories as protein (you'll read differing opinons on this, such as taking in .8 to 1 gram of protein per bodyweight). Immediately after my workout I drink a chocolate protein shake, and sometimes when I'm pressed for time I might have another during the day.

Glucosamine /MSM for joint support. I have joint problems, but some experts suggesting taking supplements to help your joints if you lift weights.

EFA's (essential fatty acids). No, eating fat won't make you fat. Taking in too many calories makes you fat. Indeed, you actually NEED fat in your diet (hence the reason they're called "essential"). You can get these fats from sources like nuts and fish. If I'm not crunching down the nuts, I just take in some flax seed oil or fish oil.

Creatine. No, it's not a steroid or growth hormone. It's a supplement that supports eeking out one more rep under the weights so you can build mass, and it can naturally be found in smaller amounts in foods like steak.

Those are my main supplements whether I'm looking to lose weight/burn fat or put on muscle. In future posts I'll talk about other possible supplements you might want to consider.

Atkins diet: even the Atkins company reconsiders low carb "fad"

2005-03-25T13:22:00.000-08:00

As Atkins fad wanes, firm adapts

Low-carb diet pioneer tries to grab hold of the latest diet trend from Europe.

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Atkins Nutritionals, which championed a dieting craze that made millions of Americans shun bread and other carbohydrates, wants a do-over.

As the low-carb fad fades, Atkins has altered its "net carbs" method by using parts of the latest trend from Europe -- a glycemic-index diet -- to target U.S. food companies for products bearing the new "net Atkins count" seal.

The new label has appeared on Atkins nutrition and breakfast bars since January. Atkins says the method more accurately gauges a dieter's blood sugar response to foods, and subsequent weight gain, and is far more precise than the net carbs subtraction method.

"We see this as the standard and the next generation for measuring net carb and blood sugar impact" ...read complete article by clicking here.

Being realistic about weight loss

2005-03-22T13:02:00.000-08:00

Have you ever rationalized an extra helping at the table by telling yourself you'll just "run it off" later?

I've done it too.

Maybe you have a little bit of dessert or some extra steak that tallies up to a couple hundred calories...well then sure, maybe you can burn off those calories. However, most of us turn a blind eye to how much we really eat and how much we really burn when we exercise. In fact, I'd be willing to bet most people UNDER-estimate the calories in what they eat, and OVER-estimate how many calories they burn exercising.

For example, have you ever heard anyone (maybe yourself!) rationalize a Big Mac by committing to an extra 20 minutes on the treadmill? Not even close. :0

Time to arm yourself with knowledge. Your first task is to get yourself over to FitDay.com and enter in what you eat so you REALLY know how many calories you're packing away.

Your second task is to look at any number of sites that estimate calories burned during exercise to get an idea of how many calories you're expending.

So maybe you'll be surprised that 30 minutes on your stationary bike at moderate effort (about 250 cals burned if you're around 150 pounds) just doesn't balance out the Dairy Queen Peanut Buster Parfait you inhaled (730 calories). But hey, you'll lose weight quicker when you get realistic. :)

Can you have your cake and lose weight too?

2005-03-21T12:03:00.000-08:00

I'm a big fan of cheat meals when you're trying to lose weight. Psychologically you're allowed a "guilt free" meal (or day) to just enjoy eating anything your heart desires. Physically, there is some evidence to suggest that these cheat meals (when used correctly) can shock your body back into fat burning mode, and keep the pounds coming off because your body knows it's not starving.

So as long as you don't go overboard, "cheats" are a good thing, right?

Right.

Except some can't help from going overboard. Some people simply aren't cut out to cheat.

You see, there are folks like me who use that cheat meal to thoroughly enjoy whatever we like. But when the cheat meal is over, it's over. Then it's back to "cleaner" eating and exercise.

But some people can't cross back and forth over the cheating line quite so easily. When they cheat, they can't stop. It's like the more chocolate they have, the more they need. They binge. Psychologically they start feeling bad. Pretty soon they figure "my diet's blown," and one cheat meal grows into a cheat day which grows into a cheat week.

They rationalize. "Oh, this Snickers won't hurt." And in truth, it won't...unless you're eating that Snickers every day.

So what's my point? Just this: what works for me might not work for you. If I suggest that cheating is a cool tool to have in your dieting arsenal, but you psychologically you don't handle cheats very well, don't do it.

There is no one way to lose weight and get fit. Many people (myself included) can give you guidelines, but that's all they are -- guidelines, not hard and fast rules. Your job is to figure out what works for you.

How to keep track of your calories

2005-03-17T18:13:00.000-08:00

Are you counting calories? If so, here are two great tools to help you.

1. FitDay.com is my fave place to go because it's a great free way for you to keep a log of everything you eat. FitDay will calculate everything for you, including calories, as well as percentage of carbs, protein and fat you're getting in your diet.

2. Need to quickly get an estimate of how many calories are in that food? Check out this alphabetical list of foods that list out fat grams and calories.

One note: watch those portion sizes! You may think a "bowl of cereal" is one serving, but if you actually measure it out you could be eating two or three servings in just one bowl. That's one way extra calories sneak up on us in a typical day.

Losing weight ... naturally?

2005-03-17T17:49:00.000-08:00

Here's one weight loss diet tip that will instantly put you on the fast-track: eat as close to nature as possible.

That doesn't mean you need to run out and sit in the middle of the woods for every meal (but heck, that sure would be a good way to get a little exercise, eh?). What that does mean is that you should ask yourself just how much your food was transformed from it's natural state before it ended up in your hot little hands.

Processed food, foods with additives, foods with preservatives, etc can all pack on un-needed carbs and sugar, sodium, calories and more.

Here are some examples of what to buy and what to eat when given a choice:

Brown rice instead of white (instant) rice

whole wheat bread and tortillas instead of white bread and white flour tortillas

Unsalted peanuts versus honey-roasted nuts

An apple instead of a glass of apple juice

Fresh chicken breast instead of luncheon meat

Slow cook oatmeal instead of instant oatmeal or processed cereals

Natural peanut butter instead of Jif, Skippy and other popular brands

Homemade mashed potatoes instead of instant

Real cheese instead of Cheese Whiz

...and so on.

In sum: the less processed your food, the better for you.

Shocking your body to lose weight

2005-03-16T06:52:00.000-08:00

If you want to lose weight, it's time to learn how to shock your body.

No, I'm not talking about trying a swimsuit on -- that's being shocked AT your body. ;)

As we've talked about before, your body is a very adaptive and efficient mechanism. If you start eating the same thing every day and exercising the same way, your body is going to catch on and adapt. And when it comes to losing weight, "adapting" probably means you are going to hit a plateau.

HOWEVER...when you mix things up a little or "shock" your body, you keep your body guessing. In terms of weight loss, that means you probably won't be hitting that dreaded plateau any time soon!

Here are just a few ways to shock your body:

1. Mix up your exercises. Today you walk, tomorrow you ride bike, the next day you do a HIIT (high intensity interval training) session.

2. Mix up your calories. Let's suppose you find that you need to consume 1500 calories per day to lose weight. Instead of eating 1500 per day, eat 1800 today, 1300 the next, then 1400, then 1700...etc. In other words, have high and low calorie days that average out to 1500 per day over the course of a week.

3. OR -- have high and low calorie weeks.

4. Cycle your carbs with high and low carb days through the week.

If you're really stuck, then CHEAT. *gasp*

That's right, take a day off or a couple days off and cheat to your heart's content. This sort of shock will most likely kick your body back into fat burning mode.

(note: keep those cheats in line, though...don't start rationalizing out cheats for yourself every few days, cause then the reason you hit a "plateau" is simply because you're eating and cheating too much! :) )

Female bodybuilding mistake #1

2005-03-14T12:22:00.000-08:00

What's the biggest mistake many women make when they start lifting weights? They don't lift heavy.

They're afraid they're going to bulk up. They're afraid they'll look like men.

All of that is hogwash.

I've been lifting heavy for about a year now, and I've actually gotten smaller (burned off my fat). I wear a loose size four. I look feminine.

In fact it would be REALLY hard for me to get big even if I wanted to. I'd need to be extremely strict, I'd need to eat a LOT of food, and I'd need to take steroids.

Did you catch that last line? Yep. We women simply do not have the genetics to get big without the use of steroids. And even then it takes a lot of dedication -- YEARS of dedication -- to get big.

So if you're worried you're suddenly going to sprout muscles overnight and get forearms like Popeye, relax. It's not going to happen.

(And if you DID happen to be a genetic freak, and you ate a ton of food and worked out very srictly, and someone slipped steroids into your food ... well I have a "cure" for those massive muscles: stop lifting and they'll go away. Simple as that. It would take years for them to appear, but you can make them disappear too. So relax!)

Ok, so now you know you need to lift heavy. How heavy? A general rule of thumb when you're doing a set of any exercise is to lift heavy enough that you can only eek out 8-12 reps before your muscles fail.

That goes for all those ab crunches too. If you can do 100 ab crunches, you're wasting your time. Add weight plates to your chest so that you can only do a dozen of them before your muscles give out.

When you're able to do 10-12 reps comfortably, then up the weight so that you again have trouble completing 10-12 reps (i.e., your muscles fail before you get to that 12th rep).

Go get 'em, ladies! Throw away those pink dumbbells and START really lifting if you want to see REAL results!

Bodybuilding exercises sorted by muscle group

2005-03-14T12:14:00.000-08:00

I love this site. It breaks down all the muscle groups for you, and then shows you the primary and secondary exercises you should be doing for each of those muscle groups.

And here's the best part: it not only describes how to do the exercise, it actually SHOWS you. Correct form helps you avoid injury and helps stimulate muscle growth.

Weights first ... cardio second

2005-03-11T08:43:00.000-08:00

Do you lift weights and do cardio in the same session? If at all possible, try to break 'em up to different sessions. But if you're busy like most folks, perhaps you find yourself having to do weights and cardio at the same time.

Here's a mistake that many people make: they do cardio and then do their weight lifting. If your goal is to get firm and burn fat, you should do weights first and THEN do cardio.

Why?

Because by doing weights first and then cardio, you're ordering them in such a way that you get maximum benefit.

The goal of weight lifting is to build some muscle, right? Well in order to lift heavy weights and stimulate muscle growth, you need energy. And one good form of energy is the glycogen in your liver (this is basically the result of eating energy-packed carbohydrates). The glycogen will give you the energy you need to have a good, heavy workout. Afterall, if you aren't pushing yourself to your limits while lifting those weights, your muscles won't grow. Simple as that.

Now stick with me here, it gets better: once your glycogen stores are depleted, your body starts burning fat for fuel.

Ding, ding, ding...that's what you want, right?

Well yes. So THAT'S why you need to do weights first, and then cardio...

You see, when you do weights first, your body will use the glycogen so you can get a heavy workout. That's good. By the time you get to the cardio portion of your session, the glycogen is probably depleted and your body is now burning fat for energy. Hence your cardio session becomes a fat burning sesssion nearly immediately!

Weights before cardio -- that's the *right* way to do it.

So what happens if you do it the other way? You're almost wasting your time -- or minimally, your workout isn't as effective as it could be.

You see, if you start off with a cardio session, it will probably take 20-30 minutes before your glycogen stores are depleted and you're burning fat for energy. So chances are, you spent most of yoru cardio session just trying to deplete your energy stores before you even got to the fat burning part of your workout!

Now here you are with depleted glycogen stores (read: depleted energy) and you go hit the weights. What happens? You're not lifting to your full capacity. And when you don't lift to your full capacity, you aren't doing your body any favors. You need to constantly push yourself under the weights if you want to stimulate muscle growth.

So if you do cardio and then weights, you have a cardio session that burns glycogen rather than fat, and a weight session that's probably inadequate.

But if you do weights and THEN cardio, you'll be strong and fresh for the weights, and you'll be burning fat during cardio.

[note: yes, you CAN and should do a "warm up" cardio session before weights. But in that case, I'm talking about 5-10 minutes, not a full-blown session)

Are you ALWAYS this crabby? Or are you overtrained?

2005-03-10T15:10:00.000-08:00

If you've adopted a fitness lifestyle that includes regular (rigorous) exercise such as weight lifting or running, there's a chance that you could become overtrained.

Essentially overtraining is when you push your body too hard and do not give it sufficient time to recover. If, for example, you are running or lifting weights every day, your body is eventually going to wear down because it's not getting the rest it needs. If you've also decreased your calories to help you lose weight, that can add to overtraining.

Should you be concerned about overtraining? You bet. Overtraining can put you at risk for injury and illness, for starters. And the longer you ignore the symptoms, the longer it will take to recover.

OK, here are some of the most common overtraining symptoms:

-- General fatigure
-- Achiness or pain
-- Lowered resistance to illness
-- Higher liklihood of getting injured (and injuries taking longer to heal)
-- Feelings of thirst / dehydration
-- Plateaus or even drops in performance
-- Problems sleeping
-- Mood changes, irritability
-- Headaches
-- Lack of motivation

So what do you do if you have these symptoms? Check with your doctor of course to make sure you don't have a more serious illness. Ruling out all else, then take time off to relax. Starting today, take at least a couple days off (maybe a week off or so, depending on how severely you're overtrained).

And how can you prevent overtraining? Take at least one or two days off a week from your exercise and weight lifting, and make sure you get enough sleep each night. If you're lifting a heavy volume of weights, take an entire week off every 8-12 weeks.

If you don't voluntarily take this rest, your body will literally knock you down onto the couch and force you to take this rest.

Weight Loss and the Masochist

2005-03-09T06:41:00.000-08:00

So you want to lose weight. You ask your friends how they've lost weight, and then stare at them in bug-eyed amazement as they describe phenemonal acts of willpower and feats of endurance in the gym that transcend those of the mere mortal.

But most of all, you wonder if you need to be a masochist to lose weight. Everyone talks about grueling two-hour-long workouts, hundreds of ab crunches, and eating so little food that suddenly "willpower" seems like a four letter word.

Relax. You don't need to inflict pain on yourself to lose weight.

First off, you shouldn't be doing two hour workouts. If you "cardio yourself to death," your body is going to start clinging to fat. Your body is adaptable, remember? So when you tell it that it needs to be ready for multiple long workouts a week, it's going to conserve fat so it has the energy to do those workouts. OR your body will start burning off your muscle since that's a nice, easy energy source for it to grab.

Either way, you're going to end up looking soft and jiggly rather than firm.

Same goes with eating. If you're hungry, you're not eating enough! And I'm talking real hunger here (e.g., hunger pangs, not psychological hunger). Don't even think of dropping below 1200 cals or your body will think it's starving, and you'll have a harder time losing weight / burning fat.

Best way to go about it is to figure out how much you currently eat by logging your food intake. If you aren't gaining weight nor losing weight with your current food intake, then you know those are your maintenance calories.

Your next step is to slowly start dropping calories. If you use 500 calories per day less than your maintenance, in one week you'll drop a pound (there are roughly 3500 calories in a pound, so 500 calories times 7 days is a loss of 3500 calories/one pound). So you can do a combination of decreasing your calorie intake and upping your calorie expenditure through exercise to create your 500 calorie deficit.

Now let's suppose you find that 1500 daily calories is what you need to safely lose a pound of fat per week. If you're thinking that's 500 calories spread over three meals, think again. Bet you'll get hungry between those three meals, won't ya?

Instead of doing three meals, do five to six meals spread evenly throughout the day. So for example, eat five meals of 300 calories each. Not only does it keep you from being hungry since you're eating something many times a day, you're also "stoking up" your metabolism each time you eat. Cool benefit, eh?

To learn more, read some weight loss tips here.

Weight Loss and Water -- it's easy to overlook!

2005-03-08T07:36:00.000-08:00

Do you want to lose weight? Drink WATER!

Yeah, I know...lots of people say "yeah yeah blah blah" when they're told that drinking water is an essential component to losing weight. I mean...it seems too EASY, doesn't it?

And so because it seems to easy, it's overlooked.

Kim Beardsmore agrees. She says that water is the most under rated aspect of losing weight. Yet the benefits we get from water are phenomenal -- controlling hunger, better skin, and even help with metabolizing fat!

Since I workout, I tend to drink about a gallon of water a day. I find that I do my best when I actually put a gallon of water right next to my computer, and keep refilling my glass throughout the day.

(yes, that IS a lot of water...and yes, initially I DID visit the little girl's room quite often. But you get used to it.)

Bottom line: don't discount the benefits of water! While you're thinking about it, have glass right now...

Losing weight one day at a time... (motivation)

2005-03-06T06:18:00.000-08:00

Do you have trouble staying on your diet and exercise program? For example, do you eat a piece of chocolate cake, figure you ruined your diet, so eat the rest of the cake? Then you figure you've "ruined" the whole day, so you go ahead and cheat the whole day. By the next morning you figure you've ruined the whole week so what the heck, keep eating... you'll recommit on Monday.

Sound a little familiar? It's pretty common.

When I start to feel myself slacking off, I remind myself of a few things:

1. How fabulous I look.
2. How good I feel.
3. The fact that if losing weight and looking this fabulous was easy, EVERYONE would do it. :)
4. And since it's not the easiest thing in the world, I should treat it like a job.

So what do I mean treat it like a job? For me, that means that I focus on my diet and exercise for six days out of the week, and then give myself a day off. On that day off I relax (no exercise) and enjoy eating whatever I want. When Monday rolls around I feel refreshed and ready to focus on the diet and exercise again.

Even your *real* job isn't as important as your health. Afterall, when you're 70 you won't be working any more, but you still need this body to cart you around. So give your body -- and your weight loss plan -- the same attention as you give your job.

Losing Weight Begins With Throwing Away the Scale...

2005-03-03T14:16:00.000-08:00

Whaaaaaaaat?

That's right, chuck that scale. Or at least ignore it for a while.

You see, when you're working on losing weight, the scale will only show you how much...well...WEIGHT you've lost. That means if you're holding water, the scale's going to say you gained weight. That means if you shed a bunch of water because you cut down on your carbohydrates or started guzzling coffee, the scale is going to show you lost weight.

But in the grand scheme of things, it doesn't matter.

You see, a much better way to guage your weight loss is to forget about "losing weight" and start focusing on "losing fat." To measure your fat loss, you use four main devices:

1. a tape measure
2. The mirror and/or pics of yourself
3. A pair of body fat calipers
4. The fit of your clothes

These measurements will let you know if your weight loss is actually fat loss. They'll let you know if your weight loss is actually making you smaller.

The scale can't tell you this. The scale doesn't know whether you've lost water, muscle, or fat. In fact, the scale will even freak you out and "lie" to you sometimes -- for example, you may find that you're not losing weight after working hard for several weeks. But in truth, you may be gaining muscle, hence offsetting the fat loss pounds. If you use a tape measure or a body fat caliper, you'd know this. But using a scale alone...well, hysteria city when the scale won't budge! :)

Which diet is right for you?

2005-03-02T09:29:00.000-08:00

You've heard 'em all: the South Beach Diet, the Zone diet, Atkins, the grapefruit diet, the cabbage diet, the click your heels three times and say "there's no food like ~~Dairy Queen~~ rice cakes."

And maybe you've tried a handful of them too. Or all of 'em.

So which one is right for you?

I've come to the opinion that the one that MOTIVATES you, the one that YOU can live with, is the right one for you. I know, that sounds like circular logic. And actually, that is a somewhat simplistic answer -- but it's not bad if you're just starting out. The bottom line is this: losing weight (at least initially) primarily comes down to calories in versus calories out.

Do you want to lose weight? Then expend more calories in a day than you take in. If it helps you to get on some kind of structured diet, so be it.

You see, the average person doesn't need a fancy diet to lose weight. Just cut back cals a bit, exercise a bit, and the weight will come off. Start making other adjustments like cutting out junk food, and even better.

If you're just starting out, it practically doesn't matter what you do: if you're taking in less calories than you expend, you will lose weight. But here's the trick: hopefully that "weight" is fat as opposed to muscle -- that's why it's important to take in enough calories, eat enough protein, take your vitamins and lift weights so you preserve the muscle while burning fat (this concept is actually the focus of this blog, believe it or not).

And actually, it's probably a good idea to start slow. Remember, you don't have to start a "perfect" diet and exercise program out of the gate... it's often better to keep adding healthy habits and cutting out bad habits over time. This prevents burn out, plus it keeps your body guessing. The end result? You lose more weight.

Soooo ... you're interested in losing weight (presumably since you read this far). Specifically, you're interested in losing FAT, right? (After all, who wants to be small but jiggle like a bowl full of jello?) Here's a weight loss article that will help you so that the weight you lose is fat as opposed to muscle. :)

Clean slate! New weight loss goals for March...

2005-03-01T06:26:00.000-08:00

When it comes to my weight loss goals, there are two days I look forward to: Mondays, and the first day of a new month.

Why?

Because I consider both of them "clean slate" days. Whatever I've done in the past is over and done with, and can't be changed. I can only look forward to the future and plan how to make myself better.

Did I snarf down an unplanned Bacon Cheeseburger, large fry and Coke (wait, make that a Diet Coke?!... argh! hehe)? Well I can't change that so I'm not going to beat myself up over it. But you can bet when either a Monday or a new month rolls around, I am going to completely forget about it.

Instead, I am going to write down my weight loss goals for the current week or month, and then write down the steps I need to get there.

For example, by the end of this month my goal is to get into a pair of jeans I bought that are just a wee bit too small. (Yes, I bought them purposely as a motivator!) And the steps I need to get there include: pre-planning my meals (eating on the fly tends to mean higher cals for me, so it's better for me to pre-plan AND pre-cook meals); drinking lots of water; getting lots of sleep; cutting back my "free days" to just one free day per week (and preferably one free/cheat meal); and adding intensity and weight too all workouts.

That's it.

The other thing I do is keep a daily log of my food intake and exercise. That way I know for sure I'm right on track with regards to the diet and exercise.

And finally, I find a way to be held accountable. This blog is one good way to be held accountable. I've publicly stated my goals -- now I HAVE to follow through. It's human nature! *grin*

If you want to be held accountable too, please post a comment! I'll encourage you and help you reach your goals. :)

Motivation for losing weight

2005-02-28T18:03:00.000-08:00

What's your motivation for losing weight?

It really doesn't matter what your motivation for losing weight is, as long as it is a very strong motivator for YOU. You see, there will be times on your weight loss journey that you'll just get tired of living this healthy lifestyle. You'll start rationalizing that sitting on the couch eating brownies was much better than what you're doing now. And bam, there goes your motivation for losing weight.

But believe me, there isn't anything in this world that tastes good enough to make it worth that unsightly fat on your body. Seriously! How long does the pleasure of eating a brownie last? Thirty seconds? A minute? Maybe a few hours if you forget to wipe your face and lick a little chocolate from the corner of your mouth later on?

It's not worth it. Put the brownie down and back away. Save it for your cheat day. Then you can eat the whole pan if you want. But just for tonight, remind yourself of how GOOD you will look for a LIFETIME...and weigh that against how long eating a brownie will give you pleasure.

(can you tell I like brownies? :) )

If you haven't been able to figure it out by now, I've already hinted at one of my motivations for losing weight: the fact that there isn't a food on the face of this earth that I would trade for a slim, fit body. Bring 'em all on. The taste of food is so fleeting, but the rewards of a healthy lifestyle just go on and on.

So now let's talk about you. What's your motivation for losing weight? Do you want to be fitter so you can sprint past the cute guy at the gym? Do you want to chase your grandkids around? Do you want to fit back into *those* jeans you so dearly love? Do you want to exact revenge on your ex by looking better than ever? Do you want to have better sex, and better sex more often?

Again, the motivation to lose weight really doesn't matter, as long as it strikes a chord deep within you. In the future we'll talk about more about the motivation to lose weight, but for now I want you to think about what it means to you.

[Also, stop by my site and read this article that touches on the motivation for losing weight, and how to make it stick this time...]

Losing weight and keeping fit is not a 24/7 activity

2005-02-28T06:25:00.000-08:00

Imagine for a moment that you're an average person who needs to shed a couple pounds. And let's further suppose that you gained those pounds because the lure of the cookies and chips and pie and french fries and (well, you get the idea) is just too great.

(mmmm, seems like every time I post an entry I get hungry. Gee, why is that? Twix, anyone?)

Now let me ask you this: what if for six days of the week you ate whatever you wanted, whenever you wanted...and for one day of the week you ate healthy and exercised?

If you were holding your breath waiting to see some sort of positive change in your body, you'd turn blue and pass out cause it's not going to happen. Eating well and exercising for one day out of the week (yes, it's better than nothing) just isn't enough to cause you to lose weight.

But here's the good news: the opposite is true!

Yes, you can eat healthy and exercise regularly throughout the week, and then take one day off with virtually no consequences!

In fact, I even recommend eating a "cheat" meal or even having a "free" day regularly. You see, your body adapts to whatever you're doing, so having a free day will actually shock it and send it back on the path to losing weight (we'll get into the specifics in a later article).

I do this regularly. Every week I allow myself a full-fledged cheat meal, and sometimes I give myself an entire free day. During these times I get all those cravings out of the way and eat whatever it is I've been wanting for the past few days. Usually I see the scale jump up slightly the day after (because I'm holding more water), but then a few days later it suddenly slides down fast as if I've shocked my body, boosted my metabolism, and told it that it doesn't need to hang onto the fat cause we're not starving. :)

Who'd have known that "cheating" could actually HELP you lose weight?

So go ahead, pick a free meal or free day, and inhale that Snickers. Have one for me too, ok?

How the mind holds back the body...

2005-02-27T13:21:00.000-08:00

If you truly believe you can achieve something, you've already won half the battle. This is true of most things in life, and losing weight is no exception.

But here's the most amazing part: when you start achieving things with regards to your body that you didn't think were possible, this newfound strength spills into all areas of your life. That's why I say that a physical transformation is only part of the "whole body" transformation. Sometimes the physical is just a manifestation of the the changes going on inside of you.

Let me give you an example...

A few months back I was racking up my barbell at home to do a back exercise. I loaded up 80 lbs on the bar, which I knew would be a very difficult lift.

Now get this: I only *thought* I had loaded up 80 lbs. In actuality, since I wasn't paying attention, I had loaded up 100 lbs onto the bar.

I started working on the lift, thinking I was doing 80 lbs, and found myself struggling. I remembered that for this particular lift 80lbs was a struggle last week, but I was still struggling this week too. But I pushed on ... if you aren't challenging yourself while lifting weights, the muscles won't grow.

Now imagine my surprise when I sat down next to the weights after completing all my sets for that exercise. I looked over at the bar, thinking about what to load up for a different exercise. That's when I realized there was an extra 20 lbs on the bar!

I had broken through a barrier because my MIND didn't know I was lifting 100 lbs!

You see, in previous weeks I had been holding myself back. I thought that lifting 80lbs was a struggle. There's no way I would have attempted 100 lbs. Why not? Because for this particular exercise, 100 lbs sounded like a lot. No...it sounded like "too much." I was limiting myself.

As it turned out, it was only a mental barrier. My body was able to handle it, but it was my mind that prevented me from trying. When the mind was "tricked" into thinking I was lifting 80lbs, the body struggled, but did it ... and I learned that I could handle a lot more than I thought I was capable of.

This made me sit down and really think about where else in life I was limiting myself. I figured if I stretched and really pushed myself in other areas of life, I could break down other self-imposed barriers.

What are YOU capable of ... but you haven't reached it because of self-limiting thoughts?

Weight Loss Mistake #1 -- too much cardio

2005-02-27T06:07:00.000-08:00

In a previous post I made a light-hearted comment about "cardio queen." But the truth is, that's something you DON'T want to be.

Take a look at the "cardio queens" that you know. Look at the ladies who lead the cardio classes at your gym. Heck, look at Richard Simmons. What do you notice about a lot of them? They're soft looking, undefined, and it seems like they haven't transformed much recently.

You see, an ideal program to lose weight involves some cardio, some weight lifting, and some diet changes. But as women we're taught that weight lifting is for men.

BULLHONKEY!

Believe me, unless you take tons of steroids and dedicate your life to weight lifting, you will NOT get big. I personally lift as hard and heavy as I can -- and I've totally shrunk this past year. The fat melted off and the muscles are more visible -- but by no means are they big!

But I digress (I'll rant on weight lifting myths for women another time)...

The point is, women have been taught that in order to lose weight, you need to eat like three carrots a day and spend 2 hours doing cardio. That's absolutely the wrong way to go about it.

Why?

Because when you do that, your body think it's starving. It think it needs to conserve fat so it has energy to go through all the hours of cardio you put it through. In fact, your body will even start burning off your muscle -- that's why some of those cardio queens look so soft! And since the more muscle you have the more calories you burn, you DON'T want that to happen to you.

Eventually your body adapts to all the cardio, and in order to see further changes you need to do even MORE cardio. You'll run yourself ragged doing this. In the end you'll be "skinny fat" -- the same shape as you were before, still fat, but just a smaller version of your previous self.

Yuck.

Listen, here's the bottom line: you can get a LOT better results by doing FAR less work.

What a relief, eh?

Bookmark this blog, because we'll be talking in more detail about exactly what you should be doing to get the results you want...

Are you ready to lose weight?

2005-02-25T17:38:00.000-08:00

Think of that feeling when you first commit to losing weight. You're pumped. You happily tell people you're going on a diet, starting to exercise, etc. Maybe you even pick out a day to start down the path to a new you.

"Yup," you tell yourself, "Monday I'm going to start working out, drink more water, cut my cals..."

And sure enough, Monday rolls around and you are just as gung ho and excited as ever about losing weight. You pass by those Reese's Peanutbutter cups sitting on the table, you skip the chocolate chip cookies that someone left on your desk, you eat your chicken and rice, you workout, you drink a gallon of water..."

And at the end of the day you're tired, but you're dang proud of yourself. You can hardly wait for Tuesday to roll around.

Sound familiar?

Yep, I've done it too.

The problem is, this sort of gung ho attitude often sets us up for failure.

My opinion? DON'T do it perfectly on day one.

You see, if you go from the person who holds down the couch to cardio queen, you're going to grow tired of that pretty fast. Likewise, if you go from the woman who built up half of the family fortune for the Hershey family to the woman who shuns all sugar, you're nearly doomed for failure.

It's too much, too soon.

And even if you have the will power and discipline to actually make this 180 degree change and stick with it, get this: your body is going to adapt to these changes, and you'll hit a plateau. If you've already cut your cals, you're drinking your water, and you're doing your exercise, you don't have much "wiggle room" if you hit a plateau.

So what do I suggest? Baby steps. Not only is it easier to manage and easier to stick to, but your body won't hit a plateau.

So this means working your way up to everything... working your way up to good eating habits and working your way up to good exercise habits.

Example: Maybe you exercise twice for two weeks, and then on the third week you exercise three times. And maybe you exercise for 20 minutes at a pop for the first month, and then increase it to 30 minutes for a few weeks, then 35...etc.

Same goes for eating. Cut those cals back gradually. Start slowly taking the "bad stuff" out of your diet. Like maybe today you'll skip your usual afternoon Snickers bar, but you'll still have a cookie after dinner. Perhaps in a week you won't be eating that cookie either.

Baby steps. This isn't a race. And besides, who wants to get burned out after one week...or hit that plateau? Yikes.

In search of the magic weight loss pill

2005-02-24T17:11:00.000-08:00

Does a weight loss pill that works really exist?

We'd like to think so. Man, if only we could wipe away months and months of overeating by taking a pill for a few weeks. But unfortunately, it doesn't quite work that way. And even if it did, going off that pill would probably mean you'd gain the weight back lickety-split.

[You see, there ARE pills that can help you on your journey to weight loss, but if you don't have your diet and exercise in check, the pills aren't going to help much. One pill just won't negate a box of Krispi Kreme donuts. Dang.]

So what do these pills do? Some of them are thermogenics that slightly raise your metabolism (notice I said slightly -- that's why a pill alone isn't your best lose weight aid). Some of them curb your appetite. Some of them purport to be "smart pills" that help with blocking carbs and a whole lotta of other scientific stuff.

Do they work? Some of them do, yes. But again, they work best if you have your diet and exercise squared away. For example, what's the use of raising your metabolism just slightly if you're sitting on the couch eating Cheetos?

So are you interested in seeing if they will work for you? OK, a couple words of advice:

1. Check the labels and check with your doctor. I'm not kidding. Some of these pills will have you shaking more 100 times more than Grandma. Your heart might race. You might sweat. Who knows what's going on. Better check with the doc first to see if you can handle it.

2. Cleared with the doctor? Than hang out for a while before you take those pills. Spend some time losing weight via exercise and taking in less calories before turning to the pills.

Whaaaaaaaaat? You want instant gratification? Well look at it this way...

If you're just starting out on your weight loss journey, your body is ready and rarin' to shed those excess pounds. It might just shed 'em quick too. Eventually, however, your body is going to be able to adapt to your new "healthy" way of life. Your body might decide it needs to conserve calories. As such, suddenly your exercise and diet plan isn't working any more.

What you need is a little boost. In later articles we'll talk about various ways to "boost" your body and kick it back into fat-burning mode. But as you might suspect, taking a pill is just one way.

So save those pills until you plateau...