5 Ways to Burn Fat Faster

Everyone who wants to burn fat wants to do it fast. Everyone. But, with so much advice and information floating around, it can be difficult to find an effective way to accomplish this goal.

The key to fat loss is calories. You have to expend more than you consume. There are two ways to do this: burn more calories with exercise and eat fewer calories. (Calculate how many calories you should eat.)

This article focuses on strength and nutrition factors that increase your ability to burn fat faster.

Gain Muscle

Over 60% of the calories you burn are from your body's resting metabolic rate (RMR), which is the amount of energy it takes to maintain vital functions. Even if you lie in bed all day, you'll still burn calories.

Your RMR depends on how much muscle you have. The more lean muscle, the more calories your body burns. So, it's important that you work out to build muscle. You will simultaneously increase your RMR and burn more calories through exercise.

What to do: To build the most muscle and burn the most calories during workouts, perform complex multi-joint exercises like Squats, Deadlifts, Pull-Ups, Rows, Push-Ups and Bench Presses. Do three to four sets of eight to 12 reps, and make sure your last few reps are difficult.

Get the "Afterburn" Effect

How you work out alters the amount of calories you burn after you finish exercising. Oxygen levels remain elevated to bring your body back to its resting state. The phenomenon is called excess post-oxygen consumption (EPOC). Your metabolism is elevated as your body restores oxygen and energy levels and clears waste through circulation.

Intense and intermittent exercise creates a larger EPOC effect than traditional cardio. You can actually burn more calories after your workout if you focus on high-intensity exercise, such as interval training.

What to do: Finish your weight-training workouts with an intense conditioner that targets your anaerobic system. Beginners should start with a 1:2 (or even 1:3) work-to-rest ratio, and eventually progress to a 1:1 ratio. (Try this interval workout.)

Eat More Protein

Protein aids in muscle growth, which helps increase your RMR. It keeps you full longer, which can come in handy when eating a calorie-restricted diet. Protein also has a high thermal effect, meaning that it takes more calories to digest. (Add muscle with the two-hour rule.)

What to do: Eat lean protein with every meal. Shoot for at least one gram of protein for each pound of body weight.

Take Fish Oil

A 2010 study published the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition found that fish oil supplementation increases lean mass and reduces fat mass. Also, fish oil reduces rates of heart disease, cancer symptoms and joint inflammation.

The exact amount of fish oil is debatable. The highlighted study called for four grams of fish oil per day (400mg EPA and 200mg DHA). However, I've seen it as high as one gram of fish oil for each percent of body fat. So, if you have 15 percent body fat, consume 15 grams of fish oil.

What to do: Take at least four grams of fish oil per day.

Consume a Pre-Workout Drink

Most athletes understand the benefits of post-workout nutrition; however, many ignore the importance of pre-workout nutrition. It may seem counterintuitive, because it calls for consuming calories to burn calories, but research supports it.

A study in the journal Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise concluded that "timing protein supplementation before heavy resistance training (HRT) may be a simple and effective strategy to increase energy expenditure by elevating resting energy expenditure (REE) the day after HRT. Increasing REE could facilitate reductions in body fat mass and improve body composition if nutritional intake is stable." In other words, having some protein before your workout can raise your metabolism after your workout, which helps you burn fat.

What to do: Shortly before your weight-training session, drink (or eat) some whey protein or BCAAs. Or, drink a little of your post-workout shake.

Ref:  http://www.stack.com/2013/04/08/burn-fat-faster/

30 Days Planking Challenge for Better Abs

Sexercise? Getting Busy Burns Calories, Study Finds

Sexercise? Getting Busy Burns Calories, Study Finds

Does sex count as exercise? Good news: It might.

A new study finds that, in young people, sex burns an average of 4.2 calories a minute for men and 3.1 calories a minute for women. That intensity is moderate, the researchers reported online Oct. 24 in the open-access journal PLOS ONE. In other words, sex is better exercise than a walk, but not quite as good as a jog.

"These results suggest that sexual activity may potentially be considered, at times, as a significant exercise," the researchers wrote.

Sex as exercise?

Whether sex gets to count as a workout is a long-debated topic. A popular myth holds that a typical session of sex burns between 100 and 300 calories, but no one has ever directly measured the calories burned.  

A few brave couples have had sex for science, however. Famed sex researchers William Masters and Virginia Johnson observed couples having sex and noted that heart rates reached as high as 180 beats per minute. For comparison, between 85 and 119 beats per minute count as moderate-intensity exercise for a 50-year-old. [Infographic: How Many Calories Am I Burning?]

In 1984, a study of 10 intrepid married couples published in the journal Archives of Internal Medicine used heart rate and blood pressure monitoring, a fast-responding oxygen gas analyzer and electrocardiography to determine that, for men, self-stimulation increased heart rate by 37 percent. Man-on-top sex increased it by 51 percent.

One problem with these studies, however, is that the couples had to get busy in the lab, hooked up to wires and tubes — imagine the difficulty of reproducing a, ahem, typical sex session. Fortunately, new technology provides a way around this monitoring problem.

Using a wearable armband called SenseWear, University of Montreal researchers tracked the energy expenditures of couples as they had sex in their homes. The researchers recruited 21 heterosexual couples ages 18 to 35, choosing to focus on young people because energy expenditures vary widely across age.

Each person first completed a 30-minute moderate-intensity treadmill workout to provide a baseline measure of their calorie expenditure during exertion. They were then sent home with armbands and instructions to have sex four times over the course of the next month while wearing the sensors.

The SenseWear bands use accelerometers, temperature sensors and galvanic skin response sensors to come up with an accurate measurement of calories expended. Galvanic skin response refers to an increase of electrical conductivity that occurs when a person sweats.

Let's get physical

The recorded sex sessions lasted for an average of 24.7 minutes, with the shortest lasting 10 minutes and the longest stretching out over 57 minutes. Men expended more energy getting busy than women, even after controlling for men's greater body mass. On average, a sexual encounter cost men 101 calories, or 4.2 calories per minute. That's compared with 276 calories, or 9.2 per minute, on the treadmill.

Women expended an average of 69 calories during a session of sex, averaging 3.1 calories per minute. Again, the numbers weren't as high as a sweat-it-out session on the treadmill, during which women expended an average of 213 calories, or 7.1 per minute.

Still, the researchers said, people found sex pleasant (duh) and thus might be more likely to get horizontal than to schlep to the gym. Sex may also be a better way to burn calories than housework, though more research is needed: A study released in October in the journal BMC Public Health found that people overestimated how many calories they were burning while sweeping floors and vacuuming.

Follow Stephanie Pappas on Twitter and Google+. Follow us @livescience, Facebook & Google+. Original article on LiveScience.

• 50 Sultry Facts About Sex
• 6 (Other) Great Things Sex Can Do For You
• Sexy Tech: 6 Apps That May Stimulate Your Love Life

Copyright 2013 LiveScience, a TechMediaNetwork company. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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7 exercises for a flat stomach

Reverse curl

To do this exercise you will need either a Swiss ball or a medicine ball. The Swiss ball is easier to use, so if you want a challenge and have the strength, use the medicine ball instead. To do this exercise lie on your back, holding the Swiss ball or the medicine ball between your calves and thighs. With the ball firmly between your legs, pull your knees up towards your chest and squeeze your lower abdominal muscles. You can improve your stability using your arms, by keeping them flat on the floor.

This abs exercise will help you to tone-up that troublesome lower stomach area.

The plank

To do this exercise lie flat on your stomach, placing your forearms on the floor. Then, press down through your forearms and push your self up – using your toes as support - until your head, neck, back and legs are in a straight line.

This is an excellent flat stomach exercise because it strengthens your inner core muscles and burns more calories in comparison to to other abs exercises, such as sit ups. This is because to do the plank you have to engage the muscles in your legs, arms and behind too.

Boat pose

If you want to try a tough flat stomach exercise you should opt for the boat pose. Doing this yoga pose regularly will quickly whip you into shape. To begin, sit on the floor with bent knees. Lean back slightly and then bring your legs up and straighten them until your body forms a V shape. Your arms should be stretched out and parallel to one another. Keep your palms facing inwards. Remember to engage your abs muscles whilst doing this exercise and keep your stomach relaxed and flat. 

This is a fantastic abs exercise because it targets and tones your lower-belly, which is a problem area for lots of people.   

Mountain climber

To perform this exercise get into the plank position and pull your right knee inwards towards your chest. Then straighten your leg and return to the starting position. Now, repeat the exercise using your left leg.

As well as getting a decent cardiovascular workout when doing these mountain climbers, you will also workout your abs because in order to do this exercise you have to engage your core.

Medicine ball slam

For this exercise, you will need a non-bouncing medicine ball. Using both hands, lift your medicine ball above your head and place your feet shoulder-width apart. Your knees should be slightly bent. Now, explosively bring the ball down, bending at the waist and throw it at the floor. When performing this exercise you should not lose your balance or your posture. If you do, it might be because the medicine ball you are using is too heavy.

The medicine ball slam is a total body exercise that strengthens your core stability and will help you to tone up your tummy.

Bicycle crunch

This exercise is a must if you want a flat stomach. To begin, lie on your back. Place your palms beneath your head and lift your legs until they are positioned at a 90-degree angle.  Keeping your right hand on your head, twist your body, bringing your right elbow towards your left knee. Alternate then, bringing your left elbow toward your right knee.  Do not rush this exercises. To get maximum results this exercise needs to be executed slowly. 

The bicycle crunch targets your lower abs and your obliques.

[Simple tweaks to ensure the best workout ever]
[Playboy Bunny workout for Gymbox - our review]
[Are you addicted to sugar? How to quit the sweet stuff]

Skipping

As well as doing abs exercises, if you want a flat stomach you should try to incorporate some cardiovascular exercises into your flat belly workout. Although running, cycling and swimming are all excellent forms of cardiovascular training, skipping is useful because it can be performed indoors along with your other abs exercises. Although you have most probably skipped before, skipping for fitness requires you to work on your technique. One key thing worth noting is that you only need to lift your feet a few centimetres off the ground each time the rope passes. Also, make sure your ‘twirling’ action comes from the wrists rather than the shoulder.

Cardiovascular work is essential if you want a flat stomach because it helps you to burn calories and lose weight, which in turn will help to reveal your abs and flatten your stomach. However, skipping also works your transverse abdominis, rectus abdominis and your inner and outer obliques. 

Ref:  http://sg.sports.yahoo.com/news/7-exercises-flat-stomach-060000664.html

20 simple things you can do to boost your calorie burning

• 
  AFP Relax - A new study suggests eating more fruits and vegetables for happiness

While its great to do a heart-thumping, lung-busting hard workout several times per week, did you know that the energy you expend during exercise accounts for only about 20-30% of your total energy use for the day?

The other 70-80% comes from the energy required to digest and absorb your food, and from what is called your basal metabolic rate (BMR) i.e. how much energy you use while simply resting.

So increasing energy use from these "other" places (BMR and food absorbtion) will slowly by surely help you get leaner.

Here are 20 things you can do...

1. Drink cold water as it takes energy to heat up. Do so in between meals to avoid diluting your digestive enzymes
2. Eat a big breakfast of protein and fat, e.g. bacon and eggs. Yes this is the opposite of what most people do. But most people aren't burning fat as fast as they would like to. For the same daily nutrient and calorie intake, those who eat more at breakfast tend to burn more fat.
3. Increase water intake so that you have at least 5 clear urinations per day. This will make you go to the bathroom more, and also helps with hydration. Well hydrated bodies are more efficient.
4. Go to the bathroom on a different floor than yours via the stairs
5. Eat protein as often as you can, but choose healthy sources i.e. NOT processed nuggets. Protein takes up to 30% of its own calories for digestion.
6. Choose some healthy saturated fats like coconut oil or butter. Apart from health benefits of these oils, saturated fats take a bit more energy to break down than other fats.
7. Choose unrefined carbohydrates. Those like fruit or natural starches take more energy to break down than a sugar drink.
8. Walk up to your flat on the way home
9. Stand at a counter to eat during lunch
10. Wash your car by yourself. Besides, with high car prices, a car is precious, and who could possibly care more about your car than you?!
11. Set an alarm to remind you to get up and stretch once per hour at work (oops mine just went off)
12. Sit on a stability ball while at your desk or home. It is less stable and will require more muscles to fire to keep you upright.
13. Think on your feet. Especially if you need to form creative solutions or ideas, walk around to think. Not only does this increase energy expenditure, your brain functions better when there is more blood flow as there is during exercise. For more on this, read the excellent book "Brain Rules" by John Medina.
14. Make your hobbies active ones. Even if its not a sport like tennis, even billiards is better than 700-episode Korean dramas.
15. If you are going to watch 700 episodes of anything, do it while standing, pacing or marching in place
16. On your way home, stop one bus stop early and take a short walk
17. Get a free pedometer app like this one and try to hit a target number of steps each day. 10,000 is a common goal but you can start from where you are now and work upwards.
18. NOTE: tips 18-30 relate to stress because increased stress, decreases energy expenditure and increases fat storage. Reduce stress by writing each night 3-5 things you are thankful for during the day. Life is not perfect and will never be, but we can always choose a thankful attitude.
19. Reduce stress by sleeping earlier. Your facebook timeline will still be there in the morning
20. Reduce stress by focusing on forming positive relationships with people around you. It has been said that the best way to get friends, is to be one. People with strong (not necessarily many) relationships tend to have lower stress hormone output.

Ok, 20 is a long list. Don't try them all at once. It can take 2-3 months to build up a habit that sticks with you for life. So how about trying 2-3 of these things this week and start the process.

Coach Jonathan Wong has a Doctorate of Science in Holistic Medicine, is a Certified Sports Nutritionist and is the author of "The Happy Body - Getting to the root of YOUR fitness, health and productivity". He is also the founder and CEO of Genesis Gym Singapore (tm), which aims to provide the best personal training and fitness services in Singapore. The views expressed are his own.

Ref:  http://sg.news.yahoo.com/blogs/fit-to-post-health/20-simple-things-boost-calorie-burning-073028996.html

10 ways to wake up slimmer

Avoid late night nibbles

Eating late at night should be avoided if you’re after a flat tum the following morning. Studies have shown that eating late at night can cause weight gain as the body clock is disrupted. One US study found that mice that ate throughout the day and night had 70 per cent more fatty deposits than the mice who only ate at set times. Not only that, giving your digestive organs more to process when they should be having a break can lead to bloating and the feeling of waking up with a full stomach. Do yourself a favour and enjoy your evening meal at least two hours prior to going to bed to wake up feeling lighter.

Choose slimming foods

It is not only when you eat that can affect how slim you feel the next day, but also what you eat. Enjoying a light and easily-digestible dish for your evening meal as opposed to rich or stodgy foods could go a long way in helping you achieve slenderness overnight. Avoid complex carbohydrates and red meat, particularly steak, as well as fatty foods, as these are notoriously harder for the body to digest. Opt instead for simple and plain foods such as salmon and chicken, spinach, sweet potato, melon and probiotic yogurt, and keep the portion size under control too if you want to wake up slim.

Evening exercise

A half hour session of exercise can do the world of good in countless ways; it can lift your mood thanks to the release of endorphins, clear you mind of stress and, most importantly, boost your chance of waking up slimmer. Psychologically, exercise makes you feel fitter and slimmer which can give you the confidence boost you need when it comes to your body shape. But more importantly, exercise can improve digestion as it boosts blood flow, leaving you bloat-free and feeling slimmer the following morning.

Television tummy time

While you’re indulging in your evening TV ritual, make more use of this ‘me time’ by incorporating some stomach exercises. For many, the stomach is the key area that dictates how slim they feel, so focusing on this part of the body could be the difference between feeling flab or fab. On a carpeted floor or exercise mat, do some basic stomach toning exercise such as the plank, sit-ups or crunches. This little abdominal boost, although short and sweet, may help you feel that little bit more nipped-in the following day.

Push yourself

If you’re heading to the gym, the pool or out for a run, aim to push yourself that little bit harder than you normally would. Challenging your stamina and strength will not only give you an adrenaline high, but you’ll also burn more calories and challenge your muscles in new ways which will tone you up and help you feel slimmer. Besides, the compliments you’ll receive the next day for your healthy glow will fill you with confidence regardless of your figure.

[10 ways to unwind and de-stress before bed]
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Tune time

Want to stay at home but still feel fit and fab the following day? Whack on your favourite tunes or turn up the music channels and boogie to your heart’s content. Letting loose in your living room to your favourite hits will free inhibitions while burning the calories too. Get hot and sweaty, head for a shower then to bed to enjoy a deep exercise-induced slumber. You’ll wake feeling refreshed and hopefully lighter from burning off your evening meal.

Buy clothes and underwear that really flatter your figure

Go shopping

Aside from altering your food and fitness habits, why not go on a shopping spree for clothes and underwear that really flatter your figure? There is oodles of advice out there regarding dressing to suit your body shape, so lap it up and use the tips to guide your decisions. Invest in some shaping underwear to support and form your figure into a slimmer version of you. Combine with some flattering garments, such as peplum tops for larger midriffs or cap sleeves to disguise shapely upper arms, and you’ll instantly feel slimmer. Just don’t forget posture – this can do its bit for helping you feel and appear slimmer too.

Banish the booze

Alcohol is notorious for causing bloating, which can make you feel chunkier than you actually are. Drinks including cider, beer, sparkling wine and spirit mixers lead to bloating because of the gas they contain. Not to mention that if alcohol was to enter a contest for ‘slimming-friendly beverage’, it would indeed come last. Containing seven calories (29 kilojoules) per gram it’s not kind on your waistline, so leave it out.

Keep hydrated

Perhaps not the best idea just before bed, but drinking plenty of fluids can help you achieve that slim feeling you’re after as it can reduce water retention and bloating while flushing your body of all the toxins you can so easily build up.  Herbal teas such as green, peppermint and dandelion are the perfect beverage for achieving that all-important slim feeling as they are hydrating and aid digestion, but plain old water is not to be sniffed at as this does the job effortlessly too. Aim for 6-8 cups of herbal tea or water throughout the day and you’ll feel lighter come morning. A word of warning, though; if it’s overnight slimness you’re after, try to avoid caffeine, carbonated drinks and, of course, alcohol.

Meditate

As we all know, the mind is a powerful thing.  Some believe that slimness can be a state of mind rather than a physical state, so ‘thinking thin’ can be more effective than you anticipate. Stress is often linked with being overweight (as it can lead to comfort eating and an imbalance of hormones) so why not give relaxation techniques a try, such as yoga or meditation? Calming the mind and focusing on your breathing can help center your thoughts, and perhaps even perceptions of your body too.

Ref:  http://sg.news.yahoo.com/10-ways-wake-slimmer-050034384.html

The Easy Way To Diet

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Dieting is usually a challenge to those who embark on the journey of weight loss, but it doesn't have to be. However, today I’m going to reveal 2 easy guidelines to get your diet on the right track and stay there

1. It’s all in the head

The first key to dieting is getting in the right mindset. You will first need to psychologically shift your mind state into one where eating healthier and more nutritious will be a joy. Realize that you are freeing yourself from the burdens of junk food and how much better your life will be without it. You will look and feel both more attractive and healthier, and you will be unchained from all the stress that you associate with junk food including the weight and health problems it causes. 

2. It’s all about routine

If you don’t have bad food around you, you won't eat it! Once you have your set goals and your mind in the right place you will need to get into a healthy routine of shopping. If you don’t buy junk food you won't eat junk food, if you buy healthy food you will eat healthy food.

When you go to the grocery store don’t try and avoid the aisles with unhealthy food but instead simply acknowledge that they’re there and tell yourself how much better you are without it.  Recognize how much better you feel, and how you wake up in the morning refreshed and energetic instead of groggy and fatigued like when you ate unhealthy food.

3. Set the right goal

Don’t make it your goal to go on an extreme diet for two weeks and lose ten pounds. These diets don’t work!!! In most cases they do more harm than good. Extreme diets are only a short-term solution, as soon as you go off an extreme diet and shift back into your old bad eating habits the pounds will creep back faster than they feel off. Make healthy eating a lifetime goal and look forward to your life being better off.

4. Finding a healthy balance

Everyone who starts a diet is immediately consumed by the fear that they will never be able to eat the things they love.  Don’t worry about cutting out the things you love to eat, because in truth you can still indulge yourself so long as it is in moderation. The key is finding a healthy balance and not over indulging yourself in foods that you know are bad for you, but also don’t forget to treat yourself every once in a while too.

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Stop Drinking Soda

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Soda and other items with high fructose corn syrup are some of the top contributors to diabetes and obesity. Cutting down on all sugary items especially soda can be an easy solution to a BIG problem.

Instead of drinking that soda in the morning, pick up a glass of water. If you need the caffeine in the morning go for a coffee but try and drink it black.

If you need to have milk with your coffee go for the skim milk next time, and if sugar is a must try using one less packet than you usually do. These simple steps can help you yield the results you are looking for and give you a chance to lose the pounds you’ve always wanted to.

If you miss the bubbles in soda go for seltzer water or club soda, this will provide you with the fizz and pop that you are looking for without the terrible sugar.

Always read the labels and nutrition facts of the foods you consume, you would be very surprised at the places you find unwanted sugar creeping into your foods.

Read the labels before you eat, because they won’t do you much good once you’ve realized what you’ve already put into your body.

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7 of the worst gym mistakes

Sticking to the same machines

The gym can be a scary and intimidating place, so when you find a machine that you’re comfortable with it’s often tempting to use it as much as possible. However, this will hinder your progress. You might enjoy a few weeks or even months of pound shedding and muscle building, but eventually this repetition will be your downfall as your body adapts to it and starts to burn less energy. A study carried out at Curtin University found that mixing up your workouts not only helps you burn fat and develop muscle more efficiently, it also helps to ward off muscle inflammation.

7 of the worst gym mistakes

Ignoring injuries

How many times have you heard someone telling you to ‘push through the pain barrier’ in the gym? Probably all too often. A little bit of discomfort is to be expected when you’re putting your body through a high intensity workout. Sharp stabbing pains that don’t go away aren’t. If you do suffer an injury at the gym, you need to accept that the fastest route to recovery is to rest the affected area. Tearing a muscle and then putting it through the strain of lifting weights isn’t going to result in any fitness benefits, and could seriously delay your recovery.

Believing calorie counters

Seeing that calorie counter shoot up as you pound the treadmill is always a great mood boost in the gym, but can it really be trusted? Not if a study carried out at Stanford University is to be believed. While treadmills attempt to give an accurate reading for calories burned, the huge range of determining factors means this is nearly impossible. For example, the study found that using the hand rails on treadmills can reduce the amount of calories burned by up to 50 per cent without this change being reflected on the counter. If you base your meals throughout the day on this incorrect calorie count, you could gain unwanted weight.

Getting distracted

Did you know one in three people don’t even break a sweat during their gym workout? According to a survey commissioned by sports equipment company Kettler, lots of people who go to the gym are more interested in chatting to their friends, relaxing in the spa, or ogling the opposite sex. One in 20 even said they just go to watch sports on the TVs! Gyms are full of distractions, and some of them might be keeping you from maximising your workout. Allocate a timeslot after your workout to catch up with your gym buddies and relax in the spa, and make sure your workout time is completely uninterrupted.

Using incorrect technique

Using a piece of gym equipment correctly will ensure your muscles go through the full range of motion, lead to noticeable benefits and keep you and the people around you in the gym safe. Using the equipment incorrectly will have the exact opposite effect. Aside from hindering your progress, incorrect technique can actually lead to injuries and permanent damage to your muscles. Don’t use the machines in the way that seems easiest, or the way your friend showed you how to do them – check with a professional personal trainer that your technique is spot on so that you know you’re getting the maximum benefit from your workout.

Copying others

Everyone’s body is different, and what works for others might not work for you. Copying other people’s routines in the gym can be highly dangerous, especially if they’re at a higher fitness level than you. Just because that ripped guy who is in the gym every day lifts a certain weight, it doesn’t mean you’ll achieve the same results if you try to lift it. Sorry guys, but this one area where you’re particularly guilty – of the million Americans who suffered weight training injuries between 1990 and 2007, 82 per cent were men who had been lifting weights that were too heavy for them according to research published in the American Journal of Sports Medicine.

Getting the warm up wrong

How you warm up can make or break your workout before you’ve even got started. While many people simply try a bit of light cardiovascular activity to warm up, according to expert trainer Lee Archer your warm up should be specific to your workout for maximum benefits. For example, try using the rowing machine to warm up your upper body before a weights session. Even worse is not warming up at all. A study carried out at La Trobe University in Melbourne found that warming up not only prevents injuries, but also increases the maximum power a muscle can produce during exercise. 

Ref:  http://sg.sports.yahoo.com/news/7-worst-gym-mistakes-070039985.html

10 Reasons You're Not Getting Slim at the Gym

Weight loss mistakesYou've committed to working out and eating healthy, but the scale isn't budging. What gives? Your routine may actually be backfiring. Here are 10 common mistakes that prevent you from winning the battle of the bulge. 

1. You hit the gym on an empty stomach
Nothing will sabotage an efficient, productive workout like exercising when you're hungry, says celebrity trainer David Kirsch. "Exercising first thing in the morning before eating is an optimal way to burn fat stores, [but] the problem is that too often my clients training after 8 a.m. come to the gym hungry, cranky, and low-energy." Premium cars need fuel to run efficiently and so do we. Power up before you hit the gym with an easily digestible meal. Kirsch recommends eating 20 almonds, or an apple or banana with a tablespoon of almond butter. 

Related: Can Yoga Really Help You Lose Weight? 

2. You eat too many carbs before exercising 
And, yes, you need to eat, but don't consume too many carbs (good or bad) before your workout if you want to see results, says Adam Schersten, trainer at Equinox in New York City. "The added blood glucose will encourage the use of those and other sugars for your fuel source rather than the pesky fat stores." 

3. You repeat the same cardio routine 
"The body is a master of minimizing caloric expenditure," says Schersten, "and a long, evenly paced run is easy for it to adapt to." When you first begin a cardio regime, your body burns more calories and you see progress more quickly. But if you don't continually challenge yourself with new moves, your workout turns into weight maintenance instead of weight loss. "Mix it up with some intervals or tempo runs on hills to see continued results," he recommends. 

4. You don't challenge your muscles 
To get the most of your workouts, make sure the strength-training exercises you do target and overload muscles to the point of fatigue. "Go toward that burning, uncomfortable feeling in your muscles. That's how you'll get the results you want to achieve," says Tanya Becker, co-founder of Physique 57 and co-author of The Physique 57 Solution. Interval overload training produces maximum results in minimal time. 

Related: Low-Impact Exercises That Anyone Can Do

5. You use the wrong weights 
Despite all the back-and-forth discussions on heavy versus light weights, keep the weights on the lighter side if you want to trim down, says Kirsch. "Women often use weights that are too heavy. I like to stay in the 3 to 15-pound range. If you're more fitness-experienced, use weights in the 8 to 10-pound range. If you're a beginner, start in the 3-pound range." 

6. You sacrifice good form 
Bad form not only puts you at risk for injury, but it also prevents you from maximizing your workouts, says Becker. "Having good form will allow you to get deeper in the positions and help your body transform fast." If you're not sure how to do a move, ask a trainer. 

7. You perform exercises that don't work for your body type 
Just because the woman next to you is doing traditional squats, that doesn't make them right for you. "The most common mistake when women go into the gym is to watch someone else do an exercise and start doing the same one," says Kirsch. "When training intelligently, 'one size doesn't fit all.' There are exercises and weights appropriate for some body types, ages, and overall objectives and not for others," he says. Consult a trainer to develop a routine that's right for you. Some gyms even offer complimentary sessions when you join. 

8. You "waist" too much time working your core 
You don't need to do an endless amount of crunches to whittle your middle. Your best bet is to expend that energy on exercises that burn more calories. "If you're doing free weights, your core is getting worked too, because you are holding your body upright through the exercises," says Schersten. "You can burn a lot more calories targeting large muscle groups rather than smaller ones, so stick to squats and skip all those sit-ups." 

9. You fail to push yourself hard enough 
If you're leisurely reading a magazine while you're on the elliptical, chances are you're wasting your time, says Kirsch. Your workout should be uncomfortable - but not painful. A good way to gauge effort? Holding a conversation should be a challenge. If it's not, push yourself harder. 

Related: Find More Time to Exercise 

10. You don't fuel properly when you leave the gym 
It's just as important to replenish your body with proper nutrients after your workout, says Becker. "Eating processed foods will prevent you from losing weight and shedding fat. Drink plenty of water and fill up on fresh fruit and veggies." Kirsch recommends a shake that contains carbs, protein, and amino acids. Remember, your results are highly contingent on what you do when you leave the gym. Smart eating habits and healthy lifestyle choices will help you achieve the results you want. 

-By Kim Peiffer 

Ref:  http://sg.entertainment.yahoo.com/blogs/healthy-living/10-reasons-youre-not-getting-slim-gym-152100658.html