Belly fat? Hit the treadmill, not the weights

New research finds that your best bet for trimming belly fat is vigorous aerobic activity, such as jogging or brisk walking, rather than lifting weights.

 

"If you are overweight or mildly obese and want to lose fat -- belly fat, visceral fat, liver fat -- vigorous aerobic training was better than resistance training," said researcher Cris Slentz, an exercise physiologist at Duke University Medical Center in Durham, North Carolina. The study, announced last week, appears in the American Journal of Physiology, Endocrinology and Metabolism.

Participants in the eight-month study were assigned to one of three groups. One group walked on a treadmill on an incline for 12 miles (19 km) at 80 percent of their maximum heart rate each week; another group lifted weights, doing three sets of eight to 12 repetitions, three times a week. A third group did both workouts.

The focus on the study was on visceral fat, or "inside fat" located deep within the body around the stomach as opposed to subcutaneous fat (aka "muffin top" fat), which lies directly under the skin. Although any kind of extra padding around your waistline is considered unhealthy, too much subcutaneous fat is much more dangerous, researchers said.

Slentz stated the aerobic training group was the most successful in reducing their visceral fat, and the reason behind that is simple: intense aerobic training burns up more calories.

Another research-backed way to trim your waistline? A new study published last week suggests that a diet high in protein and dairy is an effective way to trim fat -- specifically, belly fat. That study, funded in part by the Dairy Farmers of Canada and published in the September issue of The Journal of Nutrition, compared three groups of overweight, premenopausal women who were put on different diets: low, medium and high amounts of dairy, coupled with high or low amounts of proteins and carbohydrates.

Ref: http://sg.news.yahoo.com/photos/belly-fat-hit-the-treadmill-not-the-weights-slideshow/

11 habits that send diet plans awry

Seoul (The Korea Herald/ANN) - With unusually hot weather signaling an early end to spring, many women are taking up weight loss regimes, getting ready to show off slender figures in summer.

According to business group CJ, the women's weight-loss market is worth around 200 billion won (US$175 million) a year.
However, many fail in their attempts to shed a few kilograms.
Here are 11 reasons suggested by Fox News and other news outlets as to why people stumble on their way to a slimmer figure.

1. You eat the wrong food: Many people rely on cereal bars or protein shakes and fasting. In the long run, this rarely works because the foods don't satisfy your stomach. Cheese sticks or non-fat yoghurt with strawberries could be good alternatives.
2. You are working out too late: Yes, you need exercise but getting a good amount of sleep is just as important. Five to six hours of sleep a day slows the metabolism and causes hormonal changes. Also, fatigue could induce you to indulge in foods. Recent research suggests that those lacking sleep tend to eat 500 calories more than those who have abundant sleep.
3. You are working out too much: Exercise is the staple way to take away your weight but it does not work magic. Diet is the most important factor. Instead of working out six days a week, halving the exercise time and using the extra hours to fill up with fresh vegetables and plan your meals could be more productive.
4. You are too obsessed with salad: Eating abundant vegetables is crucial to losing weight. However, salad often lacks carbohydrates, which could make you feel even more hungrier. Adding brown rice or beans in the salad bowl or eating a soup or sandwich is a better option.
5. You are eating high-calorie foods: By all means switch your white bread with rye, ditch your potato chips for nuts and use olive oil instead of butter. But beware: they are not low-calorie alternatives. Don't eat too much of them.
6. You are eating too early: Many dieticians advise people to refrain from eating late. But in fact, having 70 per cent of daily recommended calories before dinner and 30 per cent at dinner is fine. Just don't search for ice cream or biscuits at night.
7. You are eating alone: Having company at meal tables definitely helps one moderate the amount of food. There is evidence that this is the case for women.
8. You never eat between meals: It may be better to reduce the amount of breakfast, lunch and dinner you are having and squeeze small foods in between. Your metabolism works better when you eat every 3-4 hours.
9. You don't keep a food journal: Researchers suggests that those who keep diet journals tend to lose weight twice as effectively as those who don't keep one. Simply writing down what you have eaten can alert you to how much you are eating.
10. You don't like drinking water: Replacing sodas and juice with water could dramatically reduce your calorie intake. Those who drink two cups of water eat an average of 90 calories less than others.
11. You are skipping breakfast: Those who eat breakfast tend to maintain healthy weight. If you don't feel like cooking early in the morning, just eating a whole-food cereal could help you start your day fresh and keep healthy as well as lose weight.

Ref: http://sg.news.yahoo.com/11-habits-send-diet-plans-awry-053002797.html

3 tips for rapid weight loss

The most important thing for healthy weight loss is to be mindful of your eating habits and lifestyle. (Getty …

Most of us would like to have a better figure and look more attractive. Extra weight can hurt us in many ways beyond what it does to our health and appearance. It affects our lives and how people judge us. A study has shown that a large number of people think that overweight people lack self-control.

If you are on the road to shedding some pounds, you probably want to lose weight fast. Yet we know that losing weight does not happen magically overnight. Instead, it requires effort and determination.

Despite wanting to lose weight quickly, you should make sure that your method of losing weight is a healthy one. If not, you may be losing important muscle, rather than just fat. The most important thing for healthy weight loss is to be mindful of your eating habits and lifestyle.

Below are three tips that you can incorporate into your life to help you lose weight rapidly in a healthy way.

1. Eat breakfast

Breakfast is the most essential meal of the day. It fills your stomach after a long night of sleep. Eating breakfast will make you more alert and energetic at the start of the day.
Skipping breakfast will result in unexpected and, at times, uncontrollable hunger later in the day. This hunger may then lead you to unwanted snacking. Furthermore, skipping breakfast might make you eat more than usual during lunch to satisfy the hunger. This could increase your overall calorie intake.

Research has shown that if you eat breakfast every morning, you are more likely to maintain a normal weight. It is important to start off your day with a healthy breakfast to fill your stomach and prevent unexpected snacking later in the day.

A healthy breakfast should include all three main nutrients — carbohydrates, protein, and fat. The carbohydrates will give you instant energy and the fiber (which is a type of carbohydrate) will help keep you full longer. Protein and fat also prolong your satiety to minimize your hunger as the day goes on.

2. Exercise regularly

Research has shown that even 30 minutes of daily exercise can provide numerous health benefits in addition to aiding in weight loss and maintaining a healthy, desired weight.

Unfortunately, we often feel like we do not have the time for exercising. We are either too tired after work or cannot squeeze any free time from the endless piles of school assignments.

Even with a packed schedule, we can make little changes in our activities to incorporate a bit of exercise into our daily lives. For example, instead of taking the lift or the escalator, go for the stairs. If your office or your school is a stone's throw away from the MRT station or the bus stop, skip the public transport and walk to your destination.

At regular intervals, take a rest from your work. You can do some stretching exercises at your desk or take a walk outside your office or classroom. These little changes in your life will contribute significantly to your weight loss over time.

If you have a bit more time on your hands, you can sign up for an activity at the nearest community center, which have all kinds of classes available such as aerobics, swimming, and kickboxing. Having to pay for these classes will actually motivate you to attend them. This will then give you a good reason to allocate some time for regular exercise.

Of course, do keep in mind that regular exercise should be accompanied by a healthy diet.

3. Avoid deprivation diets

When we want to lose weight fast, we might think that not eating is the key. For example, a person who wants to lose five kilograms rapidly might eat as little as a carrot stick per day until the goal is achieved.

However, a deprivation diet only has a short term effect on weight loss. Your metabolism rate actually slows down when you consume so few calories per day. Additionally, losing weight so quickly and depriving yourself of a healthy diet can easily backfire, causing you to gain back the weight very quickly.

In addition to causing you to be hungry all day and night, deprivation diets usually do not provide the nutrients that the body needs to carry out its daily functions. Your body needs nutrients to keep up your metabolism, give you energy for physical activity, and to carry out general functions.

Without these essential nutrients, your body will start to shut down, and weight loss may become very difficult. Therefore, it is important for you to eat regular meals and keep to a balanced diet.
As you go forward with your weight loss, remember that it is crucial to choose a healthy weight loss method, which is more likely to ensure that pounds are lost not only rapidly, but also permanently.

Eating breakfast, exercising regularly and avoiding deprivation diets can all help you lose weight rapidly. With these tips in mind and an optimistic mindset, you are a step closer to achieving your goal.

What weight loss method would you recommend or not recommend to other people?

Edited by registered dietitian Arielle Kamps, M.S., R.D, L.D. Via HealthMatters.sg, a Singapore Health and Fitness blog that aims to help you lose weight, keep fit, and live healthy. Click here to get our free guide "Eat Your Way to Health — Secrets of a Healthy Diet".

Ref: http://sg.news.yahoo.com/blogs/fit-to-post-health/3-tips-rapid-weight-loss-022739017.html

Why you can’t ‘burn off’ a bad meal

The method of guilt-based exercise doesn't work to burn off calories eaten. (Getty Images)

One of the common misconceptions of new clients at Genesis Gym is that they can "burn off" a bad meal by doing some exercise after.

This is an idea driven by the negative emotion of guilt.

In this article I will explain why this method of guilt-based exercise doesn't work, and how to plan a "less healthy" meal into your week.

First let's take what I call the "pizza" example.

Let's say you go to a party the night before and overdo the pizza eating. According to Domino's website, half a regular peperoni pizza (4 slices) is 1160 calories.

This has: 135g carbohydrates and 51g fat.

Then guilt kicks in and you decide to go for a jog. "That will burn it off" you think. So you take a 100 minute jog which is way more than normal, but the thought of that pizza sticking on your love handles helps you push through the sore knees to finish the jog.

"Phew, I got rid of those 1160 calories!" you might think.

Not so fast.

Here is why this method will not work

1. Food is not just calories, food is information telling your body what to do.
In this case, the large amount of carbohydrates in the pizza stimulates the storage hormone insulin, and get stored in your fat cells. The large amount of fat in the pizza, combined with insulin also get stored in your fat cells.

2. We tend to eat bad food at night. The high fat levels lower growth hormone output which is a critical part of the fat burning, and body repair processes that we need to do at night.

3. The exercise we did with good intentions, quite possibly did burn 1,160 calories. However, it is a long, slow, cardiovascular dominant form of exercise which when done for long periods of time (needed to get rid of ALL those calories) tends to....

• Break down muscle for fuel since amino acids are an important fuel for long activity
• Raise stress hormones, which means fat storage especially around the tummy area, and even further break down muscles for fuel
• Lead to an overall lower metabolism and easier future fat gain because of the increased fat and lowered lean muscle

As you can see the "burn off a bad meal" mentality doesn't work well.

So what shall we do?

1. Normal daily food should be unprocessed and "caveman" in nature. This article is a good place to start.
2. If you do eat a bad meal, try to make it more carbohydrate based with limited amounts of fats together with it. Eat it several hours before you sleep.
3. Use strength training as your main form of exercise. It builds lean mass and this increases insulin sensitivity of your muscles. Which means that nutrients from meals will tend to replenish your muscle stores rather than get shuttled into your fat cells.
4. If you do go overboard don't worry it can happen to any body, just recover quickly and get back on track. If one car tire gets punctured, fix it and get back on the road, don't feel bad about it, give up and puncture all the rest of them by doing foolish things.

For the best fitness boot camp program and personal training in Singapore visit www.genesisgym.com.sg or the Genesis Gym facebook page.

Ref: http://sg.news.yahoo.com/blogs/fit-to-post-health/why-t-burn-off-bad-meal-021314742.html

20 Tricks to Get Tight, Toned Abs Faster

Follow these easy fitness tips to make your abs workout more effective, so that you have more time to show them off! By Jennipher Walters for SHAPE magazine.

Photo by: Thinkstock

Focus on the Burn

Many times we completely zone out while working out. We're watching TV, thinking of our to-do list, or even wishing the workout was over instead of paying attention to what we're doing. By focusing on the exercise at hand, you not only are less prone to injury (no distractions so that you can listen to your body), but you also engage the mind-body connection which helps to recruit more muscle fibers , thereby improving your results.

Photo by: Thinkstock

Close Your Rib Cage

In your average sit-up you probably come up and down and don't think much more about the movement, right? Well, when you lower down from a sit-up, pay close attention and keep your rib cage closed. This helps to "crunch" your abs more, engage your transverse abdominals, and keep your back safely supported.

Photo by: Thinkstock

Engage Your Pelvic Floor

You've probably heard of Kegels before, right? By engaging your pelvic floor (act as though you're trying to stop your urine midstream) before and during any abs exercise you perform, you better engage your transverse abdominals, which act as a girdle for your entire core. This helps give you a tighter midsection-quite literally-all the way around!

Photo by: Thinkstock

Don t Hold Your Breath

Your core muscles need oxygen to work at full capacity, so be sure that you keep breathing. As a general rule, you want to inhale on the easiest part of the move (on the way down from a crunch) and exhale when you have to exert the most force (on the way up on a crunch).

Photo by: Thinkstock

Start Small

Just like you wouldn't jump in the deep end of the pool before you know how to swim, you shouldn't tackle a complicated or advanced core move on your first try. Start small by working in a smaller range of motion (holding a plank for 15-20 seconds), and then as your core strength improves and you master proper form, make the movement to larger and more difficult exercises.

Photo by: Thinkstock

Work in All Dimensions

Your body doesn't just work in one plane of movement, so why should your abs? Instead of always doing crunches, include absexercises that rotate, twist and turn your body like you do in real life. Functional fitness moves such as this Side Lunge Wood Chopor this Stability Ball Chop and Twist are both great exercises to build a truly strong core .

Photo by: Thinkstock

Add a Weight

Dumbbells aren't just for bicep curls ! Like any other muscle, abs need to be challenged to get stronger. So if regular sit-ups aren't doing it any more (or if you have to do more than 20 to feel the burn), throw some weights into the mix and watch your results multiply.

Photo by: Thinkstock

Always Warm Up Properly

A warmed up core is a happy core. Because your abs are tied in to your lower back, it's extremely important to start any workout with a proper warm up to prevent injury. Warm those muscles up with some light marching in place and gentle standing rotation of your midsection.

Photo by: Thinkstock

Walk the Plank

Training your abs is not all about sit-ups and crunches. While those do work your abs, the plank is a more complete core move that works all the different parts of your abs and your upper-body. But instead of just holding the plank in a static position, engage even more of your ab strength by performing this challenging Plank Walk-Up. It's tough, but your abs will thank you for it!

Photo by: Thinkstock

Picture a Grapefruit

One of the biggest mistakes people make when doing mat work for their abs is that they keep their head down. This puts unnecessary strain on your neck and takes the focus off of your abs to perform the move. Every time you're doing abs exercises on the floor, imagine a grapefruit is lodged between your chin and your chest. For best results, don't let your chin lower to your chest!

Photo by: Thinkstock

Squat

As exercise physiologists study and better understand the core, more and more are recommending that we think of our core not just as the stomach and lower-back area, but also as our entire pillar (meaning everything except our legs, arms, and head). To really strengthen your core, fitness professionals recommend strengthening the muscles that tie in to your pillar like your glutes. And what's one of the best ways to fire those glutes?Deep squats, baby!

Photo by: Thinkstock

Train Your Back

True muscle strength is all about balance. Many of us focus on toning our abs (the muscles we can see) and totally neglect our lower backs. This strength imbalance can lead to lower-back injury and pain. Here's a good rule to remember: For every core exercise you do that only targets your abs  (Read: isn't twisting, a plank, or involves standing--which all involve the back), you should do a specific lower-back exercise as well like this Swan Dive. Working your lower back makes for a more complete abs workout!

Photo by: Thinkstock

Try Balance Work

Really want stronger abs? Incorporate balance work into your routine. Whether it's with a Bosu, a stability ball, a balance board, or simply just standing on one leg, exercisesthat test your balance cause you to fire your core deeply, thereby giving you a more effective ab workout!

Photo by: Thinkstock

Go Slow

Think speeding through your ab workout will speed up your results? Think again. To really feel the burn, try slowing down. By changing the speed of your abs exercises, you'll work your abs in a more targeted way that boosts strength and results! 

Photo by: Thinkstock

Tweak Your Diet

It doesn't matter how many hours you spend in the gym each week. If your diet isn't on point, you're not going to see that 6-pack. To show off those toned abs, eat a diet with plenty of lean protein, low-fat dairy, fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. Also, follow these tips to beat belly bloat (which might be hiding your fabulous abs!)

Photo by: Thinkstock

Make Sure to Rest

Just like other muscles, your abs need rest. Don't directly work your abs two days in a row. Take a recovery day in between. Rest helps give you muscles time to repair and get stronger! 

Photo by: Thinkstock

Change it Up

Are you guilty of doing the same ab workout day after day? If so, it's time to switch it up. In fact, for best results, you should change up your entire workout-including abs!-every four to six weeks. Not sure where to start? Try SHAPE's free workout builder. 

Photo by: Thinkstock

Maintain Constant Tension

If you're short on time, here's an easy trick to get more for your ab-workout buck: Flex your abs and keep them that way throughout your entire core workout. Whether you're doing crunches, planks, or balance work, squeeze those abs as if you're preparing for someone to punch you in the gut to get even more out of your usual moves.

Photo by: Thinkstock

Work Your Upper Abs Last

Many traditional abs exercises target the top of your abs. Problem is, they neglect your lower abs and obliques. Try starting your workout with lower-ab moves like this Double-Leg Lower Lift and this Bicycle Maneuver, which both work multiple areas of your abs. Then, if you have time, end your training session with upper-ab work.

Photo by: Thinkstock

Try Yoga or Pilates

Many yoga poses and Pilates exercises are extremely good for building core strength. If you're sick of tacking ab workouts on to the end of your cardio or strength session, trade your usual moves in for a yoga or Pilates class. Besides building core strength, these mind-body exercises can also increase your flexibility and reduce stress. Bonus!



Ref:  http://sg.news.yahoo.com/photos/20-tricks-tight-toned-abs-slideshow-173100418/focus-burn-photo-2273682-173100546.html#crsl=%252Fphotos%252F20-tricks-tight-toned-abs-slideshow-173100418%252Ffocus-burn-photo-2273682-173100546.html

10 Foods for Fabulous Abs

1. Yogurt is magic for the tum. Nutritionist Rania Batayneh recommends yogurt, “The probiotic bacteria in most yogurts help keep your digestive system healthy, which translates into a lower incidence of gas, bloating, and constipation, which can keep your tummy looking flat." Ideally go for the plain-flavoured yogurts, that don’t contain added sugars.



2. Switch to whole grain. The body shows a decreased insulin response to whole grain as compared to refined carbohydrate like rice and white bread. So replace those meals of white rice and milk bread with whole grains like lentils, brown rice, and whole wheat bread for a trimmer waistline.


3. Stock up on cruciferous veggies like broccoli, brussels sprouts, asparagus, peppers, and yellow beans. They contain folate, beta-carotene, calcium, magnesium, and fiber, and are rich in vitamins A, C, and K.


4. Olive Oil: Mono-unsaturated fats like those found in olive oil, work to reduce belly fat and don’t increase calorie intake.



5. Apple cider vinegar: New research indicates that 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar (ideally mixed with a glass of water), consumed daily over a period of 12 weeks, works to lower body weight and reduce belly fat. This is attributed to vinegar's acetic acid, which is believed to pump out proteins that break down fat.


6. Green tea contains certain chemicals called polyphenols and catechins that boost metabolism and help burn fat. Including 2-3 cups of green tea in your diet will help reduce that waistline, as well as provide a host of other health benefits.



7. Apples are one of the most popular negative calorie foods. This means that an apple burns more calories that it adds to the body, while being digested, making for a great, tasty snack that does nothing to add to body fat.


8. Eggs are a great source of protein and contain essential amino acids that the body needs to build everything from muscle fibres to brain chemicals. It is the perfect breakfast food, and ensures you feel less hungry during the day and reduces that urge to snack.


9. Almonds provide the body with minerals like magnesium, and regulate blood sugar levels. A stable blood sugar level is key to prevent cravings that can lead to overeating.


10. Salmon, tuna and mackerel, in addition to being a great source of omega-3 fatty acids, also improve metabolism and help burn fat faster by improving the body’s glucose-insulin response.

Ref:  http://sg.news.yahoo.com/10-foods-for-fabulous-abs.html