| If you've been doing ab exercises in hope of | | | | your carbohydrate choices. Studies show a strong link |
| shedding those unwanted pounds around the middle, | | | | between obesity and the amount of refined |
| I'm afraid I have some bad news... | | | | carbohydrates a person eats. Limiting the amount of |
| You've been lied to. | | | | refined carbs you eat may be the single most |
| That's right. NO tummy exercise on its own can get | | | | effective thing you can do. |
| rid of your belly fat. | | | | -Include healthy fat at each meal and snack. It will |
| Despite what you see on T.V. or read in the popular | | | | help keep hunger pains and cravings to a minimum. Be |
| fitness magazines, you can not...you will not lose | | | | sure to include Omega 3 fats in your diet. Your body |
| stomach fat by doing stomach exercises. | | | | needs them to survive and thrive but does not |
| You see, these companies prey on your fears and | | | | produce them on its own. |
| insecurities. They use fit, attractive people to make | | | | -Cut out all drinks containing sugar. That includes pop, |
| you believe that if you use their product or follow | | | | sweetened ice tea and all fruit juice. Yes, juice. You |
| the routine found in their magazine, you will somehow | | | | may be surprised to know that 8 oz. of orange juice |
| look like a highly paid fitness model. | | | | has the same number of grams of sugar as 8 oz. of |
| In the end, only your wallet looks slimmer. | | | | regular soft drink. And if you're concerned about |
| Think about this for a moment. How does your body | | | | missing out on your vitamin C, take a pill - a |
| know to burn fat from just your stomach? And how | | | | multivitamin pill that is. |
| funny would you look if, after doing a few hundred | | | | -Perform 2-3 strength training workouts each week |
| crunches a day, you had a "ripped" set of abs but | | | | that work the entire body. For many busy people, |
| the rest of you remained fat? | | | | full-body workouts promote consistency and ensure |
| When you gain fat weight, your body stores it | | | | that all the major muscle groups get equal amounts |
| according to your genetics. Some people store fat | | | | of attention. |
| around the middle, while others store it in the hip, | | | | -Finally, work towards being able to complete three |
| legs and butt. | | | | to five cardiovascular workouts per week. And be |
| Ab exercises - or any strength training exercises for | | | | sure to work at the right intensity. On a scale of 1-10 |
| that matter - have one purpose and one purpose | | | | with 10 being all out effort, strive to work in the 7-9 |
| only...to strengthen your muscles. Yes, exercise helps | | | | range for most of your workout. When I talk to |
| burn calories but nutrition plays the biggest role in | | | | people who exercise regularly but are not making any |
| your weight loss efforts. | | | | progress, it's often because they don't work hard |
| When you lose fat, you lose it all over, with your | | | | enough. |
| trouble spots being the last to disappear. Unfair? | | | | Some people ask me if you have to workout to lose |
| Maybe. Frustrating? You bet. So how do you rid | | | | weight. My reply is "No". But it helps build strong |
| yourself of that pesky pooch? | | | | muscles and bones. Something we all should be |
| Combining a balanced nutrition plan with regular | | | | concerned with, especially women. Exercise also helps |
| strength training and cardiovascular exercise provides | | | | improve flexibility -another important component of |
| the quickest and most reliable results. | | | | overall health and fitness. |
| Some important guidelines for weight loss success | | | | Others would rather just exercise and not change |
| include... | | | | the way they eat. Unfortunately, this approach rarely |
| -Eat 5-6 small meals a day, never going more than 4 | | | | works. When you can eat a 250 calorie chocolate bar |
| hours without eating something. Doing so helps keep | | | | in less than five minutes but need to walk for more |
| blood sugar levels in check which in turn allows your | | | | than half an hour at four miles per hour to burn those |
| body to burn fat more efficiently. And in the long run | | | | calories off, you begin to see the problem with using |
| helps minimize your risk of developing type II | | | | just exercise to lose weight. The fact of the matter |
| diabetes. | | | | is, you can't outrun your mouth. |
| -Eat adequate amounts of protein with each meal | | | | In the weight loss world, knowledge really is power. |
| and snack. Unlike carbs and fat, your body can not | | | | The next time you hear or read of a product claiming |
| store protein for future use. So you must provide it | | | | to give you a flat, sexy stomach, remember that no |
| with a steady supply throughout the day for proper | | | | machine...no ab exercise will do it on its own. You |
| maintenance and creation of tissue. | | | | must combine a balanced nutrition plan with an |
| -Eat mainly high quality, fiber-filled veggies and fruit as | | | | effective exercise program. |