A Woman Stabilizing Hormones to Lose Weight!

If you want a really easy weight loss tip, then this is it: Go to bed and turn out the lights!

Research has shown that people who get at least 8 hours sleep a night lose more weight than those that get less than 6 hours of sleep, even if diet (in terms of both calories consumed and type of food eaten) is the same and exercise regime is the same.

In addition to this, recent research has also shown that there is a link between light and weight gain. In a study on mice it was found that sleeping with even just a dim light on resulted in increased appetite and increased weight gain.

So, if you are almost losing weight with your healthy diet and workouts, but not quite, or just hit a wall recently that you cannot seem to get past, then maybe the answer is to sleep on it, and sleep well.

The research was carried out by the Kaiser Permanente Center for Health Research in Portland, America. The research was funded by the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine which is a part of the National Institutes of Health (nih.gov), which is in turn a part of the US Department of Health and Human Sciences. So basically, this is a government backed piece of research which gives it some credit. The research was also published in the International Journal of Obesity.

6 Month Weight Loss Plan

In the study researchers analysed a activities and lifestyle factors from a group of people who were on an active weight loss plan. Although there is more research to be carried out initial findings found that irregular sleep and lack of sleep is a risk factor for the development of obesity.

One theory is that reduce sleep affects hormone levels which disrupt appetite suppression and metabolism. In addition to lack of sleep, spending more time in front of a computer screen or television also raises the risk of a person becoming obese, as does depression and stress. However, it is not so much that using a computer makes you fat, it is simply that people who use computers more tend to have less time for exercise.

So fat the research has examined 472 obese adults over a 6 month period which included a weight loss plan. All the adults studied we at least 30 years old and have a body mass index of 30-50. Anything over 40 is considered morbidly obese. A healthy weight is a BMI below 25 and above around 18. All the subjects in the study had their diet and exercise habits recorded every day for the 6 months. They all had to perform at least 180 minutes (3 hours) of exercise each week. There were also 22 group support sessions, almost one per week.

Over the 6 month plan average weight loss was 6.3 kg and 60% of subjects lost 4.5 kg (10 pounds). Not how there was a general success while on the plan – all those people who fail to lose weight fail simply because they do not stick to the plan. The weekly support groups are very helpful in keeping people motivated.

On average the subjects actually performed 195.1 minutes of exercise each week, more than the amount set by the plan.

The people who slept for less than 6 hours tended to lose less weight. When you think about this, this is not expected at all. We burn more energy while awake than when sleeping. Also, being awake provides more opportunities for activities such as exercise. However, the results are clear – if you lack sleep you are less likely to lose weight.

Chronic Stress?

Chronic stress is thought to be a major contributing factor. Stress affects hormonal levels and the effects of stress actually build up over time. This often leads to increase comfort eating and binge eating which can dramatically increase calorific intake.

Of course, this does not mean that if you get more sleep you will lose weight, it just means that a lack of sleep sets you up for weight gain or slower weight loss.

References:

• Elder CR, Gullion CM, Funk KL, et al. Impact of sleep, screen time, depression and stress on weight change in the intensive weight loss phase of the LIFE study. International Journal of Obesity 2011, March 29.

Reported by:

• Sleep patterns affect weight loss. BBC News, March 20 2011
• Sleep ‘affects weight loss’, NHS Choices, March 30 2011

If you are like many of our readers here you are keen to lose your belly fat, tone your thighs and trim down the fat on your arms and bottom.

Fortunately the same exercises and diet rules will help all of these. There are really just 3 things that you need to do to lose fat from any part of your body:

1. You need to change your diet
2. You need to get more active in your daily routines
3. You need to get stronger and fitter

Without exception everyone that you see around you that is overweight has got into that situation for one simple reason – they have eaten more food than they need. There are some medical conditions and medications which mean that people are likely to have a larger appetite, but the general rule is that overweight people eat too much, you included!

If anyone says “I have tried every type of exercise there is and not lost weight” it is for 2 reasons that they failed to lose weight:

1. Their fitness levels prevented them from exercising at a high enough intensity to make a huge difference to their metabolic rate.
2. They did not change their diet to help with their weight loss, instead making the classic mistake of thinking that exercising means you do not need to diet.

Likewise, whenever anyone says “I have tried every diet under the sun and cannot lose weight“, the lack of weight loss is generally due to this:

1. They did not follow the diet correctly, and usually cheated along the way. Many people say they are following a diet, and then eat foods that are banned on the diet with the excuse – “well, I cannot believe this is unhealthy”. Classic examples are people continuing to eat bread and high GI vegetables when on an induction phase of a low carbohydrate diet, or people drinking copious amounts of fruit juices and smoothies even though they have been told not too by their dietician, because those drinks are “healthy”.
2. They do the diet reasonably well, but make no other changed to their lifestyle, and do no exercise.

Researchers have shown that diet and exercise must be done together for weight loss plans to work. Diet without exercise and exercise without diet both lead to failure.

Tummy Toning Diet and Exercise Plan for Women

If you wish to lose your belly fat, then follow these rules. Please note that “spot reduction”, that is reduction of fat from one body part, is not possible. So knowing how to lose belly fat is actually knowing how to lose weight, as the only way to lose belly fat is to reduce your overall fat content. Whether you are very overweight, or if you just have a stubborn layer of fat left to shift before you can display a set of six pack abs, these tips should solve your problems.

Before we continue, please note that performing hundreds of abdominal exercises everyday does not help to reduce fat. Crunches and sit ups alone, although intensive on the stomach, will not shift fat – and building bigger abdominals could actually make your stomach look bigger if it is still covered in a layer of fat.

Why are we focussing on belly fat? Two reasons – to show off our abs, and also to be healthy. Modern thought concerning weight issues is that simply measuring body mass index does not provide a good indicator of health. Size of waist circumference is a better measure of health. Even a small amount of fat carried in the abdominal region is unhealthy.

For many people losing tummy fat and getting a toned stomach is the most important goal of any fitness and weight loss regime. So today we shall look at ways to tone your stomach, sculpt your abs and burn off belly fat.

There are 3 elements to achieving a well toned and flat stomach:

• Diet – Diet is the most important factor. What we eat determines how much energy we have, how much fat we accumulate and how healthy we are. It also determines the speed at which you build muscle and helps to control hunger and speed up metabolism. Some people say that diet accounts for 80% of weight loss.
• Exercise – Exercise is also vital to weight loss and tummy toning. But alone it will not be enough, which is why diet is so important. Also, without exercise. diet will fail. Exercise burns fat and also increases metabolism as a result of building more muscle.
• Sleep – This is something that is so often overlooked. Sleep affects weight. Not only does lack of sleep lead to hormonal imbalance that affects appetite, it also leads to binge eating and inactivity which lower metabolism.

The Tummy Diet Plan

This is simple: Eat less and cut out sugar.

There really is little more to it than that. But, most people fail to understand what sugar is. Sugar is not just the white stuff that you have in a jar for coffee and tea. Sugar is present in all carbohydrates, and “healthy” vegetables and fruits are not immune to the presence of sugar.

Why do you need to eat less sugar?

Sugar is energy in its pure state. There is nothing useful other than the energy. As soon as we have consumed too much energy we start storing excess energy as FAT. So if your fitness instructor, dietician, weight loss plan etc. say that you cannot drink fruit juice or eat carrots, it is because this plan is getting you to reduce your sugar intake.

The reason for cutting out highly nutritious juices and some vegetables is because the diet plan will be getting you to consume more healthy protein sources and healthy fats which help to strengthen your body and suppress your appetite. If you follow the diet but then drink a fruit smoothie and add a few extra vegetables to your plate you will go over your daily calorie allowance, and you will not lose weight. So if you go on a diet, follow it to the T. No excuses.

Other common mistakes people make when “dieting” are drinking energy drinks or energy bars. These are great for professional athletes or extremely fit and strong people that are used to working out a lot. People that drink protein shakes are also keeping a close eye on the rest of their diet. If you are on a diet plan and it does not say “drink the protein shake that your friend is drinking in the gym” then do not drink one! Just because a friend or colleague says it will help you does not mean it will. It will only help you if you are doing everything else that they are doing.

So, diet rules are: Eat less food, cut out sugar. Drink water instead of everything else.

Cut Sugar and Saturated Fat

After exercising, the most important rule for losing belly fat is to stop eating junk food. Although, some nutritionists say that junk food can be eaten in moderation, it often leads to excess with little effort. Do not take the risk. From now on junk food in any form should not be allowed into your home.

So no more takeaways, no more double whoppers with cheese, no more cookies, sweets, candy, soda or other sugar laden snacks. It is also important to cut back on processed meats – so say no to hot dogs, sausages, salami and other forms of processed meat. These meats are high in saturated fats.

Eat The Right Carbohydrates

Not all carbs are equal. Refined flours and the foods that they create, such as white bread, pasta, donuts, cakes and biscuits should be avoided. They can cause bloatedness, poor digestion, and lead to accumulation of fat. “Good carbs”, such as fresh fruits and vegetables, should be eaten instead.

A diet that takes most of its carbs from fruits and vegetables, as opposed to flours, is healthier. Slow release carbs are also beneficial, such as oats, brown rice, some pulses and sweet potato. Ideally granary or wholemeal bread should be eaten instead of white bread, and biscuits and cakes should be avoided.

Consuming too much carbohydrate can bump up your insulin level, which can slow down your metabolism. Your body cannot metabolize too much carbohydrate at once because the body doesn’t need so much energy at once. The excess sugar will just turn into belly fat.

Much research has shown that adopting the Atkins Nutritional Approach, i.e. a high fat/protein diet, is the way ahead. Avoiding carbohydrates increases fat burning metabolism (lipolysis), which helps to reduce stomach fat.

Stop Binge Eating

Try not to binge on food in the evening. Often people eat out of boredom, frustration or stress. And when at home, binge eating is very easy to do. The main problem with binge eating in the evening is that there is not much activity done afterwards. Going to bed straight after eating causes high sugar levels in the blood stream and no energy is spent after that. As a result the excess sugar turns into fat. So, DO NOT BINGE!

Also, try to consume your last meal around 2-3 hours before your bedtime. If you are hungry during late nights, consume a small meal rather than binge.

Drink Less Alcohol

Decrease alcohol consumption, or better still, give up drinking altogether. There is a good reason why a beer belly is called a beer belly! There are two reasons to give up alcohol. Firstly, alcoholic drinks contain a lot of calories, especially those that are sweetened. Beer is stacked with carbohydrates and sugars. If you are in the habit of having a few drinks in the evening, these calories really add up, and the fat is generally accumulated around the waist. The other reason is a metabolic one. When you consume alcohol, your body stops burning fat and sugars while using the alcohol for energy. Alcohol is a source of energy. This means that if you spend an evening drinking, you will not be in a state off lipolysis (fat burning) or glucosis (sugar/carbohydrate burning) and any food eaten will be stored as fat. Only once all the alcohol has been utilised will you start to burn fat again.

Losing tummy fat and getting a flat stomach is a long term goal for most people, so persevere, stick to the plan and don’t give up. In addition to these tips, look to enhance your fitness training by following specific routines and schedules. Organising your weekly routine makes it much easier for you to follow your schedule. After a while it will become second nature for you to get out and exercise. If you do not have to think about what you are going to do, then that saves precious time. Keep a diary, write up your training goals and progress in an exercise log, and just do it!

The lose stomach fat you have to know who your enemies are. These are your tummy enemies:

• Sugar in all its forms
• Junk food of all types
• Processed foods
• Ready meals
• Soda
• High GI foods
• Fruit juice
• Health snacks

You may be surprised by the last two on the list. Any excess sugar we eat is converted into fat. Most people overestimate the amount of food they need each day by a long way. Fruit juices and healthy snacks a full of energy, energy that most people do not need.

Fruit juice contains a lot of fructose, which is the natural sugar in fruit. Although fruits are healthy, and a rich and varied diet is required to a healthy immune system and proper functioning of muscles and the nervous system, too much fruit juice will lead to accumulation of fat, or at least will slow down weight loss. If you are serious about losing weight then stop drinking juice. The only drinks you should have are water, tea and coffee, both without milk. (Elliott, 1992)

“Health snacks” are another problem when losing weight. They are only labelled “healthy” because they contain low salt or low fat levels. However, they are almost always energy dense foods made of grains. Although there is nothing unhealthy about them as such, they are so full of energy that eating a couple of health snacks a day will stop you from losing weight, and will not let you lose your tummy fat.

Healthy Eating Options

So to lose tummy fat you need to have real healthy food. This means eating food that is closer to nature. So fresh fruits and vegetables (raw), or lightly cooked vegetables (ideally steamed). Following a low GI diet is recommended as this lowers total sugar intake, and as we mentioned already, all sugar consumed is turned to fat, if it is not burnt off.

Some examples of healthy low GI foods you can eat are:

• Pulses – beans, peas etc.
• Apples – eat the skins
• Grapefruit – grapefruit juice is acceptable in moderation
• Plums
• Cherries
• Avocado – great with mozzarella and tomato in tricoli salads
• Courgettes
• Spinach – baby spinach can be eating raw in salads
• Peppers – high in vitamins
• Onions – one of natures wonders
• Mushrooms
• Leafy greens – eat in abundance in salads – rocket and watercress are great options
• Leeks
• Green beans
• Broad beans
• Brussels sprouts
• Mange-tout peas
• Broccoli – a superfood
• Cauliflowers
• Natural yoghurt
• Milk
• Peanuts

There are many other low and medium GI foods available. Educate yourself well on this topic and weight loss will become much easier.

Remember that lean meats and fish are all low GI (no sugar in fact) so are allowed. Remember to stick to healthy cuts of meat, limit fat. Fat is very energy dense, so only a little fat can quickly push you over your daily calories allowance.

Exercise For Flat Stomach

Why You need to get stronger and fitter

This is a vital part of weight loss. Exercise does several things:

• When you exercise you burn calories which helps you lose weight
• When you build muscles you increase your metabolism, which means you use energy quicker and burn more fat
• Exercise helps you feel good about yourself, your self esteem increases
• Exercise helps you sleep better which means you desire less comfort snacks and keep calories down

Benefits of Exercise

Exercise has many other benefits but these are the most important. And remember, you need to exercise and diet to lose weight, not just one.

As for the type of exercise you do, it does not actually matter that much. You do not need to do any stomach exercises to lose weight. Intensive cardio exercise like running, cycling and swimming with regular weight training exercises, like squats, lunges, bench press, rows and curls, will help you far more than any abdominal exercise. Exercise is about burning fat and building muscles. Ab exercises alone are not anywhere near enough. And if you think that exercising your abs help you lose your belly fat, then you are mistaken.

The most important change you must make if you wish to lose you belly fat and get a flat stomach is to start working out. But simply jogging a few miles twice a week, or playing some tennis at the weekend, will not shift stubborn belly fat. The best way to lose weight is a combination of intensive interval training and resistance training, ideally in the form of compound weight training.

You do not need to join a gym to start getting fit, as we can provide several home exercise routines, as well as weight training routines. However, for motivation and support, being a member of a gym can help.

One of the best ways to get some intensive interval training is in a martial arts class. Kickboxing, karate, judo, and kung-fu are all excellent choices. Also new popular methods include spinning, kick-boxercise as well as more traditional step aerobics. You need to be working in the fat burning zone, so invest in a heart rate monitor, and learn how to use it!

For weight training we recommend a beginners training workout, which is designed to burn fat and tone muscles for a lean and slender look.

You should aim to do two intensive weight training sessions and two intensive circuit training sessions each week. Always plan a good rest day at the weekend, plus have a day of “active rest”, which means moderate light activity, such as swimming or walking on the other day. Read our abs exercise tips to get you going, also learning how the celebrities get fit can give you inspiration, and we have workouts and diet tips from some of our favourite celebs to help you.

No Stomach Exercises to Burn Fat!

There are no “stomach exercises” as such that will flatten your stomach. The best way to exercise to get a flat stomach is to perform full body workouts and exercise the core also. So perform circuit training workouts with squats, lunges, star jumps, skipping, push ups, burpees, leg raises, back extensions and crunches too.

Weight training is an excellent way to tone and stay trim. Barbell squats, deadlifts, shoulder press, lateral pull down (or modified pull ups) dips, curls and bench press are all excellent exercises that work large muscle groups, burn fat, raise metabolism and tone muscles.

The core muscles for weight management and toning are really squats and lunges (work similar leg, bum and thigh muscles), lateral pull downs (works back and arms), push up . bench press (works chest) and curls (work biceps). These exercises will get you toned. Toned legs can make a huge difference to your over all body shape, and you will look good naked if you get toned!

If you do all this right then a flat stomach will come naturally in time. Getting a flat tummy is really all about eating well and exercising properly to burn off the fat and tone up the muscles. You do not need to perform exercises and amazing athletic skill, you just need to stick to the plan and work hard at it for as long as it takes.

You need to get more active in your daily routines

This is more than just doing regular exercise. Many of us become more and more sedentary as we grow older. It is important to just get more active in your every day life. I meet people who drive to the local shops instead of walk, even though they are only 10 minutes walk away, along a quite, rural path. I see people who drive their children to the local school even though it is only 5 minutes walk away. Usually they give an excuse like “it was a bit wet” or “I was going to the shops afterwards anyway“.

If this sounds like you then get out of these habits. Walk to the shops, walk your children to school, then walk back again before hopping in the car to go to the shops. Even if you have little need to get out of the house, do so. Go for a walk, wander around the shopping mall if need be, just get up off your feet and move.

Never give up, each day you will make a little progress in the right direction.

References

• “Fructose, weight gain, and the insulin resistance syndrome” by Sharon S Elliott, Nancy L Keim, Judith S Stern, Karen Teff and Peter J Havel. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Vol. 76, No. 5, 911-922, November 2002. Abstract: http://www.ajcn.org/content/76/5/911.short
• “A Critical Examination of the Evidence Relating High Fructose Corn Syrup and Weight Gain” by Richard A. Forshee, Maureen L. Storey, David B. Allison, Walter H. Glinsmann, Gayle L. Hein, David R. Lineback, Sanford A. Miller, Theresa A. Nicklas, Gary A. Weaver & John S. White. Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition. Volume 47, Issue 6, 2007. Abstract: http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/10408390600846457
• “Diet, nutrition and the prevention of excess weight gain and obesity” by BA Swinburn, I Caterson, JC Seidell and WPT James. Public Health Nutrition: 7(1A), 123–146
• “Food for Thought“by Antigone Kouris. Low GI News. Accessed Oct. 2011.
• “Circuit Training Workouts” MotleyHealth.com. Accessed Oct. 2011.

The easy option is often to resort to processed breakfast cereals or toast for breakfast or sandwiches for lunch. These food choices can play havok with blood sugar levels and result in weight gain.

The key to losing weight in the summer, like any time of the year, is to continue to eat a balanced diet but one which helps you to curb your appetite while still providing all the nutrients that you and your body need to continue to grow strong and function in a healthy way.

How Do We Lose Weight?

Just to recap, weight loss is guaranteed if you consume fewer calories than your body needs in any given day. If you are very active (going to the gym, running, swimming, walking everywhere) you may need around 2500 Calories a day. If you only only consume 1500 Calories a day for a week, and remain active every day without fail, then you will lose around 2 pounds (1 kg) of fat in that week. This is a caclulation based on human biology and it has been tested and found to be true in studies.

However, these facts seem to contradict the experiences of so many people, which is usually summed up with the words;

“I have tried every diet and none work, I always put the weight back on afterwards”.

If you cannot handle the truth then look away now! This is a typical excuse made by people who have never actually tried to lose weight hard enough. Yes, plans have been read and the first stage may have been followed, but very soon the diet plan and the exercise routines are ”modified” by the dieter, generally in the form of additional food (“because it is still healthy”) and less exercise (“because I felt that it was too much for my fitness level”).

To lose weight you really must cut those calories and do that exercise. It is not easy, but then that is precisely the reason why so many people struggle and why the NHS is overburdened with obese patients with diabetes, strokes and other obesity related illnesses.

So, you MUST cut the calories and eat a healthy diet, AND exercise on a regular basis, which means exercise at least 4 times a week, and ideally every day. Government guidance to maintain a healthy body may be to exercise 5 times a week for 30 minutes,  but if you need to lose weight then you need to do more than someone just maintaining a healthy weight.

The Summer Diet Plan

The summer diet plan is quite simple – just eat low GI fruits and vegetables which are in season, and ideally grown locally.

All high density calorie foods must be eliminated – so no bread, pasta, rice and especially no chocolate, sweets or sugar based drinks.

Buy fruits and vegetables and eat these every day. Replace bread, pasta and potatoes with freshly grown produce which will work your digestive system harder and help you to feel full for longer.

For protein chicken and eggs are still at the top of the list. In the summer make chicken and egg salads with plenty of healthy greens. Always steam or grill vegetables rather than boil or fry, as this retains their nutrients and flavour and does not result in such great losses in vitamins.

Salad really is the best summer meal though, especially when you ensure that it is always varied and fresh. With salads you can make something different every day – summer eating can be more varied and more interesting than cold weather food.

Smoothies are a good way to consume all your fruits in one go. They are packed with energy so be careful not to go overboard with smoothies, but certainly include them in your weekly meal plan.

Fruit can be eaten with any meal too and as a snack. For breakfast fresh fruit on its own is a real treat, or fruit salads, fruit with oats (home made muesli is a good option) and fruits for desserts.

The key is to eat a healthy diet without over consuming. Take a look at the calorie table on MotleyHealth.com to learn how many calories you need each day – but be honest with yourself regarding the level of activity that you do. If you are a very active 25 year old woman you will need around 2350 Calories on the days you are most active, although only 1900 Calories on days when you do not exercise at all. Learn more about the summer exercise plan here.

Summer is here and weight loss is possible. Just do not expect miracles in a short time – weight loss should take a long time to achieve as only by experiencing your own weight loss journey can you truly understand the difficulties that others go through.

The most important rule when losing weight for a special event is to start early. All too often people come to us in a panic as they are 2 weeks from a special day and need to lose an impossible amount of weight in that time.

If you have 20 pounds to lose then you should give yourself at least 10 weeks to lose that weight and then maintain the weight loss. Although faster weight loss is possible you will tend to rely on methods which are not sustainable in the long term. So keep it simple, make it regular and learn to be healthy.

The Diet Plan

One of the most successful dieting methods is a combination of low GI diet and lean proteins. Maintaining a balanced diet is vital when you are losing weight. Too little protein and your muscles will waste away, too little carbohydrate and you will starve your brain of energy and also prompt muscle wastage. Good diet and nutrition is vital for weight loss.

To learn the full details you can oder a low GI diet ebook which explains how the diet works and which foods work best. The basic idea it to cut out all low GI foods, which includes white bread, soft cooked pasta, white rice, cakes, biscuits, chocolate, candy and soda. You should also avoid all processed foods as these often contain large amounts of sugar, fat and salt and limited nutrients.

Some simple rules you should also follow are:

• Eat protein with each meal – protein helps manage appetite
• Eat at least 5 portions of fruit and vegetables every day
• Low GI vegetables should make up 75% of your carbohydrate intake
• Consume soup for lunch to help you feel fuller

The Exercise Plan

Now, exercise is a funny topic. There are so many ways to exercise, but in all honesty there is only one rule to follow – exercise often and exercise well.

By this we mean simply that to lose weight in a month, for instance, you need to ensure that you are maintain a calorie deficit every day of the week. If you only have a short time to lose weight then you really need to make every day count. We are providing 2 workout plans, one for people with access to a gym and one for those without.

The Gym Goers Workout Plan

For cardio the 2 best pieces of equipment in the gym are the cross trainer / elliptical and the rowing machine. Both work the whole body and both allow you to burn a lot of calories while utilising many muscles.

Each trip to the gym should first involve 30 minutes using one of these machines and ideally alternating with each gym visit.

This cardio session should then be followed by some weight training to help tone and strengthen muscles and also to encourage more muscle development. These weight training workouts will not be too intensive as the cardio beforehand will leave you feeling tired. In each workout perform one of these routines, ideally cycling through them:

Routine 1

Perform each website as 3 sets of 10 repetitions with about 30 seconds rest between each set and a couple of minutes rest between each set of exercises.

• Leg press
• Chest Press
• Lat Pull Downs
• Curls

Routine 2

• Leg extension
• Reverse leg curl
• Shoulder press
• Chest flyes
• Tricep kickbacks or tricep extensions (whichever you are most comfortable with)

These two routines will allow you to alternate them each day.

To start with keep the lights weight so that your muscles are not too fatigued, this allows you to do a daily workout.

The Home Workout Option

The home workout option follows a similar structure to the gym workout. For the cardio exercise you need to start running (or walking / jogging). If you do not feel comfortable running in your neighbourhood then find somewhere where you can go and jog or take a brisk walk.

The second part of the workout will be a bodyweight circuit that you can do at home. For each exercise aim to perform the number stated. If you really cannot perform them all at once then skip and come back to them. Cycle through this routine 3 times (do 3 circuits).

• 50 Squats
• 50 Jumping Jacks
• 20 Lunges (10 on each side)
• 20 Knee Ups
• 20 heel kicks (kick your heels up to touch your hand behind your bum)
• 10 Push ups (either full or do them on your knees)
• 20 squat thrusts
• 20 back extensions

This workout will be very hard for the fist week. Do as much as you can even if you have to pause for 30 seconds between each repetition. The jumping jacks are really a radio exercise, if you do not do the daily walk/jog then you should do more of these.

The squats and push ups are both very important exercises so really try to perform all the repetitions. Remember, this is your daily workout, so if it takes 45 minute to complete do not worry. No pain, no gain (or weight loss!).

Questions?

Make this year the year that you turn your life around and get that beach body back that you used to have!

How do you do it though? Simple, follow this basic level fitness and weight loss plan step by step to get you started on your weight loss journey!

1. Take control of your diet. Learn how to prepare healthy meals. Learn how many calories you need each day and learn what to eat and what not to eat!
2. Get more active in all parts of your life, not just with structured exercise. For example, walk more, carry shopping home, play with your children, walk around the shops more!
3. But, also do some structured exercise, ideally at least 3 times per week for 45 minutes. The more the better (within reason). Weight training is an excellent way to tone up and cardio burns fat, so do both.

There are not really going to be any new ways to get fit in 2011 so your New Year Resolution will be the same as every previous year. But this year make one simple change – stick to the plan, don’t give up.

Fitness and Weight Loss Review of 2011

This year there was a wide selection of research coming out on health and fitness. Possibly the most interesting was the research that concluded that it really does not matter what type of exercise you do if you wish to lose weight.

Research published in the Journal of the American Medical Association in 2003 (yes, 8 years ago) found that variations in exercise duration and intensity and little overall effect on how much weight was lost by women. What really mattered was just focussing on getting the exercise. Although this is old research now it only came to light recently in a discussion with other fitness professoinals and few people seem to be aware of it.

Many people are still advocating specific exercise plans for weight loss, with suggestions that jogging or slow swimming is not effective for weight loss. However, the truth is that any form of exercise can be very effective for weight loss so long as you stick to the plan.

Of course, it is still just as important that your diet is healthy, well balanced and reduced in calories. No amount of exercise will burn off all the fat of an excessive diet. Well, not strictly true as some professional athletes consume towards 10,000 Calories a day – but their warm-up are more intensive than the average gym goers entire workout!

Some other research, this time carried out by the Human Performance Laboratory at the Appalachian State University, showed that if you do 45 minutes of intensive exercise the afterburn effect lasts for 14 hours. This is interesting as the after-burn is a way to maximise weight loss.

If you change your fitness schedule so that you exercise twice a day you can ensure that your body is always burning calories at an elevated level. By exercising at 6am and again at 8pm you will ensure that you are always burning more calories – 24 hour after burn!

So if you take these two pieces of research you can learn that by working out twice a day for 30 minutes each time you will lose weight more rapidly than if you workout just once. One simple method to implement this is to go for a morning walk and then a do a fitness class in the evening.

However, the reality of the situation is that if during 2, or 3 if you also have a Friday night binge, days out of 7 you are overeating, you will gain weight. Or at best, you will fail to lose weight. So here we provide 10 quick weight loss tips to stop your weekend excesses going straight to your bums, tums and thighs!

1. If you are hungry in between meals at the weekend, eat a fruit snack. If you have children take the opportunity to encourage them to eat fruit too. Peel apples together and share. This makes eating fruit more fun for all the family.
2. Ensure that you have breakfast. You can often get away with a small or no breakfast in the week while working as you still do not get the chance to eat again until lunch time. At the weekend you are far more likely to snack on junk food mid morning if you miss breakfast.
3. Keep counting those calories and maintain high food quality. Many people say that counting calories does not work, but on a broad scale it does. Knowing how much you are eating each day is vital, as if you do not know how much you are eating, how can you alter your diet to make changes? To lose weight you need to ensure that each day you eat around 500 calories less than your daily needs.
4. Take your time. Eating slowly helps you to keep in touch with your feelings. People that eat slowly eat less because they are more aware of the transition from being hungry to being satisfied. Eat fast and you skip the satisfied stage and end up stuffed. This makes you fat.
5. Stay hydrated on healthy liquids. Remember that every drink except water has calories. So only drink water. Or black coffee and tea. Green tea has been shown to aid metabolism and weight loss.
6. Sleep well. Researchers have shown several times that getting your 8 hours of sleep a night helps you lose weight. Hormones and binging make tired people fat.
7. Don’t go crazy on the booze. Alcohol is a major cause of weight gain. If you want to lose weight, go easy on the booze.
8. Do some exercise. You should have more time to exercise at the weekend, so take this as an opportunity to get active. Remember, walking is great exercise, and walking around the shops all day is no less effective than walking on a treadmill!
9. Cook a 3 course meal. OK, be careful here, don’t go crazy. But instead learn to cook healthy meals with many different healthy ingredients. Keep the courses small and healthy. The weekend is a time that you should have the opportunity to cook something special.
10. Exercise with friends. Research has shown that women who exercise with friends lose more weight. So whether you want to go to the gym, do a keep fit class or go running, get together with some friends and exercise together. Your naturally competitive nature will mean that you work harder, but also have more fun in the process!

So there you go, 10 easy tips to help you lose weight and tone up. Of course, these weight loss tips are not really restricted to the weekend, you should try to follow as many of them as possible all week.

I did some more research and found several peer reviewed papers (scientific journals) that have concluded that oolong tea does aid weight loss. Specifically poluphenols in oolong tea help with breaking down dietary fat and help it pass through the system. Polyphenols simply help your body to excrete dietary fat rather than store it.

So this led me to then ask 2 more questions:

1. If oolong tea contains polyphenols, why do people sell expensive “green tea pills”?
2. What is the difference between oolong tea and green tea? As I have also heard that green tea aids weight loss, but the studies made it clear that green tea is not as effective as oolong tea.

Green Tea / Oolong Tea Pills

In short – they are pointless. Chinese people have been drinking tea for centuries and have reported the weight loss effect for many years. Nobody ever decided that taking tea in pill form would be better until commercial businesses started thinking up new ways to exploit people.

So, if you want to lose weight with oolong tea, buy a tin (loose leaf is tastier and better quality) and make tea. Drink around 4 cups a day.

Green Tea or Oolong Tea? What is the Difference?

Wuyi Green tea is one type of tea that people claim to aid weight loss. Wuyi tea is a specific type of green tea, and is actually oolong tea. So it does aid weight loss due to the polyphenols.

But be warned! Not all green teas are wuyi / oolong.Just because something says “Wuyi tea” or “green tea” on a label does not mean it is pure Wuyi tea. Many green teas contain less polyphenols, and often manufacturers blend teas which sees the richness of polyphenols reduced to the point that there is not enough to aid weight loss.

So, the key is to buy Oolong Tea or Wuyi Tea, and look for quality unblended teas. They are generally a little more, but it is worth it.

Any Health Risks of Drinking Green Tea?

If you drink too much green tea then there are some health risks that you must be aware of. These include, but are not limited to;

• Possible risk of birth defects
• Kidney damage

But, the biggest problems is with supplements / green tea pills. Researchers concluded that drinking 10 cups of green tea a day is totally fine. But taking pills that often contain 50 times more polyphenol as a single cup of tea does pose health risks.

Our advice is to buy some loose leaf oolong tea, brew it for about 5 minutes in boiled water and then drink it. Add nothing to it, a good tea needs no additional flavouring – certainly not sugar or milk!

Is it Green Oolong Tea worth it?

Our advice is simple – if you like oolong tea and can afford the good quality tea, then drink it, it will help a little. Especially if it means you drink it instead of lattes and other high calorie drinks.

If you do not like it though, don’t drink it. The increase in metabolism is not huge. It does aid weight loss, but so does running 2 miles or doing 20 minutes of circuit training. Plus you still have to eat a sensible low calorie diet. It is certainly not a miracle cure for weight problems.

• Weight loss requires a change in diet. Eat less, eat healthier.
• Weight loss requires exercise. Short intensive sessions are effective (scientifically proven fact).
• Weight loss requires more muscle. Do weight training at last once a week.
• Weight loss requires planning. This is where you can really utilise your strengths – get organised.

That should be enough for you to work on to lose weight and get fit. If you have 5 more minutes to spare, then lets elaborate a little.

Diet – Eat Less, Eat Healthier

If you limit yourself to around 1500 calories a day, and eat only fruits, vegetables, pulses, lean meat, fish and poultry then you will lose weight and remain healthy. Fill up on bread and you only succeed in consuming energy with no kick (by kick, we mean vitamins, nutrients, antioxidants and all that jazz).

Short Intensive Exercise

Some sports scientists believe that 10 minutes exercise is enough each day to help you lose weight and get fit. But that has to include 5 high intensity 30 second sprints where you go flat out. Imagine you are running 200m and there is a lion behind you – that is the sort of speed we are talking about.

Muscle – Weight Training for Women

• Muscle burns fat when it grows
• Muscle burns fat when it repairs
• Muscle burns fat when is sleeps

Nothing more to say on this. Pump some iron, reap the rewards.

Planning

Plan your training and your meals. Lack of planning leads to disaster. If you do not shop right you end up having to buy food on the go, and this is almost always junk food.

Do not plan your exercise and you risk missing or putting off sessions. Planning is vital to avoid mistakes.

For more fitness inspiration read the article Women Still On Top by Eleanor Oldroyd which discusses many of the great female athletes and sports stars who prove that women can be superfit and super successful.

Some women I know with a healthy sense of humor refer to it as “their wings” because their arm flab flaps when they walk or jog. It’s time to get rid of your wings ladies – and guys, listen up: You are not immune to arm flab. Even if your don’t have any, the tips I’m about to give will help you build stronger arms.

Before I go any further, I have to tell you about Marty Web. Marty looked like your typical 59-year-old housewife. Actually she looked a bit worse. She was a good 80 pounds over her ideal bodyweight. And she had her “chicken wings”. These were big time wings. Loads of arm flab.

That was at age 59. At age 61 it’s Different story. Marty transformed her body to such a degree that even I could have never guessed she was an OUNCE overweight!

Her story and 52 others just like her, male and female, are in my first book and my best-seller Fit Over 40. I’d like you to read more about it here: www.fitover40.com <— cure for arm flab

Marty replaced her “wings” with toned, beautiful arms. And you can too. She has two pages in Fit Over 40 too much to cover in an email, but here’s the basics to get you started:

1. You have to get your nutrition down pat.

Most people think that the flab on their arms (or anywhere for that matter) can be solved by “turning it into muscle.”

This is not true folks. Fat does not turn into “anything”. It is used for energy. Period. Muscle is muscle. Fat is fat.

You must use low-insulin nutrition like I recommend in all my books, including Fit Over 40, to lower your bodyfat. For ladies, the back-of-the-arm bodyfat is often the last bit to go. This type of diet is also a great way to lose belly fat.

But I promise, it will go. I can go for anyone. Marty Web and dozens of other ladies in Fit Over 40 prove that in living color, and they share how they did it.

Low-insulin nutrition means eating more protein-rich foods, foods that are not processed, and plenty of tasty veggies. But it does not mean you cannot have your pizza and burgers here and there. I do every week and my bodyfat is low.

2. You must train your triceps.

The back of the arm is made of three muscles called the “triceps”. You have a long head, a medial head and a lateral head that form the triceps muscle group.

If you cannot access a gym, you can do plain-old pushups to work all three heads of the triceps. Here’s a few tips. First, if you cannot do a pushup with your legs straight, start by doing them on your knees. Work up to straight-legged pushups.

Second, do one third of your reps with your hands facing away from your body, one third with your hands facing toward your body (fingers pointing toward you) and the final third with your hands in the “normal” pushup position, facing the same direction as your body. This will work the various heads nicely.

If you have access to a gym, see the exercises for the triceps found in my book Fit Over 40: say good-bye to arm flab

3. Finally, you have to have a role model.

Find someone like Marty who has lost their wings and use their success to inspire you.

Put these three things together and you too will be “grounded” — wingless, but with a lovely pair of arms that never jiggle and look fantastic.

She says on her Twitter page that she wants to lose an additional 30 pounds before she is at a happy weight.

So what does her diet involve?

Her product, the Organic Liaison diet, promotes eating a natural and organic meal plan. Basically this is another take on the “caveman diet” that only allows natural foods that would have been eaten in the days before agriculture.

So no processed foods, no junk food, no sugar, no baked goods, no breads or fizzy drinks. Allowed food is organic vegetables, organic fruit, organic lean meats and fish, lots of inorganic water.

It is great news that she lost weight, but a bit of a shame that we do not know the full details. All information on her weight suggests that it was all done on her own Organic Liaison diet solution, but this may not be the case.

Motivation to Lose Weight

She is marketing her own weight loss product now, so she has a massive incentive for losing more weight. In a way this is the best lesson learnt here. She has proved that if you are motivated and have clear attainable goals then you can lose weight.

It is never too late to lose weight and no matter how many times you have failed in the past, you can still succeed this time. You just need to be focussed and have a good reason to lose weight.

For many people staying fit and healthy to raise a family is a good enough reason. The best reasons to lose weight are to feel good, to be happier and live a fuller and more rewarding life. And to be here for as long as possible to support loved ones.