How to Lose Stomach Fat for Firm Abs

If you wish to lose weight and slim your belly, 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, although intensive on the stomach, will not alone 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 of 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 amout of fat carried in the abdominal region is unhealthy. We have broken the process of losing belly fat down into five simple rules: First Rule of Weight Loss: Get Fit 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 and 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, kung-fu - they 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, one of the celebrity workouts will be ideal. We recommended either following a workout similar to Matt Damon or Daniel Craig, if you wish to build some awesome muscles, or for a leaner look, follow the Brad Pitt workout. All of these focus on compound weight training exercises which are designed to burn fat and build muscle. If these do not tickle your fancy we have a growing selection of advice and articles to help you get fit here at Motley Health. 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 golf, 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. Second Rule of Weight Loss - Sugar, Saturated Fat and Belly Fat After exercising, the most important rule for losing belly fat is to stop eating junk food, period. Some nutritionists say that junk food can be eaten in moderation, however, moderation 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. Also it is important to cut back on processed meats - so say no to hot dogs, sausages, chips, salami and and other form of processed meat. These meats are high in saturated fats. Third Rule of Weight Loss - 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 bloating, 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. 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. Slow release carbs are also beneficial, such as oats, brown rice, some pulses and sweet potato. Much research has shown that adopting the Atkins Nutritional Approach, i.e. a high fat/protein diet, is the way ahead. Avoiding carbs increases fat burning metabolism (lipolysis) which helps to reduce stomach fat. Third Rule of Weight Loss - Binge Eating Try not to binge in the evening. Often people eat out of boredom, frustration or stress. And when at home, binging is very easy to do. The main problem with binging in the evening is that there is not much activity done afterwards. You go to bed afterwards, so causes high sugar levels in the blood stream and no energy spent after that. The excess sugar turns into fat. So, DO NOT BINGE!. Also, try to consume you last meal around 2-3 hours before your bedtime. If you are hungry during late nights, consume a small meal rather than binge. Fifth Rule of Weight Loss - Drink Less Alcohol, or Go On The Wagon 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 belly fat and getting a flat stomach is a long term goal for most people, so persevere, stick to te plan, 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 easiey for you to follow. After a while it will become second nature to get out and exercise. If you do not have to think about what you are going to do, then that saves precious time. To keep a diary, write up your training goals and progress in an exercise log, and just do it!

Yogalates - Another Fitness Fad, Or the Best of Both Systems?

Terms such as yogalates often seem to be a typical fitness con / fad designed to make a quick buck from poorly advised people looking to lose weight. At first, I thought that the term yogalates was a complete joke. To start with, many of the exercises in Pilates are taking directly from various schools Yoga. Yoga is essentially a form of stationary exercises and stretches aim at improving balance, strength and flexibility. Pilates was developed to help hospitalised patients to build strength while still bed-bound. So what does Yogalates have to offer, which traditional yoga, or Pilates, classes cannot? All it actually does is strip down both yoga and Pilates to their core exercises, which work the abdomen, and upper body. The easiest way to learn is from a yogalates instructor, although they are hard to find. A good alternative, especially if you have had some yoga or Pilates experience, is to learn from a video. The Yogalates DVD shows how to harness the health benefits of Yoga and Pilates. Yogalates for Weight Loss is the ultimate low-impact workout for those wanting to slim down, tone up and lose weight safely. It not only targets the tummy and upper body, sculpting the arms and toning the abs, but also targets the lower body, tightening the buttocks, shaping the legs and aiding all over toning. Follow this award-winning programme at least three times a week, and you'll see a noticeable difference within a month. For even faster results, a 15 minute 'Instant Abs' routine is included for an intensive abdominal workout. Of course, what Yoga plan would be complete without a guided body relaxation to help you unwind? Alternatively the book Yogalates: the breakthrough workout that combines the best of yoga and pilates, by Louise Solomon, is described as a brilliant combination of the gentle stretch of yoga and the core-building strength of Pilates. Yogalates is quite simply the perfect East meets West fitness answer for just about everyone. Everything a beginner needs to know is shown in dozens of color photographs, from body basics and breathing essentials to six complete, easy-to-follow workout plans. This total toning program will kick start the abs; work the waist, shoulders, and arms; tighten the butt and thighs; and train every muscle. There's even a resistance series and dynamic stretching. In-depth information explains how to control the breath; find the proper alignment; master the principles of movement and coordination; build endurance and prevent injury; and activate the core muscles. Each series of exercises is laid out clearly, simply, and logically, and taken together they absolutely transform any body into something beautiful. There's no better way to reach your ultimate goal. So Yogalates really is a good combination of the schools of Yoga and Pilates. It takes the best exercises and teaching from each school to create a workout that is more intense and aims to provide quicker results. You can learn more about yoga, pilates and yogalates at MotleyHealth.com. J.P.Wade runs MotleyHealth.com, a health and fitness community, http://www.motleyhealth.com/ Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jon_Wade