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.

So, how do we lose weight and lose belly fat by following the 3 rules above?

1. You need to change your diet

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.

2. 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.

3. 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

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.

So if you are serious about losing weight and losing that belly fat then follow these simple rules. If you want a more detailed weight loss plan then we recommend that you take a look at the MCD Weight Loss Plan that has been developed by MotleyHealth.com. Alternatively try one of the many other weight loss programs that are available online.

Lose Weight with Healthy Eating

Although there are many ways to lose weight, from cabbage soup diets and detox fasts to intensive cardio training and military boot camps, the basic rules remain the same. Weight loss is not rocket science. You do not need a personal nutritionist to create your menu or a fitness instructor to take you through the moves (although it can help). In fact, a study published by Foxnews.com a few years ago showed that the only weight loss program with proven results was the weight watchers program. All the others could not guarantee success. So forget those fad diets and get fit quick schemes, and focus on losing weight the right way – slowly, carefully, with exercise and healthy eating. Here are our simple tips for losing weight. Here are some top tips from MotleyHealth.com – Learn How to Lose Weight and Get Fit.

1. Reduce the size of your portions

No matter whether you are healthy or have a medical conditional, you can only ever put on weight as a result of overeating. Apart from a few very rare conditions, which make maintaining a balanced diet very difficult to achieve, weight loss results from curbing your appetite. One tip is to reduce the size of your serving plate. Simply by eating from a 10 inch plate instead of a 12 inch plate, subjects under test conditions, eat 22% less food in a sitting.

2. Count your calories

As energy in minus energy out equals surplus energy leading to fat, counting calories (energy in food) allows you to balance what you are eating against energy used. Women on average only require 2000 calories a day, men average 2500. If you are very active you will require more, but for most people this guideline works well.

3. Eat a balanced diet

Eating more protein for breakfast helps us to feel fuller for longer, meaning less mid-morning snacks. Also, lunch portions can be reduced if a healthy breakfast is eaten. Avoid traditional cooked breakfasts of sausage, bacon and fried eggs though, as this can result in too much salt and saturated fat. Drink milk, eat cereals with milk, oatmeal, yoghurt and poached or scrambled eggs. The old rule of eating breakfast like a King, lunch like a Prince and supper like a pauper still applies.

4. Eat more dairy and calcium

Dairy actually helps the body to eliminate fat more easily, as shown by research by the NationalDairyCouncil.org: “We conclude that dairy-rich diets markedly augment weight loss by targeting the fat compartment during energy restriction.”

5. Exercise more

Not only does exercise burn more energy, but also you continue to burn extra calories for 24 hours after exercising. Also, each time you exercise, you get fitter, which means that you can exercise more the next time. The fitter you are, the more energy and fat you can burn off during exercise.

6. Be more active

As well as exercising at set times, get more active generally. Take the stairs instead of the elevator, walk more when you can, leave the car at home, get off the bus sooner. Find fun activities to do with the family, play in the park, go skiing, swim etc. Just be more active in your day to day life.

It is essential to make every effort to lose weight and get fit. Visceral fat, the fat that surrounds the internal organs, is the most dangerous form of fat. It leads to various diseases, including heart disease, as well as cancers and other internal diseases. So many people say that they have tried everything to lose weight. Almost all of them are living in denial. About 80% of people asked to keep a food diary actually lie in their journal, omitting snacks, chocolate, calories laden drinks. The key to losing weight is to be truthful to yourself, do it for you and your family, stick to the plan, never give up. Consider weight loss a battle that you must win. Fight for your life, do not let lethargy, greed and obesity kill you.

Source: MotleyHealth.com – Learn How to Lose Weight and Get Fit

How to Get a Beach Fit Body

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 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.

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, 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.

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. 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.

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 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.

Third Rule of Weight Loss – 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.

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 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. At first keep a diary, write up your training goals and progress in an exercise log, and just do it!

We feel it is best to start simple, so suggest a regime that includes some running, circuit training, and aerobics.

Aerobics does not only refer to aerobic exercise classes, but all forms of exercise which increase heart rate and respiration to the extent that the heart and lungs are working much harder than usual.

This leads to improvements in the heart and lung’s health and also general strengthening and toning of muscles.

Chair Exercise for Tums & Bums

Circuit training is an excellent way to improve fitness and strength, as it is traditionally a set of aerobic and strength training exercises that are carried out at stations around a gym, sports hall or in a martial arts class. Circuit training has many forms, and can be done with just calisthenics routines or using free weights and machines. Circuit training classes often incorporate exercises from different schools such as yoga and pilates as well as classic exercises such as press ups, skipping and sprinting. Interval training can also be done as a form of circuit training.

Pilates, also know as the Pilates Method, has become increasing popular in the last decade as the popularity of health clubs has increased. The exercises are taken from various schools, especially yoga and various hybrids have been developed, such as “yogalates”.

Martial arts are a great way to get fit and healthy. There are many styles to choose from and many clubs provide a great social environment in which to exercise. Martial arts can provide both physical training and exercise as well as mental training, as many of the forms and sparring, help to develop an alert mind. Many classes also provide a healthy form of discipline, which can aid children’s social development.

Swimming is an excellent form of exercise. The human body is very well adapted to water as our density is very similar to that of water. This means that when swimming the body is supported in the water placing less stress on bones and joints. Swimming is a good way for people to recover from an injury too, or to keep fit during pregnancy. Aqua-aerobics is a popular form of exercise done in water, which mimics swimming motions in shallow water.

Bodybuilding involves building muscle purely for aesthetic purposes. A bodybuilders training routine differs from that of athletes, as they need to increase muscle size and definition rather than core strength. Fat loss is essential to maintain perfectly formed muscles. Bodybuilding requires very strict diet.

Running is probably one of the simplest forms of exercise that can be done. No equipment is required and subscriptions to gyms are not needed – just get some good shoes and run.

We will be covering all of these different exercises as we slowly build this site (remember, it is new!)