An end to middle-aged belly fat?

Scientists discover how to target the cells which give us a flabby middle

• Older adults have a harder time losing belly fat than younger people 
• Yale University researchers have found that belly fat is linked to inflammation
• Drugs that target this inflammation could be used to help elderly people burn fat, which will lessen their chances of developing fatal diseases
• More than 35% of US adults are overweight, and government efforts are struggling to control the obesity epidemic

Relentless belly fat that plagues middle-age and elderly adults could be caused by inflammation, a new study has found.

The report's researchers concluded that drugs that target this inflammation could spike their metabolism and help them burn more fat, which decreases their risk of chronic illnesses.

High amounts of body fat can lead to fatal diseases such as diabetes and heart disease, and it can cause strokes.

Experts are hopeful that the new analysis provides a way to lessen the effects of the obesity epidemic in America, where more than 35 percent of adults are overweight.

A new study from Yale University has found that belly fat is linked to inflammation. The research suggests that by targeting this inflammation with medicines, older adults could shed pounds around their waistline more efficiently.

Research has shown that older adults have higher amounts of body fat, regardless of their weight.

But being active does not help them shed the fat around their waistline as easily as younger adults. This is because their bodies cannot burn energy found in their fat cells as efficiently.

This cycle leads to an accumulation of belly fat and, until know, the reason that fat cells were unresponsive when older people worked out was unknown.

But researchers at Yale University, led by Professor Vishwa Deep Dixit, discovered that the culprit is inflammation.  

THE DANGERS OF AMERICA'S OBESITY PROBLEM 

As the number of obese people in the US continues to rise, experts are warning of the dangers of being overweight. Obesity can lead to heart disease, strokes, some types of cancer, and diabetes.

The CDC has provided these tips to help you control your weight and avoid fatal ailments:

• Use tools such as BMI calculators and waist circumference measurements to make sure you are staying in a healthy weight range
• Track your calorie intake so you are more aware of how much you are consuming
• Look up the nutritional value of foods you are considering eating
• Try to implement the minimum amount of physical activity you should be getting into your schedule
• Choose healthy recipes over ones that call for foods that are harmful to your body

For the study they focused on specialized cells known as macrophages, which are typically involved in controlling infections. They discovered a new type of macrophage that resides on the nerves in belly fat, which becomes inflamed with age. These inflamed cells do not allow signals to be sent to fat cells telling them to burn their stored energy.

The team's discovery could lead to new treatments, such as drugs targeting inflammation, to help the elderly get a flatter stomach. Future research on the topic will look at immune cells and their interaction with nerves, and how this relationship controls health and disease.

Study author Christina Camell said: 'The purpose of our research is to achieve greater understanding of immune cell interactions with nerves and fat cells to potentially reduce belly fat, enhance metabolism and improve performance in the elderly.'

Researchers at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center and the University of Bonn in Germany also worked on the new report.

The research was funded by grants from the National Institutes of Health, the Glenn Foundation for Medical Research and the Cure Alzheimer's Fund.

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10 Unbelievable Diet Rules Backed by Science

Get ready to question everything you've been told about diet rules and conventional weight-loss strategies

 

When describing how you really feel about the latest miracle fix in the diet and fitness world, you'd probably like to drop an F-bomb—as in, what the fad? After all, how many times have you trusted logical sounding ideas, put all your faith in a diet strategy, only to find out that the time you invested was a waste—and you still haven’t dropped the weight?
Consider this your F-bomb free zone. No fads, no faking, and no frustration. You see, when you really dig into the research, most of what you assume is correct about dieting is actually wrong. Discover the real diet rules for weight loss here and the only f-words coming out of your mouth will be “Finally. Fat loss!”

Skip Breakfast for Weight Loss If You Want

One of the diet rules for weight loss that we've heard more than any other: A healthy diet begins with a great breakfast. There's just one problem: A good breakfast doesn’t guarantee an overall healthy diet. In fact, according to a survey conducted by the NPD group, nearly 90 percent of Americans now eat breakfast, and yet nearly 50 percent of Americans are either overweight or obese. There are two things you should know about breakfast:

1. Timing isn't as important as you think. You don’t need to eat immediately (or even within one hour) after you wake up. Your metabolism won’t be harmed.

2. Eating an early breakfast means you’re creating a bigger eating window (you eat for more total hours during the day), which might lead to more fat storage and more health problems, according to scientists at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies. If you eat your first meal at 7 a.m. and eat a late-night snack at 10 p.m., that’s 15 hours of eating—which might be more than your body wants.

The fad-free truth: No one meal is more important than any other. What matters most is total calorie intake, food selection (think salad versus Big Mac), and then how much time you spend eating each day. So if you don’t love breakfast, skip it. If you do, enjoy your morning meal but keep an eye on your feeding window to make sure you’re not eating more calories than you need.

It's Okay to Eat a Big Dinner

We all know that dinner is the most popular meal to eat with friends and family, but most people think eating after dark is the cardinal sin of weight loss. Nothing could be more incorrect. Italian researchers compared eating earlier in the day (10 a.m.) to eating later in the day (6 p.m.) In that study, there was no difference in weight (pounds) lost, but the late eaters lost more fat. Several follow-up studies concluded the same thing—timing doesn’t matter. This statement from University of Oregon researchers sums it up well: “Eating too many calories causes weight gain regardless of when you eat them.”

The fad-free truth: Living in a world where you can’t eat at night and can’t enjoy food with your friends and family is restrictive and doesn’t adhere to any science-backed rules of weight loss. You won’t become fat by eating at night—that will only happen if you overeat at night. If you’re aware of how much you should be eating within any given day, you can place those calories in whatever meal works best for your body.

Snacking Does Not Affect Metabolism

We know that when you eat, you burn calories. So about 30 years ago, one of the newest diet rules was that if you eat more frequently, you must burn more calories overall. Thus the “grazing” method was formed and a nation of people began consuming four to six small meals per day. One small problem: French researchers found that there is “no evidence of improved weight loss” by eating more frequently. They even went one step further to show that when it comes to the number of calories you burn per day (i.e. your metabolism), it does not matter if you graze or gorge, assuming that you’re eating the total number of calories you need to lose weight.

The fad-free truth: If you’re told to eat 2,000 calories per day, it doesn’t matter if it’s separated into five 400-calorie meals or two 1000-calorie feasts. (However, the composition of those meals does matter—that's the science of dieting.) What works best for your schedule should determine the number of meals you eat. When Canadian researchers compared eating three meals per day to six meals per day, breaking the six into three main meals and three snacks, there was no significant difference in weight loss, but those who ate three meals were more satisfied and felt less hunger.

Eat Carbs to Get Lean

From Atkins to the Paleo movement, carbohydrates have been criticized more than all of the ladies on the Real Housewives shows—combined. Here’s the real reason why carbs get such a bad reputation: Up to 50 percent of the carbohydrate intake in the typical American diet is in the form of highly processed carbs and sugar. So when people say carbs are bad, they’re usually just talking about eating lots of sugar. But that’s not really fair to every other food that also is labeled a carbohydrate.
When compared to a typical American diet, a low-carb diet looks like the undisputed champ. However, when compared to a good carb-based diet that is low in sugar, refined foods, and gluten (like the “Japanese Diet”), the results are very different. Before 1991, when Japan was considered a carb-dominate society, diabetes and obesity rates were never greater than three percent of the population. If carbs in general were the enemy, with their high starch intake via rice and sweet potatoes, the Japanese would be the fattest, most diabetic and unhealthy population on the planet. However this was not the case, and their levels of obesity are a “problem” people in the United States wish they had.

The fad-free truth: Ignore the outdated "carbs are evil" diet rules. Your body needs carbohydrates. If you completely remove this essential nutrient from your diet, you could experience a down-regulation of the hormones that control fat loss, making it harder to have the lean, sexy body you want. A good general rule: Eat more carbs on the days you’re active and fewer carbs on the days you’re sedentary. And make sure most of your carbs come from whole foods such as fruits and vegetables.

There is a Weight-Loss Pill Worth Buying

Most miracle “fat-burning supplements” are about as effective as an hour of Prancercizing. But if you want to take a pill to help promote fat loss, your best bet is a vitamin that you associate with the sun. Researchers from Canada found that people with higher levels of vitamin D also have lower levels of body fat. The connection isn't a coincidence. Vitamin D helps you feel fuller because, according to Australian researchers, it releases more leptin, a hormone essential to weight loss. It also helps you store less fat by decreasing parathyroid hormone, which makes you hold on to your love handles. Best of all, vitamin D literally burns more fat by reducing production of the stress hormone cortisol.

The fad-free truth: Buying supplements to help you lose weight is not the best use of your hard-earned money. The most important things for weight loss are a healthy diet and exercise, but some supplements can help fill nutritional gaps that will help your body function more efficiently. Supplementing with 2,000 to 3,000 IU of Vitamin D3 is a smart investment for your overall health and fat-loss goals.

Exercise On an Empty Stomach

If you exercise with a high intensity, there’s nothing worse than feeling sick to your stomach because you felt forced to eat before you hit the gym or pavement. There’s a lot of science that shows eating before a workout is important, but “before a workout” is a much wider time range than you might think.
In the simplest sense, your digestive process is very complicated. When you eat, the food does not go directly to your muscles or your gut. It takes time—a lot of time, in fact. So if you eat many hours before you train, there’s still plenty of fuel to help you perform and feel great.

The fad-free truth: Research published in the International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism found that the protein you eat digests anywhere between one gram per hour and 10 grams per hour. So if you have a meal consisting of 25 grams of protein, that meal could last in your system for up to 25 hours. Hydration level and sleep patterns also play a significant role in performance, so make sure you’re well rested and have plenty to drink, and then eat when it feels best for your body, even if it means a small meal or no meal at all.

Eat Saturated Fat for a Healthy Diet

Books like The China Study and movies like Forks Over Knives have pointed the finger at saturated fats—and all animal fats—as the reason for countless health problems. Yet all the research used to support this hypothesis took a very slanted bias and completely ignored populations that were incredibly healthy despite diets based on saturated fats. For example, people who live in Tokelau (a territory off of New Zealand) eat a diet that is 50 percent saturated fats, and they have cardiovascular health that is superior to any other group of people. Even Walter Willett, chairman of the Department of Nutrition at Harvard, has publicly stated (after a 20-year review of research) that fats—and more specifically saturated fats—are not the cause of the obesity crisis and are not the cause of heart disease. (Surprise! New research found that the sugar industry was behind the idea that fat causes cardiovascular problems.)

The fad-free truth: Cholesterol actually acts as an antioxidant against dangerous free radicals within the blood. When there are high levels of undesirable substances in the blood (caused by inflammation in your arteries from eating highly processed foods and large quantities of sugars), cholesterol levels rise in order to combat these substances. Cholesterol is also necessary for the production of a number of hormones, some of which help fight against heart disease. Plus, research shows diets higher in saturated fats are often lower in total calories consumed.

Consider Fasting for Weight Loss

Any diet that has you not eat at all is not a diet—it’s starvation. But there’s a difference between withholding what your body needs and reprogramming your body so that you can control your hunger and let your body recharge. The idea of fasting is nothing crazy. You do it every night when you sleep, which is a time that that is essential for optimal health. Yet the idea of going several hours without eating during daytime is frowned upon.
When done correctly, fasting can actually help your body burn fat, recharge, and stay healthy. You’ve probably heard of cleanse diets that supposedly rid your body of toxins, improve the functioning of your internal organs, and help you age better. Most of these don’t work as advertised. The only real cleanse occurs at the cellular level. It’s called autophagy, and it’s your body’s ability to regenerate and become better. Autophagy makes your brain function a little better, helps with fat loss, and even assists in your ability to walk and breathe. But the more time you spend eating—as in actual hours during the day eating—the less time you spend in the autophagic process, which is why fasting isn’t a bad thing.

The fad-free truth: Researchers at the University of Utah found that people who fasted just one day per month were 40 percent less likely to suffer from clogged arteries. While there are many ways to fast, the important point is that you shouldn’t feel forced to eat if you’re not hungry. Short daily fasts (for 12 to 16 hours) or a once-per-week daily fast can have health benefits, and it will teach you to separate boredom or thirst from genuine hunger.

Going Organic Won't Help with Weight Loss

I love my local farmer’s market, and I always do my best to purchase products from the best sources. That said, slapping “organic” on a label does not mean it will help you lose weight, and in some instances, it won’t even guarantee that a food is healthy. Research published in the Annal of Internal Medicine reviewed 200 studies that compared the health benefits of organic foods to conventional foods and the results were surprising: There were no clearly distinguishable benefits of eating organic foods, whether measured by preventing disease or an assessment of overall health. Specific to weight loss, a random comparison of organic to non-organic foods found no significant difference in nutritional information, including calories.

The fad-free truth: More research on organic foods needs to be conducted. There’s no doubt organic foods have fewer pesticides and toxins, the real question is if the sometimes-small difference in toxins makes any scientifically significant difference on your health. More importantly, labeling a food as organic does not mean its weight-loss friendly. Organic sources of sugar are still sugar. And organic products loaded with 1,000 calories are still 1,000 calories. If you want to reduce the potential of anything bad entering your body, feel free to purchase organic products but still keep an eye on the label.

There's No Such Thing as "Too Much Protein"

You may have heard that eating lots of protein can cause all sorts of health problems, including kidney stones and gallstones, but this is a moot point for most people. Why? Because there’s no research showing any relationship between eating a lot of protein and developing kidney problems. In fact, a study published in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research tested eating up to 400 grams of protein per day without any negative consequences.
If you have a pre-existing kidney problem, it’s possible that a higher protein diet could be hard on your body. But if you have a kidney problem, you should be talking to your doctor about your diet anyway.

The fad-free truth: If you’re healthy, you are clear to eat protein and not worry about any health problems—because there are none. What’s more, protein is one of the most metabolic macronutrients, meaning that the more protein you eat, the more calories you burn. Just remember the science of dieting: that calories are still calories so the rules of total intake still apply.

10 Ways to Lose Weight Without Dieting

Simple changes to your lifestyle can help you lose weight and keep it off.

Sure, you can lose weight quickly. There are plenty of fad diets that work to shed pounds rapidly -- while leaving you feeling hungry and deprived. But what good is losing weight only to regain it? To keep pounds off permanently, it's best to lose weight slowly. And many experts say you can do that without going on a "diet." Instead, the key is making simple tweaks to your lifestyle.

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One pound of fat -- is equal to 3,500 calories. By shaving 500 calories a day through dietary and exercise modifications, you can lose about a pound a week. If you only need to maintain your current weight, shaving 100 calories a day is enough to avoid the extra 1-2 pounds most adults gain each year.

Adopt one or more of these simple, painless strategies to help lose weight without going on a "diet":

Eat Breakfast Every Day. One habit that's common to many people who have lost weight and kept it off is eating breakfast every day. "Many people think skipping breakfast is a great way to cut calories, but they usually end up eating more throughout the day, says Elizabeth Ward, MS, RD, author of The Pocket Idiot's Guide to the New Food Pyramids. "Studies show people who eat breakfast have lower BMIs than breakfast-skippers and perform better, whether at school or in the boardroom." Try a bowl of whole-grain cereal topped with fruit and low-fat dairy for a quick and nutritious start to your day.
 

Close the Kitchen at Night. Establish a time when you will stop eating so you won't give in to the late-night munchies or mindless snacking while watching television. "Have a cup of tea, suck on a piece of hard candy or enjoy a small bowl of light ice cream or frozen yogurt if you want something sweet after dinner, but then brush your teeth so you will be less likely to eat or drink anything else," suggests Elaine Magee, MPH, RD, WebMD's "Recipe Doctor" and the author of Comfort Food Makeovers.

 

Choose Liquid Calories Wisely. Sweetened drinks pile on the calories, but don't reduce hunger like solid foods do. Satisfy your thirst with water, sparkling water with citrus, skim or low-fat milk, or small portions of 100% fruit juice. Try a glass of nutritious and low-calorie vegetable juice to hold you over if you get hungry between meals. Be careful of alcohol calories, which add up quickly. If you tend to drink a glass or two of wine or a cocktail on most days, limiting alcohol to the weekends can be a huge calorie saver.

 

Eat More Produce. Eating lots of low-calorie, high-volume fruits and vegetables crowds out other foods that are higher in fat and calories. Move the meat off the center of your plate and pile on the vegetables. Or try starting lunch or dinner with a vegetable salad or bowl of broth-based soup, suggests Barbara Rolls, PhD, author of The Volumetrics Eating Plan. The U.S. government's 2005 Dietary Guidelines suggest that adults get 7-13 cups of produce daily. Ward says that's not really so difficult: "Stock your kitchen with plenty of fruits and vegetables and at every meal and snack, include a few servings," she says. "Your diet will be enriched with vitamins, minerals, phytonutrients, fiber, and if you fill up on super-nutritious produce, you won't be reaching for the cookie jar."

 

Go for the Grain. By substituting whole grains for refined grains like white bread, cakes, cookies, and pretzels, you add much-needed fiber and will fill up faster so you're more likely to eat a reasonable portion. Choose whole-wheat breads and pastas, brown rice, bran flakes, popcorn, and whole-rye crackers.

 

Control Your Environments. Another simple strategy to help cut calories is to control your environment -- everything from stocking your kitchen with lots of healthy options to choosing the right restaurants. That means avoiding the temptation by staying away from all-you-can-eat restaurants. And when it comes to parties, "eat a healthy snack before so you won't be starving, and be selective when you fill your plate at the buffet," suggests Ward. Before going back for more food, wait at least 15 minutes and have a big glass of water.

 

Trim Portions. If you did nothing else but reduce your portions by 10%-20%, you would lose weight. Most of the portions served both in restaurants and at home are bigger than you need. Pull out the measuring cups to get a handle on your usual portion sizes, and work on paring them down. Get instant portion control by using small bowls, plates, and cups, says Brian Wansink, PhD, author of Mindless Eating. You won't feel deprived because the food will look plentiful on dainty dishware.

 

Add More Steps. Get yourself a pedometer and gradually add more steps until you reach 10,000 per day. Throughout the day, do whatever you can to be more active -- pace while you talk on the phone, take the dog out for an extra walk, and march in place during television commercials. Having a pedometer serves as a constant motivator and reminder.

 

Have Protein at Every Meal and Snack. Adding a source of lean or low-fat protein to each meal and snack will help keep you feeling full longer so you're less likely to overeat. Try low-fat yogurt, small portion of nuts, peanut butter, eggs, beans, or lean meats. Experts also recommend eating small, frequent meals and snacks (every 3-4 hours), to keep your blood sugar levels steady and to avoid overindulging.

 

Switch to Lighter Alternatives. Whenever you can, use the low-fat versions of salad dressings, mayonnaise, dairy products, and other products. "You can trim calories effortlessly if you use low-fat and lighter products, and if the product is mixed in with other ingredients, no one will ever notice," says Magee. More smart substitutions: Use salsa or hummus as a dip; spread sandwiches with mustard instead of mayo; eat plain roasted sweet potatoes instead of loaded white potatoes; use skim milk instead of cream in your coffee; hold the cheese on sandwiches; and use a little vinaigrette on your salad instead of piling on the creamy dressing.

The 6 Things I Do Every Sunday to Stay Healthy All Week

My Sundays are definitely not a day of rest. Far from it. It's the one day I devote to getting everything ready for my healthy week ahead. Take a glimpse into my Sunday. It may sounds a little nuts to jam-pack this much on a weekend day, but it sets me up for success. I know that if I don't plan ahead, I'm looking at skipped workouts and bowls of cereal for dinner.

Morning Workout

An early morning workout is a must for me on Sundays, not only because I teach a 9 a.m. Power Vinyasa class, but even if I didn't, I'd still make it a priority to get in a workout first thing. It energises me all day, ensures I don't skip out, and gets me into the working-out mindset I want to continue throughout the week.

Meal Planning

I used to head to the supermarket with a big list of healthy foods. I found that not only would I grab things that never got used (RIP bunches of asparagus), but since I had no set plan, every day was a little stressful trying to scramble healthy meals together. Oftentimes I'd get home from picking up the kids at 5 p.m. and just make pasta and a bag of frozen veggies because it was easiest.

Now I take time to plan out my meals. Breakfast is simple — just a protein and greens smoothie or overnight oats. Lunch is a big salad, and I do something basic but healthy for each dinner of the week.

Here's an example of my weekly dinner plan:
Sunday: Potato Leek and White Bean Soup
Monday: Quinoa and Black Beans With Green Beans and Broccoli
Tuesday: Tofu, Veggie, and Rice (or Farro) Stir-Fry
Wednesday: Maple-Cumin Lentils Over Spaghetti Squash
Thursday: Avocado Pasta With Edamame, Tomatoes, and Roasted Cauliflower
Friday: Black Bean, Corn, and Roasted Sweet Potato Burritos
Saturday: Homemade Pizza With Roasted Mushrooms, Red Peppers, Tomatoes, Basil, and Tofu
I even write it out on a big chalkboard that I keep in my kitchen, so I can quickly glance at it in the morning and know what I need to do to get dinner done later.

Supermarket Shop

Once I know what I'm making, I hit up the local supermarket. I bring the kiddos along so we can not only spend time together, but so I can also teach them about healthy eating. I find if they help choose what to throw in the cart, they're more likely to eat it.

Meal Prep

Once I get home and put the groceries away, it's quite a scene in my kitchen with cutting board, knives, tons of glass containers, and veggies laid across my counter. I make 10 salads for the week (want the hubs to eat healthy too!); cut up sweet potatoes, cauliflower, broccoli, and red peppers for roasting; and cut up onions and other veggies for the stir-fry, as well as white potatoes (for that evening's soup). I also cook up one cup of quinoa and one cup of rice to use for dinners later that week. Getting done whatever I can on Sunday makes a huge difference at 5 p.m. when I need to make dinner for my famished family. If I have time, I'll also prep overnight oats for the week or freezer smoothie packs.

Gym Bag Ready

Aside from regular laundry, I make a point to wash all the workout clothes I'll need for the week: sports bras, tops, running and yoga bottoms, and socks. If I'm really on the ball, I'll fold and put these things in my drawers so I can easily grab them for early a.m. workouts.

Workout Schedule

Workouts don't just happen for me since I work and have a family and house to take care of. I have to set aside time, and since my schedule can be different from week to week, it helps to look ahead and jot down on my calendar workout "appointments." It's typically a run with some TRX and yoga from 6 to 7 a.m. Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays, then a longer run with my mummy-runner friends on Saturday morning, and yoga Sunday mornings. If it's written in ink on the calendar, it's more likely to happen.

Healthy Ways to Unwind this Weekend

Undo the office, recharge, and refresh this weekend

So you've spent the week sitting at your desk, avoiding the office gossip, eating lunch from the restaurant around the corner, staying up late to finish a project, and feeling stressed about your upcoming performance review. Come Friday afternoon, you might feel exhausted, hunched-over, and full of aches and pains. And that's before happy hour drinks
.
It's true that the office environment can wreak havoc on your health, but it's nothing that a weekend full of restorative unplugging and recharging can't help. Here's your answer to a long week:

Cook for Yourself

People who cook for themselves live longer and lose more weight. But during the week, it's difficult to resist the convenience and pleasant diversion of the sandwich shop down the street. So make Saturday and Sunday lunches (and breakfasts and dinners) all about homemade fare. Your waistline and your timeline will be improved!

Turn Off Screens

Screens: They've taken over your life. Between your office computer, home laptop, smartphone, iPad, and TV, you're hooked up to something glossy and hi-res pretty much 24-7.
But all that flooding email and visual information can add to your stress. And studies show that even though these incredible machines help us complete more than would otherwise be possible, we actually overestimate our own multitasking abilities.

Get Some Sun

No, florescent light isn't a good source of Vitamin D. While it's essential to protect yourself from cancer-causing UVA and UVB rays by wearing sunscreen, letting the sun shine on your skin is good for your body and your mind: the hormone vitamin D is synthesized from sunlight and helps with everything from weight management to immune function.

Forgive Your Co-Workers

A 2011 study revealed that having a poor relationship with coworkers could actually shave years off of your life. So this weekend, do yourself a favor and work to forgive the shameless gossip, the lurker, and the guy who noisily eats chips in the cubicle next to yours.

Know Your Sleep Schedule

Ever heard of social jet lag? That's what happens when you keep drastically different hours during the week and weekend, and it can have a permanent effect on your sleeping ability. While it's great to ensure you get a full seven to eight hours on the weekends, it's best not to completely disorient your sleep clock by staying up until the wee hours and then sleeping until noon.

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10 Tips for a Healthier Weekend

For many people the weekends can often mean a break from your usual diet and fitness routine. It’s definitely much easier during a busy work week to stay on schedule, exercise, and eat healthy; then when the weekend comes to let it all go. But, don’t let one weekend ruin your goals and your whole week of great habits! Be aware of where you will be tempted to indulge, and plan around it.

A few key things to remember:

Go into the weekend with a healthy mindset: Go into the weekend thinking you are going to stay on track, you’re more likely to actually stick with your plan that way!

Plan ahead: Go over your weekend plans and think about them in advance. Don’t go STARVING to that party! If you’re going away, do a little food prepping of healthy snacks to bring with you. And if you know you have dinner reservations, check out the menu online and decide on your healthy options that you know you’ll be satisfied with!

Treat yourself occasionally throughout the week: If you never let yourself having anything you want, you may end up eating it ALL when you let yourself (for many, that’s the weekend). So, have that treat, that glass of wine, or that piece of dark chocolate mid-week, and don’t feel guilty about it! It’ll pay off in the end.

Be realistic: It’s the weekend! Enjoy yourself. Have that glass of wine and the meal out with friends that you’ve been craving, but be smart, watch your portions and limit your drinks (you definitely don’t need to reach for that bread basket)! Moderation is key.

Splurge in a healthy way: “What a long week, I totally deserve a splurge!” Indeed. You may feel like you need a bit of a splurge, and by all means, go for it! But make your splurge healthy. How about treating yourself to a massage rather than that box of cookies? Or some air-popped pop corn over a bag of chips.

Don’t let one set back keep you from moving forward: So, you indulge a little too much one weekend, does that mean your whole plan goes out the window come Monday? No! Pick up where you left off. Detox your body with tons of water, and get past it!

Beginner’s Fat Loss Plan: Healthy Eating

 1. Drink more water.
This is certainly one of the easiest steps you can take for fat loss. Water not only hydrates the body, it also fills your stomach, so you’re less likely to munch on processed snacks, like chips, crackers, or sweets. Aim to drink eight 8-ounce glasses each day.

2. Clean up your kitchen and pantry.
Slimmer bodies begin in the kitchen. Clear your fridge and pantry of processed snack foods, which tend to be high in calories and fat. Even packaged diet foods can contain artificial sweeteners that have a negative impact on the metabolism. Instead eat two healthy snacks every day.

3. Reduce or eliminate processed meals.
It seems easy to rely on boxed, bagged, or prepared meal mixes when you’re busy, but these foods are a prime reason so many Americans are overweight. Support fat loss by adding more whole or minimally processed foods to your menu. For example, a fresh apple is better for your hips than a container of processed applesauce. SkinnyMs. offers hundreds of clean eating recipes.

Beginner’s Fat Loss Plan: Regular Exercise

1. Schedule workouts into your calendar—every week.
Think of regular workouts as an investment in yourself. And, because you’re investing in yourself, it’s essential to commit to those exercise times. Incorporate 2.5 to 3 hours of moderate to high intensity exercise into your schedule each week for maximum fat loss.

2. Find workouts that appeal to you.
Let’s face it—it’s hard for anyone, at any fitness level, to stick to a workout routine they don’t enjoy. Boost your likelihood of fat loss success by finding workouts you like to do. For some women, that may be running; others may prefer weight training at a gym; still other women might like working out at home better.
You may need to try a few different kinds of workouts to get a feel for what you like. Get started with these beginner workouts:


3. Set doable goals.
If you’re working to lose a large amount of weight, it can be tough to see the finish line. Instead of focusing on a goal that seems far away, set smaller, reachable goals that let you see progress and celebrate your fat loss victories. For example, set a goal to shed one to two pounds per week.

4. Stay focused on what’s motivating your transformation.
When you’re in the center of life’s whirlwind, it can be easy to forget why you’re making the effort to exercise or eat healthy. Remind yourself of your motivation in a way that works for you. For example, you might create a vision board filled with all the activities you want to do when you weigh less, whether that’s chasing your kids without losing your breath or hiking a mountain with a partner or good friend.

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