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Why you should worry about excess belly fat

January 3, 2010 By 2 Comments

Happy New Year All!

I hope you enjoyed the holiday season and got to spend some time with family and friends, relaxing, enjoying yourself…maybe eating a bit too much?  Yep, me too.   Now is the time to get back to your pre-Christmas weight, or maybe even lighter.

I’ve talked about the dangers of excess belly fat before, but I recently saw the article copied below written by Mike Geary, a personal trainer and nutritionist who specialises in loss of abdominal fat.  It is certainly worth reading.  Enjoy.

To your health,

Kimberly

The Hidden Dangers of Your Excess Abdominal Fat – It’s More Serious Than a Vanity Issue!

by Mike Geary, Certified Nutrition Specialist, Certified Personal Trainer

Did you know that the vast majority of people in this day and age have excess abdominal fat? The first thing that most people think of is that their extra abdominal fat is simply ugly, is covering up their abs from being visible, and makes them self conscious about showing off their body.

However, what most people don’t realize is that excess abdominal fat in particular, is not only ugly, but is also a dangerous risk factor to your health. Scientific research has clearly demonstrated that although it is unhealthy in general to have excess body fat throughout your body, it is also particularly dangerous to have excess abdominal fat.

There are two types of fat that you have in your abdominal area. The first type that covers up your abs from being visible is called subcutaneous fat and lies directly beneath the skin and on top of the abdominal muscles.

The second type of fat that you have in your abdominal area is called visceral fat, and that lies deeper in the abdomen beneath your muscle and surrounding your organs. Visceral fat also plays a role in giving certain men that “beer belly” appearance where their abdomen protrudes excessively but at the same time, also feels sort of hard if you push on it.

Both subcutaneous fat and visceral fat in the abdominal area are serious health risk factors, but science has shown that having excessive visceral fat is even more dangerous than subcutaneous fat. Both of them greatly increase your risk of developing heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, stroke, sleep apnea, various forms of cancer, and other degenerative diseases.

Part of the reason visceral fat is particularly dangerous is that it apparently releases more inflammatory molecules into your body on a consistent basis.

If you care about the quality of your life and your loved ones, reducing your abdominal fat should be one of your TOP priorities! There’s just no way around it. Besides, a side-effect of finally getting rid of all of that excessive ugly abdominal fat is that your stomach will flatten out, and if you lose enough stomach fat, you will be able to visibly see those sexy six pack abs that everyone wants.

So what gets rid of extra abdominal fat? Is there actually a REAL solution beyond all of the gimmicks and hype that you see in ads and on commercials for “miracle” fat loss products?

The first thing you must understand is that there is absolutely NO quick fix solution. There are no pills or supplements of any sort that will help you lose your abdominal fat faster. Also, none of the gimmicky ab rockers, rollers, or ab belts will help get rid of abdominal fat either. You can’t spot reduce your stomach fat by using any of these worthless contraptions. It simply doesn’t work that way.

The ONLY solution to consistently lose your abdominal fat and keep it off for good is to combine a sound nutritious diet full of unprocessed natural foods with a properly designed strategic exercise program that stimulates the necessary hormonal and metabolic response within your body. Both your food intake as well as your training program are important if you are to get this right.

I’ve actually even seen a particular study that divided thousands of participants into a diet-only group and an exercise/diet group. While both groups in this study made good progress, the diet-only group lost significantly LESS abdominal fat than the diet & exercise combined group. Now the important thing to realize is that just any old exercise program will not necessarily do the trick. The majority of people that attempt getting into a good exercise routine are NOT working out effectively enough to really stimulate the loss of stubborn abdominal fat. I see this everyday at the gym.

Most people will do your typical boring ineffective cardio routines, throw in a little outdated body-part style weight training, and pump away with some crunches and side bends, and think that they are doing something useful for reducing their abdominal fat. Then they become frustrated after weeks or months of no results and wonder where they went wrong.

Well, the good news is that I’ve spent over a decade researching this topic, analyzing the science, and applying it “in the trenches” with myself as well as thousands of my clients from all over the world to see what works to really stimulate abdominal fat loss.

The entire solution… all of the nutritional strategies, as well as training sequences, exercise combinations, and more have all been compiled in my Truth About Six Pack Abs Program.

Keep in mind that the point of this whole program is NOT abdominal exercises (that is only a very small portion of it). The main point of this program is showing you the absolute most effective strategies for losing your stubborn abdominal fat, so you can get rid of that dangerous health risk, as well as get a flatter more defined midsection.

If you follow the guidelines, you WILL lose your belly fat that has been plaguing you for years. This is not guesswork… it is a proven system that works time and time again for all of my clients on every corner of the globe that actually apply the information I teach. If you apply it, the results will come. It’s really that simple.

The only reason most people fail in their fitness goals is that they have good intentions at first to adopt a new lifestyle, yet after a few weeks or months, they abandon their good intentions and slip right back into their old bad habits that gave them the excess body fat in the first place.

I want to help you succeed in finally getting rid of that extra abdominal fat that is not only UGLY, but also DANGEROUS.

Don’t waste another day allowing that nasty abdominal fat to kill your confidence as well as contribute to your risk for MAJOR diseases.

Get the solution to rid yourself for life of this problem at…

http://www.truthaboutabs.com/

Train hard, eat right, and enjoy life!

Mike Geary
Certified Nutrition Specialist
Certified Personal Trainer
Author – The Truth about Six Pack Abs

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How to avoid gaining weight on a cruise

November 10, 2009 By 2 Comments

Hi everyone,

I just got back from a fabulous Royal Caribbean cruise that left from Fort Lauderdale, FL and traveled to the islands of Grand Cayman and Cozumel.  The weather was warm, the beaches were beautiful, and the food was delicious…all of it…that you could access almost 24 hours a day.  Yikes.

This wasn’t my first cruise, but the last time I was on one I was much younger, so probably didn’t have the same interest in food that I do now.   I once heard someone say that when you go on a cruise you get on as a passenger and leave as cargo.  Now I understand why!   Honestly, there are three main meals a day, plus snacking options at all other hours of the day.  We had a “snack bar” by the pool which was open all afternoon.  Really healthy things like pizza, hamburgers, hot dogs, and fries were served!  And then there was usually some kind of midnight buffet if you wanted to partake.

Needless to say, I’m sure there are people on board who eat thousands of calories every day.  And they might drink an equal amount of calories with the endless sodas and fruity cocktails.  For anyone who is tempted by endless eating and drinking, a cruise is a dangerous place.

However, there is always a way to still enjoy the fabulous foods and not put on weight.

Exercise

Firstly, there are endless options for exercise.  Most ships have gyms and fitness classes you can attend for free.  Most ships also have sports facilities, whether that is a rock climbing wall, a basketball court, or a running track around one of the decks on board.  And finally, you can always swim in the pool or at any beaches you go to at your various ports.  Make use of all of these things!  This is an opportunity to be more physically active than you normally are at home.  You have no excuse to sit at your computer all day.  You are on vacation after all.

Food

Next, with all the food choices, it it hard not to want to try them all.  If you go to the main seatings for meals (i.e. where a waiter serves you), it is easier to control your portions.  Try to choose something with vegetables in it, to ensure you’re getting nutrients.  You can still enjoy something yummy with that, but vegetables do fill you up and give you energy.

If you choose the buffet meals, this is where you really need to watch your portions.   My first word of advice is to have a big plate of salad before digging into anything else.  And try to put some nutritious things on your salad, rather than just iceberg lettuce and dressing.  If they offer spinach leaves, or cabbage, use that.  Add seeds, broccoli, beans, tomatoes, etc.  These will provide essential fatty acids, fiber, protein, and vitamins and minerals.  Finally, use an oil based dressing, which provides healthy fats.  All of these toppings will make the salad even more filling.  Once you’ve finished that, see what else you have an appetite for.

I definitely don’t want you to miss out on some of the really interesting and delicious foods available, but try to be sensible.

I must also mention that there are always desserts around!  Cakes, cookies, ice cream, you name it.  Again, try to be sensible.  If you really feel like something have it.  If you don’t feel like it, skip it.

Fun

My final comment on food and cruising is:  if you have a splurge day, don’t beat yourself up.  By feeling bad about it,  you’ll probably just do it again.  Enjoy yourself, but don’t go overboard (no pun intended.)

To your health,

Kimberly

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Why to Focus on Losing that Extra Belly Fat

October 22, 2009 By Leave a Comment

These days, many people are overweight or even obese.  In the US, it has actually gotten more common to be overweight than to be of a normal weight.  Scary!   With such a widespread epidemic of weight gain, I think more people are getting complacent about doing something about the weight gain.  In other words, because so many people are overweight, we feel like it is “ok” or that it’s just the way it is and it’s too hard to do something about it.

If you need a reason to take that first step in losing weight (other than just feeling better about yourself!), then here are a few:

A) First and foremost, excess fat around your middle area has a direct link with the top illnesses: heart disease, diabetes, and cancer.   By getting rid of the extra inches on the waistline, you decrease your chances of being affected by these common life threatening conditions.

B) Being overweight has a negative impact on your psychological well-being.  If you have been overweight for awhile, you might not even realise it, but every additional pound that you put on takes a bit of your self-confidemce.

C) To enjoy life!  Many people are more likely to get out and enjoy things if they are a normal weight.  Being able to run around with your children is easier.  Putting on a bathing suit to enjoy the swimming pool or beach is certainly less traumatizing!  And even just  being able to walk comfortably makes visiting new places a better experience.

You can start today.  Look out for the upcoming free guide to easy weight loss.

To your health,

Kimberly

Filed Under: Wellness Tagged With: , ,

The Eat Right for Your Type Diet: Peter D’Adamo

October 5, 2009 By Leave a Comment

Oh, the diet plan choices – they can be overwhelming!  One of the plans to choose from has to do with your blood type.

Peter D’Adamo has devised a diet plan which is based on your blood type. He is convinced that what you need as far as diet goes is dictated by what’s inside your veins. This is how his plan works.

The book entitled ‘Eat Right 4 Your Type’ tells us that the various blood types need different kinds of nutrition and by changing what you eat to fit in with these requirements you will be able to lose weight and get into tip top shape.

Detailed below are the four blood type groups, according to D’Adamo.

Blood Type A: People with this blood type have a sensitive digestive system.  They are advised to have more vegetables than other groups as well as eating fish of some kind on a daily basis. However, dairy produce should only be eaten in moderation and red meats should be avoided wherever possible. People with Type A blood should partake light exercise only.

Blood Type B: With such a strong immune system you can eat red meat and dairy products. Fruit, vegetables and fish consumption is okay too, but chicken should be steered well clear of.

Blood Type AB: Due to the fact that your immune system is relatively strong, you can happily combine the foods of Types A and B above.

Blood Type O:  Lots of protein and only a few carbs and dairy products are ideal for what you need. People with Blood Type O tend to be lactose intolerant.  You love exercise so go for it and make it as energetic as you like!

The diet details how the blood inside your body accounts for what goes on within.  The foods you like and dislike, the allergies you may suffer from and the foods best for you to lose weight are determined by your type of blood.

The book shows which foods should be consumed by the dieter depending on their blood group and close attention needs to be paid to everything they eat and drink when following the diet. It is strict and certain foods are forbidden. Preparing foods to set recipes may be found to be a little time consuming for those people who are constantly on the go.

Exercise is recommended depending on your Blood Type but unless you are a Group O Type, you can expect exercise to be light. The taking of vitamin supplements is encouraged along with eating particular kinds of foods.

As of yet there is no scientific proof that people using the Blood Type Diet lose weight because of their genetics as opposed to adopting a healthier eating plan. Let’s face it, we all know that making healthy choices about food and eating a well balanced diet will provide our bodies with the necessary nutrients to make natural repairs and boost our immune system. This can only lead to a longer, happier and healthier life.

What do I think about this?  Well, as I have had tremendous improvements in my well-being by identifying and eliminating my food intolerances through a blood test, I certainly believe that your blood can give you insight into what is good for you.  However, I do think this blood type diet is more strict than necessary.  Going through a period of eliminating certain foods can do your body good (such as a short-term detoxification diet), but after that point I think it is okay to reintroduce those foods but just on a less frequent basis.

With that said, any diet that encourages lots of vegetable and other natural food consumption, as well as some degree of exercise, gets at least one gold star in my book.  Those two principles form a good foundation for a healthy life.

To your health,

Kimberly

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Great reminders for weight loss

February 15, 2009 By Leave a Comment

I recently watched Paul McKenna’s new program called “I Can Make You Thin.”  I was really curious to see what he had to say as I know he has been very successful in helping people kick other bad habits such as excessive drinking and smoking.

I only watched the first episode of the series but it was interesting.  Paul McKenna laid out what he calls his “Golden Rules” of weight loss.  They are:

1. When you’re hungry, eat.
2. Eat what you want, not what you think you should have
3. Eat Consciously; enjoy every bite
4. When you think you’re full, stop eating.

They are so simple, yet fantastic for everyone!  If you are already thin or content at your current weight, these are great reminders.  Or if you are overweight and sick of being that way, these are great rules to live by…not diet by, but live by.  You can easily follow these rules throughout your whole life, rather than living by other rules (e.g. low fat foods) temporarily just to lose some weight.

To expand on these, Paul McKenna gave some other tips and examples.  For rule 2 he actually gave the audience and viewers permission to go to their cupboards at home and throw away the foods that they don’t actually like (but eat because they think it is healthy to do so) and then go shop for the foods they love.  Sound crazy?  At first, yes.  But, coupled with rule 3, it works.

For rule 3, he said to focus on what you are eating by putting your silverware down between each bite.  Enjoy each bite of the food you love.  Who knows, you might even decide that after really tasting your “favorite” foods, you actually crave something else.

Finally, for rule 4, the show did an experiment where people were blindfolded and told to stop eating when they felt full.  All of these people ended up eating less than they did when not being blindfolded.  It makes sense!

Why not give it a try?  It sounds like a very simple plan to follow.  No crazy recipes, shakes, pills, or other fancy things to learn.  Just eat normal , follow the rules, and see how it goes.

I’d love to hear about your experience.

Here’s to your health!

Kimberly

Filed Under: Diet Tagged With: , ,
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