6 Myths About Fast Weight Loss

The “weigh” he was Camp America commandant loses more than 50 pounds with help from friends Army Sgt. 1st Class Danny Carreras, Sgt. 1st Class Guillermo Santiago and Master Sgt. Orlando Negron of Headquarters and Headquarters Company of 525th Military Police Battalion, walk as part of a daily exercise routine to promote health and lose weight. – JTF Guantanamo photo by Army Spc. David McLean (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Is there really a best way to lose weight fast? You may have wanted to start a diet many times in the past, only to shy away from it because of some of the things you've heard or the self-doubt you have to succeed. Try not to fall victim to the myriad of diet myths circulating around online. The best way to lose weight fast is with a healthy balance of proper eating (most of the time) and exercise.

There are many myths about how to lose weight fast, and we'll dispel 6 of the most common ones below.

1. Starve Yourself.

The number one myth people think is the best way to lose weight fast is by eliminating as many calories as possible from your diet or by starving yourself. This is an extremely unhealthy way to go about it because your body goes into starvation mode, shutting down as much weight loss as possible. Some people only want to know how to lose weight fast because they have an outfit they want to fit into for a special occasion coming up next week. Don't wait until the last minute to start a diet.

2. Only Eat Certain Foods All The Time.

Another myth about losing weight fast is the one that tells us to only eat a specific type of food every single day. Diet fads like grapefruit, pepper-laden water, and even hot dog diets are just a few of the very unusual rapid weight loss ideas in recent times. Following a dangerous fad diet means your body is not getting the essential nutritional requirements it needs to protect against illnesses and remain healthy.

3. You Must Always Stick With Your Diet.

You may have also heard that the best way to lose weight fast is to never stray from your diet. If you do, you'll need to exercise for hours to make up for it. This isn't true. It's okay to have that fudge brownie once in awhile. You only need to adjust your calorie intake for the day. There's really no need to exercise for hours just to compensate for one little treat.

4. You Can't Eat Before You Go To Bed.

One myth you may hear is the one that says you can't eat before you go to bed, because you'll get fat in your sleep. This one isn't true because the best way to lose weight fast is to eat healthy and watch your caloric intake for the day. Having a light snack before bed isn't going to make a big difference unless it's a 7-course meal or a full gallon of ice cream.

5. You Cannot Eat Between Meals.

How about the myth that says you can't eat anything between meals if you want to lose weight quickly? It's better that you do eat snacks. Eat smaller meals throughout the day to keep your hunger satisfied. By eliminating snacks between meals, you're only going to make yourself hungrier at meal times, which causes you to eat a lot more than you really need just to satisfy your hunger.

6. Don't Eat Diary Products.

There's yet another myth that says you should not eat any dairy products because they are too fattening. Dairy products have nutrients that your body needs, so you should have some dairy. Some research shows that those who eat dairy products have greater weight loss success! Just make sure you control how much you eat and choose the low-fat varieties.

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Slimming Muffin Top Exercises

Broadly speaking, a muffin top is fat that forms around the belly area and spills over the waistband. Such overhanging flesh does not look good especially when a person wears tight fitting clothes or garments that do not cover the waistline, for example, low-rise jeans and cropped tops. Are there good muffin top exercises to get rid of this back fat? You bet there is.

How Does A Muffin Top Happen?

Although anyone can develop a muffin top, women are more likely to develop fat around the belly area compared to men, according to an article on WebMD, and this usually happens when women are undergoing menopause because estrogen levels fall leading to redistribution of body fat from the hips and thighs to the abdominal area. Additionally, you may also develop a muffin top if you have a sweet tooth for foods that contain saturated fats. A study carried out by researchers at Uppsala University found that people who eat foods rich in saturated fats tend to develop fat around the waist, but this is not the case for people who eat foods that contain polyunsaturated fats.

Other hormones responsible for the development of muffin top include leptin and cortisol. For instance, a report published by Huffington Post states that stress and worrying too much could cause cortisol (produced by the adrenal cortex) levels to rise. Although this in itself is not a bad thing, belly fat cells usually contain up to four times more cortisol receptors compared to other cells in the body. This means that whenever your body's cortisol levels rise, the likelihood of developing muffin top increases as well. 

Finally, high insulin levels usually cause visceral fat to accumulate around the waist. In addition, high insulin levels prevent fat-releasing hormones like glucagon from working properly. This is according to the same report published by Huffington Post.

Why You Should Never Believe The Spot Reduction Myth

Targeted fat loss or "spot reduction" is a popular idea that has been around for decades, according to Yale Scientific (a Yale University science publication). Proponents of spot reduction believe it is possible to lose fat around certain body areas by exercising those parts alone. On the other hand, the opponents of this idea believe that it is nothing more than a myth. 

Researchers and scientists have carried out studies to determine whether targeted fat loss works. For example, researchers at the University of Connecticut monitored 104 people who exercised their non-dominant arms for one week. At the start and end of this study period, the researchers used an MRI scanner to assess levels of subcutaneous fat in the arms of all participants. The results showed that fat loss in the arms that were involved in resistance training as well as arms that did not undergo training was more or less the same.

Another study carried out by researchers at the University of Copenhagen found that blood flow and breakdown of fat cells in the legs of people who performed single-leg extensions did not show significant differences.

According to Yale Scientific, spot reduction does not work because exercises that target specific body parts rarely burn many calories. In addition, body fat is usually in a form called triglycerides. The problem with triglycerides is muscles cannot use them directly as fuel. The body has to break them down into free fatty acids and glycerol in order to use them as fuel. Moreover, since triglycerides occur throughout the body, exercises that target specific parts of the body are unlikely to get rid of a muffin top.

Muffin Top Exercises That Will Help You Lose Body Fat and Eventually Muffin Top

Kickboxing

Kickboxing is a great muffin top buster because it combines various cross body movements like sidekicks. This is in addition to high-intensity moves like side-to-side jumps as well as twists. If you have never participated in a kickboxing event, hire a professional to put you through the paces. A report published by Yale Scientific states that high-intensity exercises such as kickboxing are effective because of an effect called after-burn, which is an increase in the resting metabolic rate for up to 24-hours after exercise. 

Squats and Squat Jumps

Stand on a level surface with your feet hip-width apart. Extend your arms in front and then lower your body down as if you are sitting down into a chair. Remember to have your arms on your sides as you rise up.

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Reese Rider is a health researcher and author who specializes in researching methods of losing weight naturally through a healthy lifestyle. He's written numerous articles about losing body fat, belly fat, back fat, healthy eating, healthy exercise, including muffin top exercises and more. Learn more by going to http://howtolosebackfat.org/.

Getting Fit After 40

If you are like me, I turned 40 and my metabolism stopped. I mean it screeched to a halt. I was no longer able to lose 5 pounds in a week by just eating salads and gone were the days where I could just run a few times a week. With kids and a job, exercise is tougher to fit in. On top of that, my 40's brought with them a series of injuries that I am trying to work around. I soon figured out that I had to work smarter, not harder to meet my fitness goals. 

It's obvious to anyone over 40 and 50, staying fit isn't as easy as it used to be. At middle age, it seems that our bodies have priorities other than building bigger muscles and looking like a 20-year old. Don't even get me started talking about the demands of our day-to-day lives that leave little time for exercise. Regardless of age, fitness is always important to our health. However, it's extremely important to maintain a fitness program during middle age. A healthy active routine can help prevent or substantially slow down a number of health concerns that seemingly crop up suddenly as we enter middle age, including: Bad cholesterol levels, stroke, hypertension, colon and breast cancer, muscle and joint aches, type 2 diabetes, depression, heart disease and bone loss. It can also help slow down the aging process and the decrease of strength and energy. Not to mention the tendency for weight gain as our metabolism slows down.

I was surprised to learn that after 40, you don't need a lot of exercise to achieve these goals. In 2008, the Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans, published by the U.S. DHHS, adults can gain substantial health benefits with 2.5 hours (150 minutes) moderate aerobic activity per week. That's just 21 minutes each day of the week or 50 minutes of activity 3 days a week.Or, just 1.25 hours (75 minutes) of vigorous aerobic activity per week. That's just 10 minutes each day of the week or just 25 minutes 3 days a week. Physical activity should be at least 10 minutes at a time.

For those of us who are working, it still sounds like a substantial commitment. But to maintain my health (both physical and mental), it is no longer a luxury that I get to do in my spare time. I have to be smarter about committing to the exercise and then executing it during the week or weekend. 

I don't care who you are. If you are a mom who has kids, make sure you take time to fit in exercise. It benefits not only you, but those beautiful children of yours!

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We all want to stay fit but here is the deal, it is harder once you turn 40. For some great diet tips, check out The Truth About Fat Burning Foods: http://killerreviewz.com/the-truth-about-fat-burning-foods-what-you-need-to-know/ or if you have a toddler, check out Talking To Toddlers: http://killerreviewz.com/talking-to-toddlers-what-you-need-to-know/