Being active and eating right are essential for losing weight successfully but there are also other simple things a person can do to make the job easier.
Losing weight successfully involves a lifestyle change. Getting on a diet that can’t be followed for the rest of one’s life is not only not going to do anything to change lifestyle, but because most diets fail, it wastes time that could be better used doing things that work.

There are hundreds of simple and easy things a person can do that add to weight loss success and that work at changing a person’s lifestyle to one that is fat burning.

Ten Easy Gems For a Fat-Burning Lifestyle

1. Make gradual changes – People who use a gradual approach to making weight and lifestyle changes tend to be more successful at making the changes permanent. Rapid weight loss as well as taking steps that are too big with other behaviors can set a person up for failure by making them feel overwhelmed.
2. Keep the big picture in mind - People who aim at making lifetime changes instead of just going on a “diet” have been shown to keep the weight off more permanently. Striving for a healthy way of life rather than just to lose weight insures consistent, progressive, fat-burning changes.
3. Don’t fall for unrealistic diet plans and aids – There are plenty of “diets” to choose from. Wise people learn to bypass those that promise things that are impossible or improbable. “Diets” that have quirky names and advertise large amounts of weight loss in short periods of time are the type of diets that are best passed up.
4. Make lifestyle changes a priority - People who consider their weight loss and exercise goals important and make the behaviors that will accomplish these goals a priority, achieve their goals more quickly.
5. Don’t take advice from yo-yo dieters, instead seek advice from experts – Taking advice from people that are frequently going on and off diets and losing and regaining weight, is not a good idea. It’s better to observe someone who has been thin and fit for many years and seek expert advice.
6. Strive to eat more nutritiously – Feeding the body what it needs is not only good for health but also prevents overeating.
7. Eat enough calories and eat frequently – Under-eating slows metabolism resulting in a body that stores fat easily. People tend to get hungry about every three hours. That’s because the body performs best when given fuel frequently throughout the day so it’s best to listen to the body. If the body is hungry it needs to be fed.
8. Don’t eliminate carbohydrates - The body needs carbohydrates to function effectively. Diets that eliminate carbohydrates usually end in compulsively eating the same carbohydrates that were eliminated and ultimately, regaining the lost weight.
9. Eat the last meal of the day at least 3-4 hours before bedtime - Metabolism slows down later in the day. By eating the last meal early more of the calories consumed are burned off.
10. Increase activity and exercise – The most fat-burning weight loss tool available to everyone is exercise and general movement. People who exercise on a regular basis and are active tend to be more successful with weight loss than those that don’t use exercise as part of their weight loss plan.

These are only a few of the many easy tips that help people be successful at losing weight. Since gradual progress is more effective than quick weight-loss goals, starting with the ten weight loss gems above is a good place to start. More weight loss gems follow.

Copyright Lavinia Rodriguez. Contact the author to obtain permission for republication.

There are effective and simple ways to make the body burn more fat and boost metabolism.

Burning fat effectively requires an efficient metabolism (the calories required for the body to perform all the bodily functions, including burning fat). Most people know that metabolism is something that varies among individuals, but they think there is nothing that can be done about changing it.

“I have a slow metabolism,” is a statement that some people make as an explanation for the difficulty they have managing their weight. However, everyone can boost their metabolism! Problem is few people know the simple steps they can take to achieve it.

The Best Formula to Boost Metabolism

* Engage in Aerobic Exercise-Aerobic exercise is any exercise that uses oxygen efficiently and lasts for about 30 minutes. A person is exercising aerobically if they are breathing deeply during the exercise but able to have a comfortable conversation with someone at the same time. There should not be any gasping for air. While this type of exercise uses calories, the real benefit of aerobic exercise is what it does to boost metabolism after the exercise is over. Metabolism is increased above a person’s baseline after they have finished exercising and it gradually slows back down to baseline hours later. By exercising aerobically every day or most days during the week, metabolism is boosted time after time creating an average level of metabolism higher than the original baseline. The end result is a net boost in metabolism rate.
* Build Muscle-The more muscle a person has, the more calories it takes to maintain that muscle. Therefore, a person can achieve an increase in metabolism by building muscle. Muscle resistance exercise such as lifting weights is effective in building muscle.
* Eat Frequently-Each time a person eats, their metabolism is boosted temporarily. If a person eats 2000 calories in two meals one day and 2000 calories in 5 meals another day, all other things being equal, they will have burned more calories on the day they ate the 2000 calories in 5 meals. This is one reason why skipping meals is counterproductive to losing fat.
* Move Around-The more a person moves around generally in their lives – aside from formal exercise – the higher their metabolism. Two people may be watching a television show together but one is getting up during commercials to do something or is performing a task while watching while the other is just sitting the entire time. The active person is burning more. When it comes to boosting metabolism saving steps is not the smartest strategy.

Just as there are things people can do to boost their metabolism, there are things that can slow it down. Some of these things are usually done with the intent of becoming leaner but, in the long-run, have the opposite effect.

Things That Can Slow Metabolism

* Stringent Dieting-Typical diets that are too restrictive with calories can cause metabolism to slow down.
* Being Sedentary-If the body isn’t doing much it won’t take many calories to maintain the inactive lifestyle. This results in a slower metabolism.
* Losing muscle mass-This can happen because of strict dieting, a lack of exercise and/or inactivity.
* Skipping meals, fasting, or going long periods without eating-When the body isn’t fed properly it has to do whatever it takes to survive. One of the things it can do is to lower its metabolism to save calories for more important functions until the danger is over.
* Yo-yo dieting-This type of “feast-to-famine” approach to managing weight is also counterproductive and can lower metabolism.

A person could inadvertently lower their metabolism instead of increasing it based on the choices they make. The best formula for boosting metabolism involves exercising and eating in the right ways.

Copyright Lavinia Rodriguez. Contact the author to obtain permission for republication.

What are the Most Effective Cellulite Control Methods?

It’s a fact – there is no cure for cellulite. However, there are proven ways of cellulite control that are realistic and won’t break the bank.

Cellulite is nothing more than fat under the skin which tends to look like cottage cheese primarily on the thighs and butt. There is no other substance feared and hated more by women. The desire to get rid of it is so strong that women will go to great financial and risk-taking lengths to be free of it. Billions are spent on products and treatment methods promising to make it disappear. Some of these products sound logical and others are down-right silly, but none of these get rid of cellulite. That’s the sad truth.

Since there is so much money to be made from products promising to get rid of cellulite, Americans will continue to be bombarded by advertisements pushing ineffective products and treatments. It’s up to the consumer to educate herself and not be vulnerable to such scams. The good news, however, is that by becoming an educated consumer there will no longer be wasted time trying things that don’t work. The time will be spent using effective methods of controlling the appearance of cellulite.

If Cellulite is Just Fat Why Does It Look Lumpy in Some Places and Not in Others?

Areas of the body where more fat tends to be deposited and where skin is thinner are where the fat will take on the appearance of cottage cheese. That is why it tends to appear mainly on thighs, butt, and stomach.

There are several factors that influence whether you will get cellulite or not. They are:

• Gender-More women than men get cellulite.
• Genetics-It tends to run in families.
• Fat-The more fat on the body overall, the more likely cellulite will show.
• Skin Thickness-The thinner the skin the more cellulite will show. Women and certain ethnic groups, in general, have thinner skin than others and are more prone to showing cellulite.
• Age-The older you get the more likely that cellulite will appear. This has to do with changes in the thickness of the skin as we age.

What are Some Ineffective Products and Treatments for Cellulite?

The numbers of products that are sold as cellulite treatments are numerous but here are a few:

• Massage-the argument is that cellulite is caused by poor circulation and massage will improve circulation.
• Topical creams-meant to “dissolve” cellulite.
• Vitamins, minerals and herbs
• Body wraps
• Spa treatments

Some products may give a temporary appearance of improvement due to plumping of the skin rather than an actual decrease in cellulite.

Neither liposuction nor Smartlipo is approved by the FDA for getting rid of cellulite. Despite any advertising or anecdotal claims to the contrary, there is no good science demonstrating that these expensive procedures are effective with getting rid of cellulite. To date, most doctors (including plastic surgeons) still recommend getting fit as the most effective way to control cellulite.

What are the Most Effective Ways to Control Cellulite?

Get fit. Gradually reduce overall fat, increase muscle mass through strength training, drink plenty of water, and eat healthily. It’s an inexpensive method and it doesn’t waste your time. There’s no magical cure for cellulite but by doing what works, you’ll also achieve other health and appearance benefits.

The Psychological Approach to Dealing with Cellulite

• Accept that cellulite is just fat.
• Think about the factors such as age, gender, and heredity that may be involved in your problem with cellulite.
• Learn how to best lose overall fat and tone muscles so that you can reduce cellulite in a direct way.
• When you’ve done all you can do sensibly, move on with life. Keep working on getting fit and have fun. Don’t let cellulite get in your way.

© 2009 Lavinia Rodriguez

How to Stay Active and Cool This Summer

Many people want to get more fit during the summer but find it hard to keep up with regular exercise in the heat. How can we stay cool and yet keep up the pace?

Summer is not the time to give up on exercise just because of the heat. Some people have no trouble sticking to their exercise routine no matter how hot it gets, but that’s not most people. There’s nothing to feel guilty about if you can’t take the heat, but it also does not mean that we forgo exercise until the weather gets cooler. The whole objective is to continue an active lifestyle for a lifetime so we want to find ways to stay active throughout the the year.

Where to Start Beating the Summer Heat

It’s best to let go of any expectations about exercise. There ought to be no rules about how, when or where we should exercise and no rules about what type of exercise we should engage in. It doesn’t matter if running, walking, tread mills, or any other type of exercise is the latest rage. The important thing is that we move consistently. The body doesn’t care how we move – just that we move. It doesn’t even have to be considered exercise to be exercise. For example, playing with your kids or grandchildren in the pool may not be considered formal exercise but, if kept at a steady pace, it can be.

Just because you walk the rest of the year doesn’t mean you have to walk in the summer. If you take such an all-or-nothing approach to exercise and you can’t take the heat of summer, you’ll probably do nothing when it’s hot. In addition, this type of thinking keeps you from being creative enough to find other activities that are good exercise and will keep you active all summer.

Six Steps to Finding the Right Exercise for Summer

Here are some steps to take in finding the right exercise for those “too hot” days:

1. Make a list of places you can exercise that are cool enough for you. These may include shady areas, your house, the office, the mall, outside in the evening, and in water.
2. Make a list of ways that you like to “move.” This list might include dancing, stepping, swimming, water aerobics, cleaning house, jumping rope, gardening, using an exercise DVD, and so on.
3. Review accurate information on how to exercise properly to get the results you wish to get. The objective here is to move at a pace that gets your heart rate up enough where your body needs to breath deeply but not to the extent where you cannot have a conversation with someone while you’re exercising. We want to be breathing heavily but not to the point of pain.
4. Decide which exercises on your list you would like to start with and how you will be able to make them “aerobic.”
5. Set aside the time when you will engage in your summer exercise program. If you had a doctor appointment you would make sure nothing interfered with that time. Your exercise time should be given the same priority. If anyone asks to see you during your exercise time, just say, “I’m sorry. I have a commitment then.”
6. Nothing says that you have to do the same form of exercise all summer. The more you vary exercise, the more enjoyable it will be and the more likely that you will want to continue it.

The summer heat doesn’t have to get in the way of your work outs as long as you know how to stay active and cool.

Previously published in www.Suite101.com  June 3, 2010

If given the choice between weighing more but being leaner, or weighing less and being fatter, most people would choose the former.  It’s a wonder then, why so many people choose fat over muscle time and  again through the choices they make in losing weight.

The TV show, The Doctors, recently reported that a person’s metabolism doesn’t slow down naturally (as many people think). Instead, it slows down because people lose muscle mass due to decreased activity through the years.

Yet, the most common weight loss strategy for most dieters is that of a crash diet minus exercise.  If you want to make your body one that puts on fat easily and burns it slowly, that is the ticket for you.  Keep using that method and through the years you’ll have a perfect fat storing machine due to a slower metabolism.

When you don’t eat enough calories to perform the activities that your body naturally performs (e.g. breath, walk, yawn), as well as those that you require of it (e.g. knitting, running, cooking), your body will slow down it’s metabolism so that it can continue to do its job.  Ultimately, that means a general slowing down of the ability to burn fat the more one engages in drastic dieting and little exercise.

It doesn’t take much energy to maintain a nice, big storage of fat but it does take energy to maintain muscle mass.  This means that it takes calories to keep the muscle mass you have.  The more muscle you have, the more calories it takes to keep it and the more calories you can eat without storing fat. This is what metabolism is all about.

Fantastic quick weight loss promises may be hard to resist but resist you must if you want to have the leanest body you possibly can have.  Just let others continue down the road to more fat, less muscle, and less health through crash dieting.  Remember the saying, “If your friends jump off a bridge, would you jump, too?” Be an individual and use what works.  It may be slower, but you’ll win in the end while they will continue on the cycle of yo-yo dieting.  The tortoise usually wins over the hare.  Is making the decision of muscle vs. fat becoming easier?

Becoming the least fat person you can be starts with stopping the drastic dieting and focusing on an increase in muscle. Forget about the actual weight number on the scale.  It’s useless.  It tells you nothing about how much of the weight is due to firm muscle or flabby fat.

A lean, fit person weighs more than it appears they weigh.  That’s a good thing.  All that muscle has weight – what do we expect?  Do you want to be healthy and lean?  Dare to weigh more- increase muscle and increase metabolism. In the contest between muscle vs. fat, muscle should always be the winner.