Do you have a large belly? Why not do some easy exercises to lose that belly fat. Exercises are still one of the best methods to get rid of belly fat. Doing exercises has more advantages than just doing a diet. Besides feeling more fit one will learn discipline and enhance one’s stamina by doing these exercises.

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If you have developed this belly after having a child, or maybe you have always had it? Losing the last 10 pounds seems like an impossible task. Whatever the cause, belly fat seems like the final hurdle between final weight loss. I know what it feels like when it is a battle going on between you and the fat cells. Fortunately we know more and more these days about the causes and solutions and this will lead hopefully to tighter abs and flatter tummies.

There are specific exercises to get rid of belly fat. You might have heard that specific training exercises do not have effect on losing weight at certain areas, but new research says this information is outdated. According to the Mayo Clinic website, there are new studies that show stomach exercises do have a great effect on visceral fat. Visceral fat is the fat deep below our skin and surrounding the organs. This fat is actually more dangerous and is associated with a variety of diseases.

A good exercise is this one:
Lie on your back with your feet up in the air. Reach for your toes toward the spy while raising your bottom off the ground. Do 20 to 25 reps, rest for 30 seconds and then repeat the exercise. Do three “sets” to help with the lower portion of the bulge. If you have trouble going 20 or 25 reps start with a lower number and increase if you are able to do more.

Then get on all fours, holding your back nice and straight. Allow your tummy to hang down and slowly pull it up like there is a string inside your belly button and someone is pulling you up. Now hold for about 10 seconds while still breathing. Then release, rest for 10 seconds and repeat. This is an exercise you can also do while you are sitting or standing like waiting to pick up your child from school or in the grocery check out.

The other fat, subcutaneous fat, is the fat that people are more concerned with when they think about their appearance. No fat is great for you, but the fat right below your skin is definitely less dangerous than the visceral fat around your organs. Unfortunately, it’s what makes us look fat.

So, how do we get rid of that? Subcutaneous fat will most likely not respond to stomach crunches and crazy ab routines. Instead do a lot of cardio, aerobic exercise and combine that with stretching and strength training. Think pilates-type long stretches and time on the elliptical.

Some of the best stretching and lengthening can be done in a pool. You can really feel long, and lean and move some muscles more than you ever have before in a safe environment. Hold the side of the pool with your hands, put your head down so your neck is straight with your back and just reach all the way through your body. Imagine you are trying to touch the other side of the pool.

For an out of the pool exercise, hold your hands above your head and gently stretch backwards, feeling your entire core stretch out. You can also do this exercise with bands for some resistance.

Remember that besides doing exercises to get rid of your excess weight that a proper diet is a major component to weight loss. Try to limit sugar and refined food and instead eat fruits, vegetables and whole foods. This along with strengthening your core and losing the fat above it, you will see your abs pop through in no time.

Trans-fats are present in a wide range of foods: according to one estimate, 40 percent of products in the typical US supermarket contain trans fat, and the UK is not far behind.

This is because the hydrogenated vegetable fats which provide most dietary trans-fat are a mainstay of the food industry – a cheap bulking agent perfect for padding out expensive processed products, with a long shelf life and a luxurious ‘mouth feel’.

They are to be found, for example, in margarine, vegetable shortening, ice-cream, puddings & pudding mixes, ready-made pies, cakes & cake mixes, biscuits, pizza, potato chips, fritters, doughnuts, gravy & sauce mixes, artificial creamers, confectionery and other processed foods, including many foods marketed at children, including some sugary breakfast cereals.

When shopping in the US, always inspect the list of ingredients before you buy any product, looking in particular for:

•     hydrogenated vegetable oil
•     partially hydrogenated vegetable oil
•     vegetable shortening
•     margarine

In other countries (such as the UK) there may not be a requirement to list whether an oil has been hydrogenated, but if the man ingredient says vegetable oil it is very likely canola or rape seed oil which is high in poly-unsaturates and therefore trans-fats could very likely have been created during the oil extraction process, so be aware of that.

For more information:

http://www.tfx.org.uk/page13.html

Image: FreeDigitalPhotos.net

For years, healthy eaters have been warned about the dangers of saturated fats. But now, there’s a new enemy on the horizon: trans fats.

Recent research has found that these new fats make you pile on weight around the abdomen, even if you’re on a diet. This abdominal fat is dangerous because it pumps out chemicals that are linked to the risk of diabetes and heart disease.

Trans fats have other negative effects, says scientist Dr Joanne Lunn of the British Nutrition Foundation: “They have been shown not only to raise LDL (bad cholesterol) in the blood but also to lower HDL (good cholesterol).”

They increase blood levels of two other compounds linked to clogged arteries: a fat-protein particle called lipoprotein, and triglycerides, another type of fat. Trans fats are also thought to inflame and stiffen arteries.

Some experts believe that trans fats are more damaging than saturated fats, and the Consumers’ Association has suggested cutting consumption of these fats could reduce UK heart disease deaths by 25 per cent a year.

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