Best Fitness Blog

...By Karli Taylor

You have heard it before -- if you want to know the state of your health, turn your attention to your waistline. Waist circumference is getting a lot of attention as the new risk factor for future health problems, even becoming more popular than the old standard of BMI. Why? It’s because belly fat is thought to be more dangerous than fat that pads other parts of your body. Even people who look to be “skinny” should be concerned if they hold any extra baggage around the middle.

Your body needs some fat, but where the fat is on your body makes a big difference. Fat can behave differently in different places, and the stuff that lies along your midsection has been proven to be the most unhealthy. There are two types of fat that can live around your waistline, the first is subcutaneous fat, or the fat just under your skin. This is the fat that you can pinch with your fingers. Though it is what most of us concern ourselves with, it’s actually the lesser of the two evils. It’s the visceral fat, the belly fat that hides deep inside, around your inner organs, that may pose a silent health threat if there's too much of it.

There are four keys to losing visceral fat: exercise, diet, sleep, and stress management.

Though there are no specific moves or activities that lessen visceral fat, by including both cardiovascular and resistance exercise into your daily routing you will be able to burn off fat while you are exercising and add lean mass that will continue to burn fat while you are at rest.

It has been proven that 30 minutes of vigorous aerobic activity, done four times per week, reduced subcutaneous and visceral abdominal fat. Resistance training alone reduced only subcutaneous fat. However a stronger, leaner body burns more calories at rest so it is always best to do cardio as well as strength training to accomplish your weight loss goals.

Contact Best Fitness in your area for assistance in creating a weight loss plan that incorporates the loss of belly fat.

Visit one of our Best Fitness Clubs to learn even more about this topic. We have locations in Albany,NY, Tonawanda, NY, Schenectady, NY, Erie, PA, Nashua, NH, Chelmsford, MA, and Drum Hill, MA.

...By Karli Taylor

Overall we are increasing the amounts of beverages we consume, which may be increasing our caloric intake much more that we think. Most of us are not really mindful of what we are drinking, and don’t pay too much attention. While trying to lose weight, we watch the food we put in our mouths, but what about the drinks?

Your favorite drinks may have more calories than an ice cream cone.

Studies show that we're chugging 411 liquid calories daily. Most of us don’t cut back on food because if the beverages we consume, we typically eat the same amount. While we may be trying to watch what we eat, we also need to watch what we drink.

When we chew, our body recognizes and processes the calories we take in. Some experts suspect that the act of eating (biting and chewing), sends signals to the brain that trigger satiety. We have our favorite double whipped mocha coffee in the morning, some soda for lunch, juice with our snack and a cocktail, or two, once we get home from work. There goes our ability to lose weight.

Keep reading for some helpful tips to remember when sipping your favorite beverages.

Water

Though we no longer need 8 cups of water a day because we get so much water from other sources, we do need to drink the stuff! Drinking water can really help with weight loss. Often, our brain says we are hungry, when actually we are thirsty. Next time you think that you may be hungry between meals, drink a glass of water and then wait 15 minutes. If you are still hungry, then you can have a snack. If not, you were probably dehydrated.

Cocktails

Here is the good news: Women who drink one to two servings of wine, beer, or liquor a day tend to gain less weight over time than teetotalers, according to researchers at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston. Some studies indicate that regularly drinking a small amount of alcohol may reduce our appetite. Just remember that’s ONE or TWO- anything in moderation can fit into a healthy lifestyle.

Juice

Orange juice makes up most of our fruit juice consumption. If you have a hard time getting enough fruits and vegetables in your diet, then a glass of OJ is fine; however, if you can eat an orange instead of drinking it, that is much better for you. The fiber in an orange is necessary for your diet as well. If you eat enough fruits and vegetables in your diet, than skip the juice. If you absolutely have to have your morning OJ, mix half of the amount you would normally drink with water and enjoy

The bottom line is, when you are trying to lose weight or just eat healthy, no more than 10% of your total daily calories should come from beverages. Remember to check the labels too; some cans have 2 or more servings!