The Easiest Way to a Flat Stomach?

What's the easiest way to a flat tummy? One reader wanted to know this and so she paid $20 for an expert on Google Answers to find the answer for her. She specifically asked if sit-ups would be the fastest way to trim her waistline. She got a pretty detailed answer and if she followed the instructions, she probably has a flatter stomach now.

Here's an excerpt from the detailed answer;

What sit ups does do is tone your abdominal muscles. However, it does not "target" the fat in your tummy any more than any other form of aerobic exercise. In fact, if you only do situps as your aerobic exercise, what will happen is that you will build up abdominal muscles in your abs, but it would be still covered in the same layers of fat as before.

"The first place we usually lose fat is on our face (so our mothers can tell us we look too thin). Unfortunately, it is not possible to direct our bodies to burn fat from a particular area."
"Take sit-ups for example. It is important to keep your stomach (and back) muscles in shape, and firm abs can even help to hold in your stomach. But to reduce the size of your mid-section, you would do just as well to perform any exercise that you enjoy."
Source: http://www.eatwellandexercise.com/faqs_spot.html



Check out the easiest way to a flat stomach here.

Google Answers was a great service, but unfortunately it has closed down for now.

Supremely Fit at Age 48

Tosca Reno is supremely fit at age 48. Tosca's heaviest weight was 204 and this was when she was in the middle of divorce and after having three children. She gained the weight at that time by turning to comfort foods. Today she weighs 75 pounds less.

She initially lost the weight by regular workouts on a treadmill. But her body lacked any muscle definition though she was now very slim. That's when she started weight training.

She has written a book called The Eat-Clean Diet: Fast Fat-Loss that lasts Forever! See her fitness story here.

Cathi Lee on Oprah Soon

Cathi Lee has lost more than 300 pounds. She weighed over 500 pounds a few years ago.

She was recently interviewed by Oprah and her story will air on the Oprah Show sometime in the next couple of weeks. See more about Cathi Lee here.

From Morbid Obesity to Radiant Health

John has experienced massive weight loss success. He used to weigh over 400 pounds and has lost over half of this weight. Last year, in just 12 months, he lost the biggest portion of his excess weight, 150 pounds lost in one year.

He lost this weight mainly by avoiding wheat, dairy and sugar.

See more terrific before and after photos as well as his story here.

Fiona Falkiner Does Triathlons

The beautiful Fiona Falkiner has succeeded in losing a lot of weight. Again.

She first lost a lot of weight on the Biggest Loser TV program in Australia, but soon gained it all back again, and now has lost weight again and completed her first triathlon.

Losing 20 Pounds in Three Months

David Eigenberg has lost twenty pounds in just three months. What motivated him to lose the weight?

Eigenberg is one of the male stars in the movie, Sex and the City. Apparently the movie producers asked him to hit the gym before filming began.

He says: "It's harder to be a man on Sex and the City than a woman. They [producers] can't tell the women to lose weight. They tell the guys to lose weight. They told me to lose a couple of pounds."

Source: Sky Showbiz

Sagging Skin : A Better Perspective

A reader saw the post on sagging skin after weight loss and has this to say about it;

I am noticing a lot of articles about people who have lost a lot of weight and are upset about the sagging skin. I think the more important thing right now is to be healthy. I have a lot of weight to lose myself and I am a little worried about the sagging skin as well but...I won't be having any surgery. I made the decision to have a life change and that includes rigorous workouts at least five days per week. Once I reach my goal size (not weight) I will be contacting a trainer from my gym that will give me advice on toning. It is very important, and I know this because it has been proven to me, to use weight training as a means to tone muscle and tighten skin. Tightening sagging skin will not happen over night but it will happen and to different degrees for everyone. Sagging skin should only be bothersome, in my opinion if it hinders your health. Looking good is great but it is not as important as feeling good or being healthy. There are, however, exercises that are specifically designed for that purpose. It takes research and patience. Don't give up! I would not preach this if I had not seen it with my own eyes. I feel sorry for the people who have had weight loss surgery and lost it so fast that all that extra skin is just left hanging. For those of us who choose to lose it the old fashion way..Weight training is the key. It will cause you to not see as big of numbers of weight loss on the scale but that will be fooling you. While you are losing weight you will be gaining muscle and muscle weighs more than fat so you will still be losing but as you continue your workouts your muscles will be becoming more toned and refined which will aid in fat loss and toning. I say all of this to encourage all of us out here to MOVE! Lift those weights, do that cardio and eat lots of good foods, NO refined carbs and no sugar! When we do this it all aids in fat loss and minimal hanging skin in the end. Any remaining skin can be toned and depending on our ages and leftover elasticity in our bodies that will determine the end result. My point is this...Please don't dwell or let this get you down and cause you to give up. It could take years of toning to satisfy your cosmetic aspects. Instead, hold your head high and be very proud of what you have accomplished. You have given yourself years to live and made yourself healthy and that is the most important thing!

Thanks much for your comment!

The beautiful poster above is Evening Mood by William Adolphe Bouguereau

Locavore is a Famous New Word

There is a new word in the dictionary and it's locavore.

A locavore is someone who tries to eat food that is grown locally -- within a 100-mile radius.

The word has just been made famous because it was chosen as the 2007 Word of the Year by the New Oxford American Dictionary.

See more about losing weight to help save the enviroment here.

The photo of a farmers market in Birmingham is by Photo-Mojo

'Men Only' Weight Loss Support

The New York Times had an article a few days ago about how men's weight loss efforts differ from women. They said that at Weight Watchers meetings, the women get emotional but the men don't. They interviewed a few men who attend male-only weight loss meetings. One guy says; “Without the women there you don’t have to be as masculine because we’re all in the same boat. We don’t have to show off for anyone. We can all be ourselves.”

See more at It takes a Big Man to Seek Help on Weight Loss.

Gradual Weight Loss Works for Sally

Diets were not working for Sally so she decided to take a long term approach and change her lifestyle, rather than dieting.

She says;

Because I've taken a gradual approach, I've had gradual results as well. At first I lost a good bit of weight, but now my weight loss has slowed to an average of about .5 pounds per week. I'm down 26.5 pounds from where I was at the beginning of January; I'm halfway to my goal. If I keep my current pace, I will reach my goal one year from today. Two years to lose 53 pounds--I never before would have found that acceptable, but I also never before could have managed to lose it at all!


See her very interesting story here and here.

Getting Up Early to Exercise

Katie lost an amazing 124 pounds off her petite frame over a period of 17 months. She now weighs 110 pounds.

She was slim on her wedding day 18 years ago but started gaining weight after her pregnancy. She tried many fad diets over many years. But nothing worked. Seventeen months ago she decided she was going to exercise early in the mornings. Real early. She started getting up at 3:25am to beat the crowds at her local gym. Her workouts are 90 minutes long.

See her story and some very inspiring before and after pics here.

The "You: Staying Young" Program

Six months ago Frank and Elaine looked and felt older than their years. Frank is 52 and Elaine is 45 years old.

Frank was taking about 15 pills a day to ease his high blood pressure, high cholesterol and type 2 diabetes. They both spent a lot of time on the couch and ate fried and fatty foods. Frank weighed 270 pounds and Elaine weighed 223.

Dr. Oz (of the book; You, Staying Young) has transformed them in just six months. He showed Oprah how he did it.

He started them on a 10,000 steps a day (about five miles) walking program. He also got them to change their way of eating.

Now they look and feel a lot better. Frank got rid of his type 2 diabetes and his blood pressure has normalized. Frank has lost sixty pounds and Elaine lost thirty. See their You: Staying Young story at Oprah's site.

Tim Loses 87 Pounds

Tim has lost 87 pounds. This was a tremendous feat for him but it only took him eight months. He lost the weight via regular walking, then also swimming as well as adhering to the Weight Watchers program.

Tim is 37 years old and at his heaviest he weighed 262 pounds. He is 5'10" tall and now weighs 174 pounds. See his weight loss story at CNN.

Weight Loss Scams are Everywhere

An FTC study has found that weight loss scams are a leading source of fraud in the U.S. About 4.8 million Americans bought bogus weight-loss supplements, patches, creams or other products, making fat-fighting fraud the most common scam.

Consumers are urged to visit the FTC's web site at ftc.gov to report fraud and to find out how to recognize scams. See their information about weight loss products here.