The 20-Minute Workout That Targets Cellulite
The 20-Minute Workout That Targets Cellulite
Finally, a proven solution for firmer and smoother legs
Sound too good to be true? Targeting your hips, thighs, and stomach these eight exercises tone and strengthen the troublesome spots where cellulite likes to linger. The mix of exercises alleviates boredom and 20 minutes can be tucked into a television show. Combine these moves with a healthy diet and cardio work and you’ll be breaking out the bikini in no time. The best part: It takes only 20 minutes, 3 days a week.
“With the right exercise plan, you can reduce cellulite and make your lower body look smoother and firmer,” says Prevention advisor Wayne L. Westcott, PhD, who recently developed the Cellulite Solution Exercise Plan. “When we put 16 women ages 26 to 66 on our program for 8 weeks, all of them reported less cellulite in their lower body. And 70% of them reported a lot less.”
It wasn’t just wishful thinking. On average, the women lost just over 3 lb of fat, added 2½ lb of muscle, and shed almost 1½ inches from their hips. What’s more, ultrasound tests confirmed it. Overall, the women shrank the lumpy fat layer on their thighs by 1.3 millimeters (mm) and increased smooth muscle tissue in the same area by 1.8 mm. It doesn’t sound like much, but it definitely made their legs look smoother and firmer.
The Truth About Cellulite
The best part of this program is that it puts to rest the mistaken notion that cellulite is some mysterious condition. Despite what you’ve heard about trapped toxins or poor circulation being to blame, cellulite is one thing—fat. It just looks different because of how it’s arranged. Everyone has strands of connective tissue that separate fat cells into compartments and connect fat tissue to skin. In women, these fibers form a honeycomb-like pattern, so any increase of fat in a given area tends to bulge. You don’t see cellulite in men because their fibers run in a horizontal, criss-cross pattern that prevents bulging or dimpling. So why does cellulite seem to appear out of nowhere and get worse as we get older? There are two reasons. First, it’s because tissue changes. Those strands of connective tissue thicken with age, and our skin gets thinner, says Katie Rodan, MD, clinical assistant professor of dermatology at Stanford University. “The combined effect is more pronounced cellulite,” she explains.
Second, and more important, the average woman loses 5 lb of muscle and replaces it with about 15 lb of fat every decade of her adult life, says Dr. Westcott. “Because fat is exceptionally soft, it doesn’t keep our skin taut like muscle does. It also takes up more space, so it bulges out.” To get rid of cellulite, you have to reduce the underlying fat stores and replace lost muscle tissue. “You won’t find a cellulite cure in cosmetic products or procedures,” says Jeffrey Sklar, MD, assistant clinical professor of dermatology at Columbia University in New York City. “But the more muscle tone you have, the less of a problem it will be.”
QUICK TIP: Avoid crash dieting; it can make cellulite worse. When you lose weight quickly, you lose muscle tissue—the stuff that makes your legs and butt look toned and smooth.
THE CELLULITE SOLUTION EXERCISE PLAN
Follow this 3-step, 20-minute program 3 days a week, and watch those ripples disappear.
Step 1: Cardio Warm up with 2 minutes of moderate walking, cycling, or stairclimbing (you can use indoor stationary machines). Increase intensity for 8 minutes. Work vigorously enough to be breathing hard but still able to talk in short sentences. Lower the intensity, and cool down for 2 minutes.
Step 2: Strength Do one set of 10 to 15 repetitions of each of the following exercises, using a heavy enough weight to fatigue the muscles. (This is essential for optimum muscle building in these areas.) Your muscles are fatigued when you feel as though you can’t do even one more repetition. When you can easily complete 15 reps, increase the weight slightly. Work slowly, counting 2 seconds to lift and 4 seconds to lower.
Step 3: Flexibility After each strength training exercise, you need to stretch the muscle you just worked. Do each stretch once, holding for 20 seconds. Dr. Westcott has found that adopting this stretching strategy can boost strength training results by 20%.
THE CELLULITE SOLUTION EXERCISES
Dumbell Squat
Stand with your back to a chair and your feet about shoulder-width apart. Hold dumbbells down by your sides, palms facing in. Keeping your back straight, bend from the knees and hips as though you are sitting down. Don’t let your knees move forward over your toes. Stop just shy of touching the chair, then stand back up.
Follow with a lying hamstring stretch: Lying faceup, with legs extended, use a towel or rope to pull each leg in toward your chest. Don’t lock your knee.
Lunge
Standing with your feet together, hold dumbbells down at your sides with palms facing in. Take one big step forward with your right leg. Plant your right foot, then slowly lower your left knee toward the floor. Your right knee should be at a 90-degree angle, and your back straight. Press into your right foot, and push yourself back to the starting position. Repeat with your left leg.
Follow with a standing quadriceps stretch: Standing straight, gently pull your right foot toward your butt. Repeat with the left leg.
Advanced Step-Up
Using an aerobic step or regular step and holding dumbbells, start with both feet on the step. Keeping your left foot planted on the step, step off the back with your right foot. Before touching the floor, press up with your left leg to bring the right one up again. Repeat for one set, then switch legs.
Follow with a lying glute stretch: Lying faceup with legs extended, alternately pull each knee (grasping behind the thigh) toward your chest.
Scissors Press
Tie an exercise band loosely just above your knees. Lie on your back with your arms down at your sides, and extend both legs straight up directly above your hips; your feet should be spread wide enough that the band is taut. Slowly open your legs as far as you can. Pause when the tension becomes too great to pull any farther, then slowly close back to the starting position.
Follow with a lying figure-four stretch. Lying faceup, cross your right ankle over your left knee, and pull your left leg (from behind the thigh) toward your chest. Switch legs.
Inner Thigh Squeeze
Lie faceup with your arms at your sides. Bend your knees slightly, and raise your legs so they form a 90-degree angle with your body. (If this is too difficult, bend your knees more and lift your legs only as high as is comfortable.) Place an inflated exercise ball (the kind you use for abdominal crunches) between your knees; your feet should be flexed. Slowly squeeze your legs together against the resistance of the ball as hard as you can, making sure to keep your knees bent slightly. When the resistance becomes too great to press any farther, hold for 3 seconds. Then slowly open back to the starting position.
Follow with a butterfly stretch: Sitting with the soles of your feet together, place your hands on the top of your inner thighs, knees out to the sides, and lean forward from the hips.
26 fun and exciting ways to lose weight!
Many people who want to lose weight know that going to the gym and following a proper diet will help them reach their goals. Still, they do not do anything due to laziness, work pressure or lack of motivation. Even people who are determined and join a gym, often leave it after a few days citing tiredness, fatigue or distractions. In this mega guide, we give such people an overview of alternate methods they can use to shed those extra kilos.
Fun ways to exercise
The reason routines get boring is because, well they are routines! The moment you start feeling an obligation to do something, you don’t want to do it anymore. Same exercises, same music at the same time every day; exercising becomes an obligation that turns into a punishment. If you’ve tried gymming and failed, maybe it’s time to experiment with some fun workout routines. Here are a few options to get you started:
1. Hula Hoops
Would you believe that hula hooping can burn up to 600 calories an hour? Having said that, it’s difficult hula hooping for an hour but you get the idea – it’s fun, physically intensive and you can do it in the privacy of your room. Yes, it also helps you lose weight. If you are beginner, try a weighted hoop because it’s easier to rotate but as you get better switch to a lighter hoop which requires more effort from you to rotate and hence, helps burn more calories. And the elderly can try them too. Just put on some music and you are good to go.
2. Skating
Something we’ve all tried and enjoyed despite falling flat on our backsides or tripping over a bump. But here’s something you didn’t know – it can help you shed calories too. In fact, if you are over 70 kilos, you can possibly burn more than 500 calories an hour! Not only does it help muscles become stronger, it’s good for your heart as well. It’s cost-effective and has less impact than running. All you need is a smooth surface and an open area.
3. Frisbee
Got a dog and a park nearby? Buy yourself a Frisbee and get cracking. You can get some friends along on a weekend and have a game too. Either way, all the throwing, catching and running helps your body. In fact, a 30 minute game can burn nearly 100 calories assuming you are 60 kilos. And it needn’t be a Frisbee – you could give volleyball a shot as well.
4. Badminton
One of the few games that you can play anywhere. And it’s seriously addictive. Although you can explore other options like tennis, cricket and even basketball – most of these need more space, more people or expensive equipment. For badminton, you don’t even need a net! Lots of energy, competition and running around – all of that does a ton of good to your stamina. In a nutshell, any form of sport is great.
5. Kickboxing
Most health centres or gyms also offer courses like boxing and kickboxing – both are great ways to blow off some steam after a hard day and a fun sport. An added benefit is that they sharpen your self-defence skills.
6. Trekking
This might sound too much hard work to be fun but it isn’t. Make a group of friends and take off for the hills every weekend for a few hours. You can climb your way up and have a picnic and play a few games. It’s not only a chance to exercise but to get away from the hustle and bustle of the city. Nowadays, there are many adventure groups who organize bi-weekly camping or trekking trips. Before you know it, you’ll be addicted.
7. Swimming
You’ve probably heard this before: swimming is one of the best cardiovascular exercises for you. And who doesn’t like to splash around in cold water? How can you make it even more fun? If you get bored, you can always play some water volleyball or a game of catch.
8. Twerking
Teen icon Miley Cyrus has 27 million Youtube views, all thanks to Twerking. Say, what? Twerking involves twisting and jerking movements of the hips that improves lower body flexibility. This seductive workout is meant to tone your core, glutes, hips and thigh muscles.
9. Bokwa
Robbie Williams is now into Bokwa, which requires using your feet to draw letters or numbers while doing their cardio to music. It combines elements of African dance, capoeira, kickboxing, light boxing, and fancy step footwork to strengthen the feet and ankles. You not only burn around 1,200 calories but also tone your lower body muscles. Age no bar!
10. Pole Dance
Want to power up the passion in your bedroom? Sign up for a pole dance workout. This strength-based training which involves spinning, swinging, twirling, climbing and more, targets the whole body. It improves posture and increases upper body definition. Pregnant women and people with histories of heart disease, joint, back and knee problems, and should steer clear.
11. Batuka
A dance form that originated in Brazil, Batuka is an aerobic activity combined with martial art moves. It is meant to increase endurance levels and emphasizes positive thinking. A fun, high intensity dance workout, Batuka offers choreographed routines to globally inspired music.
13. Belly dance
Wondering how Katrina got her moves right in Sheila Ki Jawani? Belly dancing is a sure-fire way to burn belly fat and strengthen your abs. Dance away stress, improve blood circulation and body posture. This is a good pre-natal workout!
14. Zumba
Zumba Fitness is a Latin-Inspired, easy-to-follow, calorie-burning dance fitness party and it works for weight loss, weight management, fat loss and body toning. It takes the basic steps from Latin dance styles like the merengue, cumbia, salsa, latin-pop, reggaetton, bachhata, calypsio, samba and many more and merges a fitness formula to it.
Zumba Fitness allows you to feel like you’re in a night club instead of an exercise class. It uses great spicy Latin music and Latin dance styles fusing it with fitness. In Zumba you work out from head to toe using muscles you never would have in a normal gym class. Its tagline ‘Party Yourself into Shape’ explains its reason for popularity. You come out of a Zumba Fitness class with a lot more energy, with a bag full of stress out of your system and most importantly with a smile. If fitness is fun, you would stick to it and this explains its committed following and popularity.
15. Power yoga
Power yoga is a more dynamic version of traditional yoga – it’s faster, more intense and the focus is more on building strength and less on meditation or chanting. And while in yoga there’s a fixed set of asanas, in power yoga teachers have more flexibility in terms of arranging postures according to their preferences.
It’s believed the new technique was created by Beryl Bender Birch of New York and Bryan Kest based in Los Angeles to make yoga more interesting for westerners.
16. YOGAqua
YOGAqua is an ancient fitness method that’s been in practice since centuries. But of late, many new variants have emerged which aim to intensify its fitness benefits in a shorter span of time. While some of these have been welcome with open arms, others are just plain whacky and it takes guts to try them out. One such variant is YOGAqua – yoga merged with Stand-up Paddle-Boarding (SUP). The idea behind this method is that since the asanas (postures) are done on a moving surface, it engages muscles that we normally don’t in other exercises. The best part of this workout is – it is done outdoors in the sea on calm waters. Students first learn to balance themselves on the stand-up paddle board and then begin doing various yoga poses. Even if you lose your balance, you just fall in the water. Sounds like a fun way to exercise while making a splash.
17. AntiGravity Aerial Yoga
Imagine hanging from a hammock made of cloth in mid-air in a yoga pose. That’s AntiGravity® Aerial yoga for you. A workout created by a gymnast who is also a professional dancer, it promises to increase physical agility and overall health while also having fun and being a bit creative. The fabric hammock is good for upper body workout and to strengthen one’s core. Enter a class, and you may find a bunch of students in an upside down meditation position dangling in air from the hammock or completely snuck inside it with only their feet visible, practising what is known as the cocoon pose. If you want to practise yoga while defying gravity, then this workout is perfect for you.
18. Backward running
Backward or retro running is nothing but running backwards without looking behind. A daily exercise for many in Europe and Japan, the thought of it sounds absurd but it apparently has a number of benefits, even more than traditional running say many. So what are its benefits? The first one is that you can do it even if you are injured. Now no more waiting for the ankle sprain to heal, you can still run backwards. It’s also been observed that 100 steps backwards is the same as 1000 steps forward so you burn more calories with this workout. Since you are running backwards, you need to be alert to help yourself navigate the way. This heightens your senses and you also have fun doing this workout. Not so common here but there are various sprints and even marathons organised for backward running in Europe. So start running backwards to get forward in your fitness regimen.
19. Cycle karaoke
Love singing out loud your favourite songs? Now you have the chance to sing and also get fit while doing it. Say hello to cycle karaoke! The concept behind this is that your singing is an indicator of your heart rate. If you can sing a song with the perfect notes whilst working out on the cycle, you are not working hard enough but if you are out of breath during a rendition, you are closer to achieving your fitness goal. Another reason to sing at the top of your voice while cycling in a gym is that is boosts everyone’s energy and you have more motivation and stamina than before. Making this a group activity will yield better results. So rehearse the lines of your favourite song and start singing it aloud the next time you hit the gym.
20. Doga
This clearly takes the cake when it comes to weird workouts. Doga is practising yoga with your pet dog. Yes, you read it right! Through this workout, masters can bond better with their pets while getting fitter than before. Even the dogs perform yoga asanas likechaturanga where the dogs sit with their front paws in the air with the support of their human partners and sun salutations where the dogs are lifted on their hind legs by the owners. The dogs are also used as props by their masters as they perform yoga poses. Like in the warrior pose, where the dog is balanced on the thigh or the forward bends where the dog is wrapped around the neck. It sounds completely bizarre but many dog owners in the West are thrilled by this workout and enjoy it more than the traditional exercise regimens. Looks like the dog pose is getting literal after all!
21. Masala Bhangra Workout
A combination of traditional bhangramoves with Bollywood steps, this workout gained mass acceptance in the West and has now made its way to India as well. Fun, peppy but physically draining, this regime mixes cardiovascular exercises with dance. It is devised by Sarina Jain and is fit to b done by people of all ages.
22. Hip hop abs
This workout promises to get you six-pack abs without doing a single crunch or sit-up. Another regimen by Shaun T, it claims to get you abs with its ‘tilt, tuck and tighten’ technique. The regimen involves various dance moves on fast-paced songs to burn calories and sweat it out. There are four routines and a nutrition guide to help you sculpt your abs faster.
23. Strip aerobics
Now that’s a workout that stirs up quite a few images in your head. Move over the tried and tested aerobics and try out its racier version, strip aerobics. The exercises differ slightly than traditional aerobics and involve floor workouts, sexy moves and lots of sweat and fun. The participants don’t really strip down to their basics. They wear layers on top of their gym wear and take them off to the music while they workout. The idea is to learn moves similar to a striptease and get fit while doing it but not strip completely in the class. There are special women-only classes conducted by a few gyms where you can learn this sensuous workout. Or else, order a DVD at home and try it alone if you are too reticent to do it in public. Don’t be fooled by its name, it is still an intense programme and you will break a sweat.
24. Fitness video games
These are similar to video games that kids play but instead of controlling what’s going on just with your fingers, these are meant to engage your whole body in the activity just as you would do if playing in real life. For example, a running competition in a motion game will require you to actually run (just on the spot) in order for your player to move ahead and win the race – you can’t just make him run by pressing buttons on a remote. This benefits the person playing the game as it is fun and involves physical exercise. Gaming consoles like Xbox 360 Kinect Fitness and Nintendo Wii Fit Plus offer several games which have very interactive games that help you lose weight.
25. Pilates
Pilates is a physical fitness regimen developed by Joseph Pilates in the early 20th century that helps balanced development of the body through core strength, flexibility and awareness. It builds endurance in the legs, abdomen, arms, hips and the back. The regimen of Pilates is based on six principles – concentration, control, centering, flow, breathing and precision. Concentration involves focussing on what you do thoroughly for smooth movement. The idea of pilates is based on muscle control so that you are in control of your body and not the other way round. Centering refers to the powerhouse of your body – the abdomen, lower and upper back, hips, buttocks and inner thighs – all movements begin from here. Flow implies that the exercise movements are meant to flow into each other to build strength and stamina. Precision is of significance in pilates because one correct precise movement is better than many imprecise ones. And in breathing, pilates makes sure the person breathes out fully so as to inhale fully, thereby allowing maximum circulation of oxygen to the body.
26.Kangoo Jumps
When it comes to losing weight, and really making sure that the pounds stay off, there are a lot of different ways you can get started. One of the best options to hit the market today is in the form of Kangoo Jumps.
These shoes of sorts allow you to hit the ground running with a little bounce in each step. Each time you move forward you will be jumping, never really getting the full impact of the concrete, which means less stress on the joints, and less risk of injury.
This might be something that you have heard about in recent media reviews, and the results are starting to pour in from people that are looking into rebounding as a way to get rid of all loose weight and gain lean muscle.
You burn up to 20 calories a minute because every crazy weird little muscle in your legs is working to keep you from keeling over, and it also activates your core and butt muscles.
Five Worst Foods for Sleep
Nearly 41 million US adults are sleeping just six hours or less each night, putting them at risk of adverse health effects (such as heart disease and obesity) and potentially fatal drowsy driving linked to lack of sleep.
While stress is one of the most-often cited reasons why people can’t sleep, there’s another factor that could be keeping you up at night: your diet. Certain foods can significantly interfere with your sleep, including the five worst of the worst below.
What Are the Five Worst Foods for Sleep?
- Alcohol
A drink or two before bed can make you drowsy, leading many to believe it’s actually beneficial for sleep. But while it may make you nod off quicker, research shows that drinking alcohol makes you more likely to wake during the night, leaving you feeling less rested in the morning.
The latest study found that alcohol increases slow-wave “deep” sleep during the first half of the night, but then increases sleep disruptions in the second half of the night.
Since alcohol is a potent muscle relaxant, it can also increase your risk of snoring. Snorers — and their bed partners — often experience restless sleep leading to sleepiness and difficulty concentrating during the day.
- Coffee
Coffee, of course, is one of the most common sources of caffeine. This stimulant has a half-life of five hours, which means 25% of it will still be in your system even 10 hours later, and 12.5% 20 hours later (see the problem?). Plus, in some people caffeine is not metabolized efficiently, leaving you feeling its effects even longer after consumption. So, an afternoon cup of coffee or tea will keep some people from falling asleep at night. Be aware that some medications contain caffeine as well (for example, diet pills).
- Dark Chocolate
Dark chocolate, though the healthiest form of chocolate from an antioxidant perspective, can contain relatively high levels of caffeine that can keep you up at night if you’re sensitive. It also contains theobromine, a compound that has caffeine-like effects.
- Spicy Foods
Spicy foods before bedtime can give you indigestion that makes it nearly impossible to get a good night’s sleep. But even if you can eat spicy foods without discomfort, they are still linked with more time spent awake during the night and taking longer to fall asleep. It’s speculated that this may be due to capsaicin, an active ingredient in chili peppers, affecting sleep via changes in body temperature.
- Unhealthy Fatty Foods
When you don’t get enough sleep, you’re more likely to crave high-fat, high-sugar foods the next day. But eating a high-fat diet also has impacts on your sleep, including leading to more fragmented sleep. In fact, an animal study revealed that eating fatty foods may lead to disrupted sleep and excessive daytime sleepiness.
The link may be due to the brain chemical hypocretin, a neurotransmitter that helps keep you awake and also plays a role in managing appetite. Keep in mind that while you should limit your intake of unhealthy fats like those from fried foods, healthy fats (including saturated fats) play an important role in your diet and shouldn’t be eliminated.
Recent Study Gives Clues on How Diet Impacts Sleep
The link between what you eat and how well you sleep, and vice versa, is only beginning to be explored, however, a recent study evaluating the diets and sleep patterns of more than 4,500 people did find distinct dietary patterns among short and long sleepers.
While the study was only able to generate hypotheses about dietary nutrients that may be associated with short and long sleep durations, it did yield some interesting data.
- Very short sleepers (less than 5 hours a night): Had the least food variety, drank less water and consumed fewer total carbohydrates and lycopene (an antioxidant found in fruits and vegetables).
- Short sleepers (5-6 hours): Consumed the most calories but ate less vitamin C and selenium, and drank less water. Short sleepers tended to eat more lutein and zeaxanthin than other groups.
- Normal sleepers (7-8 hours): Had the most food variety in their diet, which is generally associated with a healthier way of eating.
- Long sleepers (9 or more hours): Consumed the least calories as well as less theobromine (found in chocolate and tea), choline and total carbs. Long sleepers tended to drink more alcohol.
As for what the data means, researchers aren’t yet sure, but it could be that eating a varied diet is one key to normal, healthful sleep.
Sleep Tip: Stop Eating at Least Three Hours Before You Go to Bed
It is ideal to avoid eating any food three hours before bed, as this will optimize your blood sugar, insulin and leptin levels and contribute to overall good health and restful sleep. Specifically, avoiding food for at least three hours before bed will lower your blood sugar during sleep and help minimize damage from too much sugar floating around. Additionally, it will jumpstart the glycogen depletion process so you can shift to fat-burning mode.
A recent study s a powerful confirmation of this recommendation, as it found that the mere act of altering your typical eating habits — such as getting up in the middle of the night for a snack — causes a certain protein to desynchronize your internal food clock, which can throw you off kilter and set a vicious cycle in motion. Eating too close to bedtime, or very late at night when you’d normally be sleeping, may throw off your body’s internal clock and lead to weight gain.
Routinely eating at the wrong time may not only disrupt your biological clock and interfere with your sleep, but it may also devastate vital body functions and contribute to disease.
Diet Is Only One Factor in Getting a Good Night’s Sleep
There are many variables that impact how well you sleep, but to start making some adjustments to your sleeping area can go a long way to ensure uninterrupted, restful sleep.
1.Cover your windows with blackout shades or drapes to ensure complete darkness.
Even the tiniest bit of light in the room can disrupt your pineal gland’s production of melatonin and the melatonin precursor serotonin, thereby disrupting your sleep cycle.
So close your bedroom door, get rid of night-lights, and refrain from turning on any light during the night, even when getting up to go to the bathroom. If you have to use a light, install so-called “low blue” light bulbs in your bedroom and bathroom. These emit an amber light that will not suppress melatonin production.
2.Keep the temperature in your bedroom at or below 70 degrees F (21 degrees Celsius).
Many people keep their homes and particularly their upstairs bedrooms too warm. Studies show that the optimal room temperature for sleep is quite cool, between 60 to 68 degrees F (15.5 to 20 C). Keeping your room cooler or hotter can lead to restless sleep.
3.Check your bedroom for electro-magnetic fields (EMFs). These can also disrupt your pineal gland’s production of melatonin and serotonin, and may have other negative effects as well. To do this, you need a gauss meter. You can find various models online, starting around $50 to $200. Some experts even recommend pulling your circuit breaker before bed to kill all power in your house.
4.Move alarm clocks and other electrical devices away from your head. If these devices must be used, keep them as far away from your bed as possible, preferably at least three feet.
5.Reduce use of light-emitting technology, such as your TV, iPad, and computer, before going to bed. These emit the type of light that will suppress melatonin production, which in turn will hamper your ability to fall asleep, as well as increase your cancer risk (melatonin helps to suppress harmful free radicals in your body and slows the production of estrogen, which can contribute to cancer). Ideally, you’ll want to turn all such light-emitting gadgets off at least one hour prior to bedtime.
5 ways to prevent relationship weight gain
Falling in love can make you feel all soft and gooey inside.
Unfortunately, it can have the same effect on your outside. Skip a workout here, order some greasy takeout there, and before you know it, you have more than just butterflies in your stomach—you’ve got a full-on jelly roll hanging over your waistband.
Or as Lauren Conrad, former star of The Hills, put it: You’ve acquired the dreaded “boyfriend layer.”
“When we get comfortable in a relationship, we establish new habits together that aren’t always the best for our weight,” says Amy Gorin, an assistant professor of psychology at the University of Connecticut.
Five of the behaviors that can lead to a serious case of love chub. But don’t worry—here are some easy fixes.
- You Eat Out…All the Time
When you’re single, you tend to prepare healthy foods at home. But once you’re in a relationship, it’s decadent dinner dates followed by caloric brunches.
“Couples bond over food, and enjoying it becomes a special ritual in their relationship,” says nutritionist Christine Avanti, author of Skinny Chicks Don’t Eat Salads. That’s bad news for your waistline: A Men’s Health analysis of 24 national chains revealed that the average entree at a sit-down restaurant contains 867 calories. And that doesn’t include apps, sides, and dessert.
The fix: Eat in. “Cooking together can be intimate,” says Elizabeth Ward, a nutritionist in Boston. “Food is very sensual, especially when you take turns tasting it.” Plus, of course, you can control the fat and calories by using healthy recipes and ingredients that are low in fat. When you do dine out, eat a healthy snack that contains protein and fiber a few hours before your meal.
“Women often skimp all day when they’re going out at night,” Ward says. “But that leaves them so hungry that they end up overdoing it.” Nonfat yogurt and a piece of fruit or a small bowl of cereal with low-fat milk are smart choices.
- You’re Always in Bed
Or on the couch. Or anywhere but the gym. A study last year in the journal Obesity found that couples who live together for two or more years are less likely to be physically active, and the women are more likely to become obese. “As positive as relationships can be, they also change your routine,” says Martin Binks, director of Binks Behavioral Health. “You schedule more couple’s events and have less time to yourself.” Drinks with your new guy…or a date with the old treadmill? It’s not exactly a tough choice.
The fix: Get him involved. A study in the Archives of Internal Medicine found that women who exercised with a partner lost more weight than those who sweated solo. “When people do something together, they’re more likely to stick with it,” explains Karen Miller-Kovach, R.D., author of He Loses, She Loses. So sign up together for a 5-K, go for a bike ride instead of watching a movie, or join the same gym. When you don’t feel like going, he’ll drag you there, and you’ll do the same for him.
- You Match Him Bite for Bite
It’s tough to stick to petite portions when your dining companion downs 500 to 1,500 more calories a day than you do.
“Women develop ‘portion distortion,'” Ward says. “You don’t recognize a normal-size serving anymore because you’re always eating with a guy who consumes huge platefuls of food.” He might be able to get away with it (guys have more muscle mass, so they require more calories), but shoveling in all those extra forkfuls will eventually catch up with you.
The fix: Serve yourself less. Eat about three-quarters of what he’s eating. Sorry, but women burn 26 percent fewer calories than men do, so at that rate you’ll just about break even, says clinical psychologist Susan Albers, author of 50 Ways to Soothe Yourself Without Food.
- His Snacks Are Your Snacks
You might not buy chips for yourself, but when he leaves the bag out on the coffee table, you need supreme willpower to ignore it. A study from Newcastle University’s Human Nutrition Research Center found that women were more likely to adopt their partner’s eating habits than vice versa.
“It’s one way women connect with men,” says Stacy Kaiser, a licensed psychotherapist based in Southern California.
The fix: Know your options. You have two diet-friendly choices: Serve yourself a small amount of his snack and put it on a plate (dipping your hand into the bag over and over again leads to diet disaster), or do what Ward suggests and have a portion-controlled, lower-calorie alternative on hand to munch while he takes down that bag of chips or pint of ice cream.
- You’re Happy
Research shows that what’s good for your heart may be bad for your hips. A study published last year in the journal BioPsychoSocial Medicine found that happy people were less likely to succeed at losing weight than those with a “slightly negative and cautious outlook.”
The fix: Weigh in often. It’s great to accept your body and not obsess over every last calorie, but it’s hard to feel good about yourself when none of your pants fit. To prevent your eating habits from spiraling out of control, Miller-Kovach recommends regular weigh-ins.
“Studies have shown that once you pass the five-pound mark, weight gain can take off like a runaway train,” she says. Seeing the scale creep toward that mark can be a call to action.
Still need convincing? Women in a Duke University study who lost as little as 10 percent of their body weight reported dramatic improvements in the bedroom.
“Research shows that people who are more active and happier with their bodies have more satisfying sex lives,” Ward says. If that’s not motivation, we don’t know what is.
Getting too comfortable, ladies? Women gain SEVEN pounds in first year of new relationship… while men LOSE four
- 43 per cent of women gain weight compared to just 29 per cent of men
- By contrast, just 16 per cent of women said they lost weight
- Women blamed being happy and their new partner’s dodgy diet
- 30 per cent of men said their weight loss was due to being put on a diet
Comfort eating might be a favourite excuse for those who have gained a few pounds but it seems that the real culprit could be your new boyfriend.
A new study has revealed that women tend to eat more when they’re happy and as a result, the average woman gains seven pounds over the first year of a new relationship.
By contrast, only 16 per cent say they lost weight, while the majority of women polled claimed they were at their thinnest when they were single and less happy with their lives.
Unhealthy: 48 per cent of women said their partner’s dodgy diet was to blame for their weight gain
Men, however, tend to lose weight when they find themselves a new girlfriend, with 39 per cent saying they shed an average of 4.1lbs during the first year of a relationship.
Another 32 per cent claimed their weight remained static, while just 29 per cent said their weight increased.
The study, which focused on men and women who had been in relationships for a year or more, also asked respondents why they believed their weight had increased.
Turning the concept of comfort eating on its head, the majority of women claimed that simply being happy was enough to make them pile on the pounds.
Just under half, however, pinned the blame on their new partner and his poor diet, while another 24 per cent said that moments of unhappiness caused their weight gain.
Interestingly, 45 per cent of men who lost weight blamed their other half’s healthier approach to food, while another 30 per cent said it was because their new love had put them on a diet.
The women polled also blamed their state of mind for their yo-yoing weight, with 71 per cent agreeing that happiness – or lack of it – had a direct impact on their physique.
By contrast, only 40 per cent of men said their feelings affected their weight.
Single and slim: The majority of respondents claimed they were at their thinnest while a singleton
Sarah Bailey, of online pharmacy UKMedix, the company that conducted the survey, said: ‘It seems that our frame of mind has a huge impact on our weight, and although men seem to lose weight when in a happy relationship – the average woman will gain half a stone.
‘It was incredibly interesting to see just what effect happiness has on our weight, and it seems that unhappiness often equals weight loss amongst women.
‘Being comfortable in our love lives often equates to increased self-confidence, perhaps explaining the weight gain that many experience.
‘As long as you’re a healthy weight though, this shouldn’t be anything to worry about – happiness can give you a huge health boost, and is probably more
important than squeezing in your jeans.’
CALORIES BURNED DURING SEX!
Time for fitspo
The 4 Day Wonder Diet
The reason that people go on a diet plan is so that they can lose some weight.
They are not quite sure what to expect unless they have done it before.
In this diet you have to eat exactly what is specified for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Here is the menu:
DAY ONE MENU
Glass of Water as soon as you get up, after you urinate and weigh yourself
Glass of water 30 minutes before breakfast.
BREAKFAST
1/2 a small grapefruit , Water 30 min before Lunch
LUNCH
Broiled Steak or Hamburger
1 Cup Lettuce , 1 Medium Tomato , No salad dressing
Water after Lunch , Water in Mid Afternoon
Water 30 min before Supper
SUPPER
2 Hard boiled eggs , Green Beans , 1/2 a small grapefruit
Water 30 min after supper
Water at bedtime.
DAY TWO MENU
Glass of Water as soon as you get up, after you urinate and weigh yourself
Glass of water 30 minutes before breakfast
BREAKFAST
1/2 a small grapefruit , Water 30 min before Lunch
LUNCH
1 Lamb Chop or 3 Boiled eggs or 4 0z hamburger or 5 oz chicken
1 Cup Lettuce , No dressing , 6 ounces tomatoe juice
Water in Mid Afternoon
Water 30 min before Supper
SUPPER
1 cup Squash, steamed or raw , 1 cup Cauliflower,steamed or raw
Green Beans,steamed or raw , water 30 min after supper
Water at bedtime.
DAY THREE MENU
Glass of Water as soon as you get up, after you urinate and weigh yourself
Glass of water 30 minutes before breakfast
BREAKFAST
1/2 a small grapefruit , Water 30 min before Lunch
LUNCH
1 cup Lettuce (no substitute) , No dressing , 1 cup celery , No dressing
Broiled chicken , Water 30 minutes after Lunch , Water in Mid Afternoon
Water 30 min before Supper.
SUPPER
Hamburger Patty , Stewed Tomatoes , 6 ounces of Prune Juice(no substitute)
Water 30 minutes after supper , Water at bedtime.
DAY FOUR MENU
Glass of Water as soon as you get up, after you urinate and weigh yourself
Glass of water 30 minutes before breakfast
BREAKFAST
1/2 a small grapefruit , Water 30 min before Lunch
LUNCH
2 Hard boiled eggs , Green Beans , 6 ounces tomatoe juice
Water after Lunch , Water in Mid Afternoon
Water 30 min before Supper
SUPPER
Broiled Steak or Hamburger, 1 Cup Lettuce and 1 Medium Tomato ,
No salad dressing , 6 ounces unsweetened pineapple juice
Water 30 minutes after supper
Water at bedtime.
Get Your Body Back After Pregnancy
Dedication and patience are key to losing postpartum baby weight and looking like your pre-baby self again.
If all those images of svelte and shapely celebrity new moms have left you feeling like you never want to look in a mirror again, take heart! Here’s some real-world advice on how to get your body back after pregnancy.
With so many high-profile celebrity moms snapping back from pregnancy with a model-perfect shape in almost no time, it sometimes seems as if they’re jumping right from the labor bed to the treadmill. Take a look, for instance, at Katie Holmes, Angelina Jolie, Melania Trump, Heidi Klum, and former Spice Girl Victoria Beckham — whose record-time baby-fat weight loss has set the bar high for new moms the world over.
But is it realistic — or for that matter even healthy — to slim down after pregnancy with such lightening speed?
Experts offer up a resounding “No!”
“We don’t have the kind of lifestyle that would allow for that kind of quick loss — and the sooner women recognize that, the better they will feel about themselves, ” says Laura Riley, MD, a high-risk-pregnancy expert from Massachusetts General Hospital and spokeswoman for the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.
Riley says celebrities don’t generally gain as much weight during their pregnancy as the average woman, and, she says, “they have resources that the rest of us don’t have after baby is born.” This includes personal trainers, chefs, and nannies, all of whom allow the celebrity new mom to devote serious time to getting in shape.
“And, many of them also do crazy diets — which is not an example anyone should follow,” says Riley, author of You and Your Baby: Pregnancy.
Experts warn that when it comes to getting that post-pregnancy body back in shape, neither crash dieting nor a stringent exercise program is the way to go — particularly if you’ve had a difficult pregnancy or a C-section delivery or are breastfeeding.
“The worst thing a woman can do is try too hard to do too much too soon — if you do, you’re likely to find yourself exhausted and discouraged and less likely to continue, and you’ll wind up carrying that baby weight a lot longer, ” says fitness trainer Sue Fleming, creator of the Buff line of workout DVDs including Buff New Moms.
When to Begin
Although most women say that diet is the quickest way to lose weight after giving birth, experts say a dramatic cut in calories is not the best way to begin – particularly if you are breastfeeding.
“You should be eating at least 1,800-2,000 calories a day while breastfeeding, and if you eat less you will not only be shortchanging yourself, you’ll be shortchanging your baby. You can’t produce quality milk if you are not eating enough,” says nutritionist Elizabeth Somer, RD, author of Nutrition for a Healthy Pregnancy.
Don’t rush trying to get into shape. It may take you a while to lose the weight you gained in pregnancy. But if you do things slowly, the weight is more likely to stay off, and you will be more able to maintain your fitness levels. Quick-fix weight-loss isn’t the best way of doing things.
Your body has done an amazing job of bringing your baby into the world, so allow it to recover.
When you’re ready, you can do some gentle exercise to help improve your fitness. Start with pelvic floor exercises and gentle lower tummy muscle exercise (not sit-ups) almost straight away, if your pregnancy and birth were straightforward.
Take a daily short walk with your baby in her pram or buggy. This will improve your circulation and give you a gentle workout. It may feel like a huge effort to get you and your baby ready for only a short walk, but you’ll feel better for it.
Spending some time out of your house or flat and exercising gently will help to lift your mood and give you more energy to cope with being a new mum. Though finding the time to exercise might be tricky, it is possible, if you make it a priority.
Don’t overestimate what you can do in the early days and weeks, though. Just do what you can manage, even if it’s just 10 minutes or 15 minutes at a time.
If you exercise too hard too soon after giving birth, vaginal bleeding (lochia) may get heavier, or turn bright red. This is a signal to slow down and take it easy for a while.
About six weeks after your baby is born, or after your postnatal check, you can gradually begin to increase the intensity of your exercise routine. Don’t go swimming until you’ve had seven days without any vaginal bleeding to prevent picking up an infection.
Build up to at least 30 minutes of continuous walking, five days a week. Once you can walk comfortably for 20 minutes, start to increase your speed. Walking a mile in 15 minutes is a good pace to burn fat and exercise your heart and lungs. Simply carrying a pedometer and monitoring how much walking you do during the day can motivate you to walk more, and help you to lose weight.
Aerobic exercise, such as brisk walking, cycling, or swimming is the best way to lose weight, if you combine this with healthy eating. Focus on fast arm and leg movements that make your heart beat faster. Allow yourself to get a little of breath but still be able to hold a conversation. If you struggle to do a full exercise session, three 10-minute sessions throughout the day will still be effective.
Find an activity that you enjoy. Joining an exercise group will keep you fit, and you’ll also meet other new mums. Most postnatal classes allow you to bring your baby, so you won’t need to worry about childcare. Your health visitor or midwife will have a list of classes in your area that are run by health professionals. See the Guild of Pregnancy and Postnatal Instructors.
Otherwise, you could try a postnatal exercise DVD. Look for a gentle workout that’s been accredited by a professional body. Pilates is ideal, as it focuses on your pelvic floor and the core muscles that are weakened by pregnancy and birth.
Talk to your partner about your need to exercise, so he can support you. Even looking after your baby for 30 minutes while you take a short walk will make a difference. Walking together is even better, as you and your partner get some exercise while spending time together.
If you’re breastfeeding, feed your baby or express before you exercise. Moving about with full breasts can be uncomfortable. A sports bra over your nursing bra will give you extra support.
Be reassured that combining breastfeeding with healthy eating and regular exercise will help you to gradually lose weight.
FitSpo Diaries 