Weight Fat Loss

Several studies note that female athletes, who generally have a lower percent body fat regularly have less cellulite. So, a caloric-restricted diet plan to help reduce some of the underlying body fat should be implemented. Aerobic exercise at least 3 to 5 times a week for at least 20 to 60 minutes will help create a satisfactory caloric deficit. Choose a mode of exercise that you enjoy such as walking, jogging, aerobic dance, elliptical training, rowing, cycling, swimming or stair stepping. If available, alternate modes of aerobic exercise to regularly give your body some variety. Perhaps most essential to your exercise agenda is your resistance exercise program. The subcutaneous fat rests on top of muscle, and if the muscle is weak and flaccid, this can contribute to the ‘bumpy’ effect of cellulite.

Although there isn’t one best system of sets and repetitions to firm all of your leg muscles, regularly include the following exercises in your resistance training program:

• Squats and leg press for the buttocks and thigh muscles.
• All types of lunges for the thighs and buttocks.
• Hip adduction exercises for the inner thighs.
• Hip abduction exercises for the outer thighs.
• Leg curls for the back of the thighs.

Most people will try a hundred different fad diets, at least as many nutritional supplements and even all sorts of wacky alternatives. But, getting them to exercise can be a real challenge.

Nevertheless, it’s an inescapable fact that proper diet has to be accompanied by an age-appropriate, regular exercise program – if the goal is good health and an attractive body. Diet is essential, but exercise is its essential partner. Diet provides the proper fuel, but exercise uses that fuel to generate health and fitness.

There’s no need to become a fitness fanatic, but there are several simple exercises you can begin today. Start a daily stretching routine of at least 10 minutes before doing any vigorous training. A 20-minute walk every other day is a great beginning for those not used to exercise.

Work up to more effort slowly. Most of those new to exercise get discouraged and quit too soon because they try too hard at first. This produces soreness and sometimes injury. That reduces the motivation.

Instead, start with some light weight training, using 5lb, 10lb, then 20lb weights. Curls, squats and other exercises are simple and you’ll soon graduate. Then add a 10-minute jog, a 20-minute jog, then 30-minutes. Once you hit an hour-long run, you’re into the serious workout category.

If you can, invest in equipment that may help you get motivated. Others will need the social stimulus of a gym to keep their willpower up. But in either case, don’t let your money go to waste. Make a commitment to regular workouts, whether at home or away. If you do join a gym, don’t be shy. Take advantage of the expertise of more experienced fitness enthusiasts and the staff.
In order to lose weight, you want to be sure to include some cardiovascular exercises in your routine. That can be running, cycling or any number of alternatives. To tone muscles and tighten the slack skin that will result from major body fat reduction, you’ll need to add resistance and weightlifting exercises. You can use stretchers, rope and pulley or other equipment to supply the resistance. Weight machines are great for lifting exercises.

As you get into the routine, you may or may not actually lose weight. If you’re not obese but merely overweight, you may not see much loss. As you reduce fat deposits the difference can be made up by gains in muscle mass. Don’t pay much attention to early losses, they may well be due as much to water loss as anything else.

But as you reduce excess body fat and tone muscles you’ll experience many side benefits beyond a more attractive body. You’ll feel better overall, be more energetic and should experience a heightened mood.

Feel good about it. You worked hard for the results.

Written by: Niche Content

Her velvety voice remains timeless. The legendary Roberta Flack is still singing the songs she’s made famous.

Classically trained, Flack taught music and sang in jazz clubs until her signature song, “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face,” made her a star.

Since then, she has earned eight gold records, won seven Grammy Awards and wowed fans worldwide.

She has a way of mesmerizing her audience. But while her voice has always been her meal ticket, she says her body has been weighing her down.

“I’ve been overweight all my life. I have been on diets that were supervised by doctors, that were carefully supervised where I lost weight,” says Flack. But the minute she went off the diet, her weight blew up again.

Her personal war with weight was exposed on national television in 1973 on The David Frost Show when Frost asked her if she ever thought about losing weight. This was after Flack had just lost 19 pounds.

And then there was the 1974 Grammy Awards. It was a great memory except, she says, for her weight.

“I had somebody make something for me to wear and it was green,” remembers Flack, who says the dress made her look like an overstuffed frog. “I was green and I was huge.”

Fast-forward 30 years and weight is an even bigger issue. Flack says a good voice just isn’t good enough.

“Our criteria for deciding what’s good and what’s bad is very fickle, especially in this country,” says Flack. “We are living in a day of video and image. Now we want to see what people look like.”

But now, after years of fighting the fat, Flack has found what she says is the perfect way to lose weight. So far, she has lost 35 pounds.

What’s her secret? It’s called mesotherapy, a French weight loss treatment that Europe’s rich and famous have been using for 50 years.

Mesotherapy claims, believe it or not, to melt away fat.

“Try it. You’ll like it,” says Flack.

Dr. Lionel Bissoon has been treating Flack with mesotherapy, a French weight loss treatment now available in the United States that claims to actually melt away fat under the skin.

“In a lay person’s terms, it’s the easiest way to say, ‘it’s melting the fat,’ but scientifically, it’s a very complex procedure,” says Bissoon.

He demonstrated the treatment with one of his patients. He first prepares a concoction of prescription drugs, including aminophylline, commonly used for asthma, and natural plant extracts such as sweet clover, used for high blood pressure.

He then injects the formula into fatty portions of a patient’s body. The formula, he contends, chemically melts the fat and shrinks the fat cells.

Some call it liposuction without surgery.

“It’s a gentler procedure,” says Bissoon, who’s now been treating Flack for seven months. “There’s no anesthesia.”

“I do a lot of singing while he’s sticking me,” says Flack.

Flack says she’s probably had about 500 injections, and she’s tolerated them really well.

But is the agony worth the price?

“To be 5 feet 3 and three quarters inches tall, and have to wear a size 18. That’s more agony,” she says.

Because the needles are tiny, Flack says the treatments are practically painless.

Right now, there are only a handful of doctors practicing mesotherapy in the United States. They say the treatment is safe. The only common side effect is bruising.

“Everything we do is based on sound science,” says Bissoon. “Our medications are FDA approved.”

The drugs are FDA approved for other uses, but not for weight loss.

“I now have a waist line,” says Flack. “I now have a reasonably flat tummy.”

There’s a very good reason why Flack is shedding those extra pounds. “I’m married to a much younger man. He’s 40 – I’m not- and extremely cute.”

Bissoon, however, says mesotherapy is not a crutch for easy weight loss.

“We want to change your lifestyle,” he says. “We want to make you feel great overall.”

But Flack admits that the results would not be as dramatic if she also didn’t exercise and diet. So she’s learning to love sushi, and she’s working out twice a day.

She’s losing weight, but is it the diet and exercise, or the mesotherapy?

Even though French studies show the treatment is effective for weight loss, St. Louis plastic surgeon Dr. Leroy Young says there has not been a definitive study in this country that proves mesotherapy works.

“Part of the problem with these types of therapies is they often get promoted by people without good solid scientific proof that they actually work,” says Young. “I think the only place fat melts is on the grill.”

But Bissoon maintains that mesotherapy works. “I think when anything is new, there’s always going to be some skepticism. The results we are having are really fantastic and more doctors are doing it.”

Flack started at a size 16; the skirt she has on now is a size 12. And since 48 Hours Investigates last aired this program this past April, she has lost even more weight.

Bissoon typically recommends 15 visits, and each treatment costs $350 to $500. It’s not covered by insurance, but Flack says it’s all worth it.

“I’m going to be way too gorgeous,” she says. “Let me change that. Way too sexy!”

So with renewed confidence and vigor, a slimmer Flack is back in the recording studio, starting a new record label and still belting out ballads with that velvety voice.

Written by: CBS News

Nutrition and health science is constantly evolving, and it often seems as if the latest study contradicts earlier ones. It’s hard to know what to believe. But, over the last few decades, a wide array of independent studies has tended to confirm some conclusions about the relationship between excess body fat and associated health risks.

The basic conclusion is that anyone who is considerably overweight is at higher risk for a number of potential health problems. These include various forms of heart condition, high blood pressure, diabetes, colon cancer, liver damage, gallstones and others.

But what is ‘considerably overweight’?

There’s no static, ideal weight for any given individual, though there are various factors that provide a healthy range. One measurement that is a good starting point is BMI (Body Mass Index). To calculate it, just divide your weight (in kg) by your height (in m) squared. The following table is a rough classification:

Under 18.5 = Underweight Between 18.5 and 24.99 = Normal Weight Between 25 and 29.99 = Overweight Between 30 and 34.99 = Obese (Class 1) Between 35 and 39.99 = Obese (Class 2) 40 and above = Extreme Obesity

For those on the lower end of the BMI scale, health risks are no more (or at most only moderately higher) than for anyone. Genetic and other environmental factors will outweigh any body fat or weight issues. But for those nearer the higher range, there is strong evidence that health risks are higher.

For example, abdominal obesity (having large fat deposits around the stomach and abdomen) is associated with increased risk of cardiovascular disease and insulin resistance syndrome. For women, a waist circumference of 35 inches or more (40+ in men) is an indicator of abdominal obesity. Among other conditions, high blood pressure, high triglycerides and high cholesterol are all common factors associated with that condition.

Narrowing of the arteries, atherosclerosis, contributes to the possibility of a clot which can cause a stroke. Excessive body fat is one factor in producing that condition. At the same time, it plays a part in increased blood pressure (hypertension).

Rapid weight gain, from 10-20 lbs for the average person, increases the odds of developing Type 2 diabetes. Genetic factors are fundamental, but weight gain plays a role, according to most studies. The risk is double that of an individual who has not had a weight gain, when other factors are held constant.

Liver disease, apart from that associated with excessive alcohol consumption, can be caused by insulin resistance. That resistance is much more likely among those who are obese. There are many studies which have correlated BMI with the degree of liver damage. The higher the BMI, the greater the odds of liver trouble.

Gallstones are more likely to form in those who are obese, and may be correlated with a rapid rise in BMI. Sleep apnea (interruption of breathing during sleep) is another condition commonly linked to obesity.

In short, though no single study is definitive, and there are many genetic and other environmental elements, excessive body fat is a substantial factor in health issues. Being overweight is not merely an issue of acceptable appearance, it’s a health risk.

Written by: Niche Content

Do Women in All Countries Have Cellulite?
It appears that cellulite is observable in women of all races. Studies involving women from China, South Africa, Egypt, Brazil, United States, Canada, Mexico, Afghanistan, Russia, Japan, Thailand and Indonesia all report cellulite in women.

Why does Cellulite Affect Some People More than Others?
There is much variation in anatomy and skin anatomy from person to person. Women have unequal amounts of subcutaneous fat, as well as variable thickness and denseness of the dermis and epidermis skin layers.

Why do women who lose weight still have cellulite?
The underlying fat-cell chambers do not change with a loss of weight. For optimal skin adaptation to weight loss, it is advisable for weight loss to be progressive and not extreme (such as repeatedly seen with fad diets). Also, skin elasticity is best up to the age of 35 to 40 years. Collagen and elastic fibers can retract best to lesser volumes (from fat loss) before this chronological age.

Will Liposuction Surgery help Reduce Cellulite?
Quite the contrary! Liposuction is not very successful in treating cellulite and may actually worsen the dimpled skin appearance.