You can lose the fat in your face without plastic surgery. There are natural methods that combines diet and face exercises to lose fat in your cheeks or get rid of a double chin. You will take years off your face and get sculpted-looking cheekbones with dietary tricks and face exercises that will tone your facial muscles.

Losing extra body fat and losing excess water retention will slim down your face. Follow a high fiber diet for a fast way to lose weight. Fiber foods include whole-grain products, fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds and beans. Eat five or six servings of fruits and vegetables everyday. Fruits and vegetables have vitamins, minerals and contain water that will keep you hydrated.

Drink at least eight glasses of water everyday. If you do not drink enough water, your body will store water and you will get bloated. Drinking a lot of water will keep you hydrated and flush out toxics from your body.

Reduce the amount of alcohol beverages you drink. Alcohol dehydrates the body and will cause bloating in the body. All alcohol beverages have many calories. You will gain weight and have a bloated face if you drink alcohol beverages.

Salty foods will cause water retention and you get a bloated face. Avoid eating junk food that is high in sodium. Snack on fruit and salt-free whole grain products instead of chips, pizza and burgers.

Do face exercises to sculpt, firm and tone all facial muscles. There are more than 50 muscles in the face. These muscles are smaller and thinner than other muscles in the body. The muscles in the face will respond faster to face and neck exercises. You will quickly see improvement in your face if you do face muscle exercises.

When you apply make up to your face, put more blush on your cheekbones. This make up technique will make your face appear thinner. Certain hair styles will also help in giving you the appearance of a slimmer face. Consult with your hair stylist for the best hair style for you face.

Losing extra body fat will reduce the fat in your face. Reduce the amount of alcohol and salt in your diet and drink eight glasses of water everyday. Do face exercises to firm and tone your facial muscles. Doing all these natural methods to reduce face fat will give you lean, sculpted-looking cheekbones and will make your face look younger.

There are so many bodybuilding tips and free workout routines available on the web these days, and there is ever increasing interest of people in bodybuilding programs. Many people want to build muscle, but do not know how and where to start. Some people do hire a personal fitness trainer for this purpose, but many do it by their own and fail because of not having background knowledge, proper bodybuilding workout schedule and their set fitness goals. People start bodybuilding without any proper planning and quit quickly when they fail to get any results.

Here I am going to discuss some basic, but very useful bodybuilding tips for beginners, and I hope if followed in the right directions, can provide you great results.

Come up With a Plan:

Before starting any bodybuilding program, it is highly recommended that you should come up with a proper plan. Always set your goals realistically to make your bodybuilding program successful. If you set your goals unrealistically, simply you are setting up a failure plan for yourself. After setting proper bodybuilding goals, do stick to them and always try your best to follow them in the way they are designed.

Bodybuilding and Diet:

Almost all bodybuilding programs involve some strenuous exercises, so your body needs extra energy for such workouts and exercises. Diet plays a major role in the bodybuilding process, and you should eat healthy diet and supplements to fuel your body. Try sticking to whole organic foods which offer a blend of complex carbohydrates, fats and complete proteins. Nutrition affects almost every aspect of your lifestyle, so it needs to be balanced and coordinated according to your desired fitness goals.

Food Supplements:

Protein Intake

Protein is the most common supplement used for bodybuilding. One of the best things about protein is that it gets absorbed in the body very quickly. The high content of cysteine amino acid in the whey proteins makes them highly beneficial supplements for bodybuilding.

Testosterone Supplement

A high level of testosterone helps in burning fats and building muscles. There are so many natural ways to increase testosterone level in the body using supplements. Tribulus Terrestris, a natural herb, can boost testosterone level tremendously.

If you are going to consider supplementing your diet, keep it simple and always keep in mind every supplement has its own value. Soy, whey, creatine monohydrate, caseinate proteins, electrolytes, multivitamins and etc. are all great supplement options.

Train Your Brain Too:

The best athletes/sportspersons train their minds along with bodies in order to become successful. If you want success of your plan, you need to prepare yourself mentally too. Always focus on your goals and keep an eye on your short term and long term goals, and when following your bodybuilding workout schedule, only focus on your exercises both physically and mentally.

Do Variety of Trainings:

To make your bodybuilding program successful, keep on changing your training regimes instead of repeating the same workouts every time. Compound exercises, which involve at least two or more sets of your body muscle, are the best workouts for bodybuilding. These variety of workouts and exercises not only help you keep motivated and active, but also help in achieving your goals quickly.

Rest and Sleep:

Many novice bodybuilders always forget the importance of sleep and rest for building muscle mass. Your muscles grow when you sleep, so if you are not getting enough sleep you are not allowing your muscle to grow. Your muscles need some rest for wear and tear they get during your strenuous workouts and exercises. Simply, allow your body adequate sleep and rest during your workouts to make them grow in the way you want.

Consistency is the Key:

The last, but the most important bodybuilding tip is to be consistent no matter which bodybuilding program you are following and what goals you are going to achieve. If you are following all above tips, but not consistent in following any of them, you are simply wasting your time and energy. So, it is very important to follow your workout and diet plans regularly to make your bodybuilding plan successful.

The way you workout does affect significantly the quantity of muscle you can build. Also what you eat before and after your workout can equally affect your body. Listed are 4 muscle building tips that can assist you on planning your diet appropriately.

High Calorie Count

· You probably know the quantity of protein you should eat, but it is just as imperative that you eat a large amount of calories. In the event you don’t consume the right amount of calories, you will not grow as much. Dependent upon the kind of shape you’re in, you will usually take the amount of your body weight and times it by 10.

Multiple Numbers of Meals

· In place of just 3 meals per day, spread the food into 6 meals over the day. In doing these smaller meals, the insulin will release in your body and it will result in lower glucose levels in the blood. You want your insulin levels high, as this is the most anabolic hormone for the body.

Prior to Workout Meal

· Before your workout, you need to eat a meal full of the slow burning type of carbohydrates such as rice or pasta. Because they burn slowly these carbohydrates take a longer time to turn to glucose this results in your blood sugar levels staying consistent. This will allow you to train harder and longer.

After Workout Meal

· After the workout, you need a meal high in the fast burning types of protein and carbohydrates. Usually, you need to drink a protein type shake along with some kind of sugar.

In training, the method in which you eat combined with the workout routine may have an extreme effect on your body building muscle. Use these 4 muscle building tips printed here and apply all of them to your diet.

When most people think about cardio they thing about using a big machine like a treadmill or an elliptical or going outdoors to run for an hour. However, there’s another way to do cardio which takes a lot less than traditional workouts and requires no equipment and no gym membership: bodyweight cardio.

Bodyweight cardio workouts are made of exercises that use your body alone as its creator of resistance. By creating a circuit of these exercises, reducing the rest between them and doing them fast, you’re able to get a cardiovascular stimulation and a strength workout at the same time.

This has several benefits:

1. It is a lot shorter than traditional cardio workouts that most people do.
2. Bodyweight cardio requires no equipment and can be done anywhere that you have some space: your home, park, hotel room, etc.
3. These workouts can be very effective, help you build muscle tissue and burn a lot of calories and fat.
4. Unlike traditional cardio, these workouts can be much more interesting and exciting than long duration workouts.

What are some of these bodyweight cardio exercises that you can do? Here are some examples:

1. Lunge walks – This is a hard exercise which is perfect for you if you want to build strong legs. You need to pick a destination and walk to it but each step needs to be in lunge form. This will get you sweating in a hurry.

2. Knee high running in place – A simple exercise that involves running where you stand. The higher you can get your knees to go the better it would be as it’s more intensive. Try it.

3. Squat jumps – This is a simple workout but it can really make your thighs scream… in a good way. Go into a squat and as you risk from it, jump high into the air. If you’ve got enough energy, try bringing your knees to your chest as you jump.

4. The 1-2 jump – This is a great bodyweight cardio exercise. Stand with your feet about shoulder width apart. Jump forward as far as you can and land on your feet. Allow yourself to sink a bit into a squat to absorb the shock of the landing. Jump backward in two jumps to your starting position. Repeat.

These are just a sample of bodyweight exercises that you can do. Remember to keep your rests between sets short to keep your heart rate up and burn more calories.

In today’s society health and fitness is a primary concern. Obesity is growing at an alarming rate, especially within the younger population. Everywhere you turn there are offers and suggestions on how to lose weight and get fit. Many of these offer quick fixes such as pills, or specific diet regimens. While some of these may seem to work, the majority of the time they are only temporary solutions. These methods are best used to kick-start a diet, but not as a permanent solution. Usually as soon as you stop taking the pills, or following the diet regimen, any weight lost soon returns. Mind, body, and lifestyle must be in accord in order to maintain a healthy lifestyle.

Yoga – Yoga has been practiced throughout the world for many years. Yoga teaches an individual to focus on their inner self. What a person thinks and feels affects not only how they live and interact with the world around them, but also how they look and what they put into their bodies. Yoga also has many health benefits. For instance, studies show that people with high blood pressure and high stress levels have greatly benefited from practicing Yoga.

Diet – When the mind is focused and open to change, that’s when an individual is mostly likely to achieve success and maintain permanent weight loss. In order to maintain a healthy diet, it is necessary to make a lifestyle change, but nothing too drastic at first. When trying something new, start slowly and do your research. Gradual changes are much more likely to last than quick ones. Do not suddenly exclude foods that you love and are used to eating. If you do, you are setting yourself up for failure. Start by decreasing your portions. It is also important to drink at least 8 cups of water daily. If you drink a glass of water before each meal, you will find that you will eat less. Try to have several small meals and snacks throughout the day, instead of having one or two big meals a day. This will help increase your metabolism.

Fitness – Exercise is also essential to being healthy increasing your fitness level. In addition to becoming physically fit, exercise can increase self-esteem and improve your mood. During exercise the body produces endorphins. Endorphins are natural chemicals the body can produce that are associated with feelings of euphoria and peace. If you are new to exercise, it is important to start out slow. Start by walking ten minutes a day. Park your car in the parking lot furthest from the building and take the stairs instead of using an elevator when possible.

They are several different ways and techniques that can be used to achieve physical fitness, but it starts with you. Find what works best for you and stick with it. Just remember; mind, body, and lifestyle must be in sync to consistently maintain weight loss and a healthy lifestyle.

There is a definite science to fat loss – so precise, in fact, that if everyone was to follow this exact science, they would melt away the fat at an amazing rate. Sound too good to be true? I don’t think so. Read on.

In a nutshell, the science to fat loss is a four legged stool, that involves:

1) consuming less overall calories than you burn/expend during the day

2) regular weight/resistance training

3) high intensity cardio

4) sufficient rest periods

Let’s look at each facet individually without getting too technical: For today’s post, I’m purely going to focus on the first of the four discussions above. The rest I will discuss over the next few days..

1) Consuming less overall calories than you burn/expend during the day

This is a no brainer. Excess calories make you fat, regardless of whether the extra calories come from fat, protein or carbs. For the record, one gram of fat gives you nine calories. One gram of protein gives you four calories, and one gram of carbs also gives you four calories. Yet, it’s not so much the fat intake most people should be weary of, but rather high glycemic carb intake.

During the 70s and 80s, there was this “fat-free” craze that started in the US, and one would think that if “fat-free” was the way to fat loss, that most of the US would be sleek and lean. Just the opposite was true. In spite of a gigantic movement towards fat-free products, the nation only became more obese. Recent studies confirmed it was the high glycemic sugar intake that led to the pancreas secreting extra insulin, which led to drastic sugar highs & lows and eventually, added fat.

If you are naturally fat (i.e. endomorphic physique type – where you put on fat easily), you’re most likely insulin resistant. This in simple English means that the body does not metabolize/break down the sugar in the blood very efficiently, meaning that the excess sugar gets stored as fat. You may consume all the fat-free foods you want, but the extra sugar will be converted into fat. One product I have tried that really helps to break down sugar and improve insulin resistance is a Swiss product called Diabecen. It contains water based ground cinnamon which has been scientifically proven to reduce blood cholesterol and improve insulin sensitivity, which can aid to fat loss if combined with regular exercise.

Secondly, meal portions is also very important. As a general rule of thumb, consume 5 – 6 smaller meal portions throughout the day so as to regulate blood sugar. Generally, every meal portion should be about the size of a clenched fist.

Upon waking in the morning, if you can afford it – have one scoop of about 20 grams of whey protein isolate on an empty stomach. Do this before you even brush your teeth. As you have not eaten for several hours during sleep, your body will absorb the whey protein very efficiently and this will go a long way in helping you recover in the long term if you do this on a daily basis. About 20 – 30 minutes thereafter, have a solid breakfast.

Breakfast should be the exception (in terms of meal portion size – it can be larger than the size of a clenched fist) though as the 1st meal of the day, as during sleep you fasted for a 7 – 8 hour period during which the body received no nutrient intake. Oatmeal is by far the single best breakfast there is as it is low GI, provides a consistent, slow release of energy and reduces soluble blood cholesterol. You could also add a scoop of whey protein isolate to your oats and some chopped pieces of fruit. Also have a good multi vitamin with your breakfast to give you the vitamins/minerals/phytonutrients your body needs for proper biological function throughout the day.

Thirdly, taper down on carb intake as day progresses into night. Notice I never suggested that you stop eating after a certain hour. This is a myth. What is really meant is that after about 8pm at night, you should cut down on as much carbs as possible, as the body’s metabolic functions are slower at night than it is during the day – unless of course you had a grueling workout late at night, during which it is perfectly acceptable to consume a carb/protein drink after your workout.

Which brings me to point # 4 – consume a high glycemic carb drink plus one scoop of whey protein isolate directly after your workout so as to top up lost glycogen stores. The protein will help to improve recovery of body tissue, which includes muscle tissue but also other body tissue that took a strain during your workout. This includes your immune system as well. Protein repairs it all – not just muscle tissue. Include a teaspoon of the amino acid L-Glutamine to your post workout drink as this will help the body absorb protein more efficiently.

You might ask why I recommend a high glycemic carb drink directly after a workout and not a low GI carb drink. It is simple: during the workout, your body breaks down energy quite rapidly and hence, your body needs to top it up very quickly and a low GI carb won’t do the trick. You need a high GI carb, and if you top it up during the 20 minute window period following the very second your workout ends, the body’s metabolic drive is extremely high meaning that the high GI carb and protein drink won’t be stored as fat. Instead, it will be sucked up by the muscles almost immediately.

About 45 – 60 minutes after your post workout drink, have a solid, low GI meal with some protein. An example would be two slices of rye bread, a small salad and a grilled chicken breast about the size of your palm.

Just before bedtime, if you can afford it – consume a cassein based protein (as opposed to whey protein that gets digested too quickly). A cassein based protein takes several hours to digest – which is good just before bedtime, as during the first 90 minutes of deep sleep, the brain secretes GH (growth hormone) into the bloodstream, and combining this with a slow release protein such as cassein goes a long way in helping you recover from the stress imposed by your workout (and the day’s stress in general) and also helps you to improve your quality of sleep.

If weight loss is specifically your goal, try to cut down on as much carbs as possible during the day, but the exception should be breakfast – as you’ll run yourself into a hole if you completely cut out carbs all together. Breakfast should most certainly be a low GI meal as it will give you a slow release of energy throughout the day, and what better a source of low GI carbs than oatmeal, with some chopped fruit, some cinnamon, some natural honey as well as a scoop of whey protein.

Always try to consume some protein with your meals as this will create a feeling of fullness. Great sources of protein include skinless chicken breast, turkey breast, tuna, lean cuts of steak, lean cuts of beef, egg whites (poached or boiled), broccoli, soy, and also protein drinks and bars (be careful of protein bars with too much sugar – always go for high protein/low carbs)

Also do not forget the importance of essential fatty acids. Excellent sources include salmon, fresh water fish, avocado’s, nuts and organic (sugar-free) peanut butter. You can also supplement with omega 3 and 6 fatty acid capsules as this fat helps your body to burn bodyfat more efficiently.

I have included a lot more info in my fitness e-book, “Ripped Dad, Fat Dad”, which you can download at http://www.ripped-dad.com. The executive summary is free though.

Let me know if any of this helped, and I will write more about the remaining three issues pertaining to the science of fat loss.

Yours in Fitness

The following ab workouts must be done for up to three times a week, alternating it with a day’s rest in between. For a more intense exercise, increase the repetitions from 2 sets of 10 to 15 repetitions, to 3 sets of 20 repetitions. Do these exercises in alternation. Remember to perform the exercise properly, taking care to inhale and exhale slowly and at the right time. These exercises will add more muscle in the abs in place of fat.

Weighted Oblique Crunches. Begin your ab workouts by lying on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat against the floor. Next, hold a medicinal ball or weight plate towards your chest (start with five pounds in your workout). Then put the tips of your fingers to the side of your head behind the ears. The next step in your ab workouts would require you to push your lower back towards the floor, keeping the arch flattened, and hold this position. Curl up slowly in your ab workouts so that both shoulder are raised off of the floor for a few inches. Hold this position for a count of two and return slowly to your first position. These ab workouts strengthen and tighten the front area of your midsection with continuous repetitions.

Side Bends. These ab workouts target the side abdominals after repeated exercises. While holding a dumbbell in your left hand, stand on a firm surface with your feet a shoulder’s width apart and with your knees slightly bent. Then place your right hand at the back of your head and gradually bend sideways to your left while lowering the dumbbell down to your knee in your ab workouts.

Finish your workout by returning to the upright and first position, and then repeat the exercise with the other hand for another set.

Before you begin your quest towards the ultimate six-pack, you must establish a solid foundation to work on. The foundation for any workout program -whether it’s targeting your whole body or targeting your abdominals solely- must start with a strong core. Most individuals fail to reach their goals because their weak core limits their overall stamina and strength.

For ideal eating recipes to make dieting interesting and core muscle training, try either “The Truth About Six-Pack Abs” by Mike Geary or “Burn the fat, feed the muscle” by Tom Venuto. They are the most recognized bodybuilding authors in the internet and have transformed thousands of bodies. Regardless of a lanky frame or to shed that clumsy poundage, it has proven that it works.

The building muscle process is relatively simple to understand.

With all of the information available on the internet, you’d think it would be easier to find information about just what exactly causes muscles to grow. There are quite a few misconceptions out there and this article will put down a few of those myths and reveal exactly what happens when your body builds muscle.

The whole process begins when the existing muscles in the body are put under extreme stress, such as when they push or pull more weight then they are used to pushing and pulling.

When muscles are asked to do more work than they are accustomed to, they suffer minor ruptures. You’ll feel these micro-tears as muscle soreness. These mini-injuries are repaired while the body rests. The resulting muscle is slightly larger than before, better able to handle the stress that caused the initial tears.

A bodybuilder maximizes the muscle building process by continuously escalating the stress level place on muscle groups. This is accomplished by increasing the amount of weight, the repetitions of the exercises and/or changing the type of exercise used on a specific muscle, causing new micro-tears, building the muscle more and more.

Massive muscle growth requires a specific nutritional plan as well. There are three macronutrients that you’ll need in correct proportions to fuel muscle growth. Carbohydrates, proteins and fats will deliver the nutritional payload your muscles call for.

Carbohydrates provide the fuel to get you through your workouts. Slow digesting, low glycemic index (GI) carbohydrates, most fruit and vegetables (excluding potatoes, corn and peas), whole grains, basmati rice and pasta are favored because they don’t cause a spike in blood sugar like high glycemic carbs will. A sharp spike in blood sugar causes an increase in insulin production which makes it more likely that food energy would be stored as fat, not used as energy. Post workout meals, however, often contain some quickly digested carbs in order to replace glycogen in the muscles and promote protein synthesis.

Protein is the building block of muscle creation and professional bodybuilders eat massive amounts of it. For some, protein is almost one-third of their calories for the day. In addition to poultry, beef, pork and eggs, protein powders made from whey or soy are added to meals or used as meal replacements in shakes.

You need approximately two tablespoons of dietary fat each day. Approved sources of fat for the muscle builder are the unsaturated kind which is liquid at room temperature and is found in canola and olive oils, nuts, seeds and avocados.

The missing components here are rest and recuperation. You’ve placed your body under great stress and it needs rest. The specific muscles you’ve worked on need to recuperate and shouldn’t be exercised again until they properly recover. For most people that means at least 48 hours should elapse between workouts of the same muscles.

Have you ever wondered why athletes are so lean and strong? It’s because they play and train hard. When you turn your traditional at home bodyweight workouts into high intensity, fat blasting routines, you will no longer need to stick to traditional cardio movements such as running and cycling.

If you want to design a fat loss workout you can do at home, then design circuit training workouts using bodyweight exercises. Circuit training is where you perform two or more exercises back to back with little to no rest in between each exercise.

Some of my favorite bodyweight exercises include hip bridge, jump squat, and frogger. I tend to use more difficult movements in my workouts. I started off with basic pushups, pullups, and bodyweight squats. But these movements soon became too easy for me.

The biggest mistake people make is not switching up their exercises. Your workouts need to be more intense and difficult as you get stronger. You will not be able to burn off any fat if your heart rate is not higher than 75% of your maximum. This is because high intensity workouts are better at boosting your metabolic rate than lower intensity workouts.

Your metabolic rate is a measure of how fast your burn calories. Hence, the faster your metabolic rate, the more calories you will burn. The reason why some athletes can eat a lot of junk food and still stay very lean is because they have extremely fast metabolic rates.

But, the most important thing is to make sure your workouts are fun and challenging. The moment you get bored with your workouts, you will hit a plateau in your fat loss. This is because if you’re bored with your workouts, it will be difficult to stick to your program. If you don’t stick to a fitness plan, you’ll never see results.

Reduce GERD Risks By Eating the Right Foods

Finding a good diet for GERD patients is crucial in order to help them avoid the pain and discomfort usually associated with this disorder. Just by making some changes to the kinds of food you eat, you can greatly reduce your risks of suffering from GERD, or even prevent the condition from occurring altogether.

GERD or gastroesophageal reflux disease, is a common digestive problem resulting from the back-flow of stomach acids up into the esophageal tube. There are certain foods that can trigger this disease but there are also foods that can prevent it. In order to create an effective diet for heartburn sufferers, you will need to learn some things about these foods.

Excess Weight – One Of The Causes of GERD

The main idea behind formulating a diet for GERD patients is to make sure that everything is taken in moderation. It is also essential that all unhealthy foods are avoided at all costs. Furthermore, studies have shown that excessive weight is one of the possible causes of GERD so it is also important to eat foods that will not make you gain more weight.

Diet For GERD Sufferers

According to health experts, the ideal diet for GERD patients should include several small meals taken several times during the day instead of just three large ones. These meals should consist largely of fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains and low fat milk. Fish and lean meat are the recommended protein sources, along with beans and poultry.

Foods To Avoid GERD

Among the foods to be avoided are those that contain a lot of sugar, fat and acid, which can all cause further harm to someone who is already suffering from GERD. Specific foods that have commonly been cited as potential GERD causes are chocolates, tomato-based products and peppermints. Also, alcoholic and carbonated beverages and drinks that contain caffeine should be excluded from the diet for GERD patients. Instead, you should drink plenty of water and fresh fruit juices to keep the body hydrated and toxin-free.

For some people, only a few minor changes need to be made to their regular diet but for others, a complete diet overhaul may be necessary. In the latter case, it might be a good idea to make the changes gradually so as to give your body ample time to adjust to your new healthier lifestyle. Once you start eating the right foods, you will notice the symptoms of GERD decreasing. Pretty soon, you will be living a GERD-free life, all thanks to good food and some determination.