How to lose weight- I get many emails from women over 40 asking this question. At this age the unwanted body fat often accumulates on the stomach.

Are you over 40? Do you want to lose belly fat? You'll frequently receive the advice to do crunches and other exercises aiming at the abdominal muscles. Will these exercises answer the question "How to lose weight?"

It appears to be logical- if you are exercising a body part, the fat on this particular body part will get less. But the way we are burning fat does not work like that.

There is no spot fat reduction. Where you will increase weight and where you lose it depends on your constitution, it s in the genes. Over 40 this genetic program is getting stronger and stronger. Especially in women over 40 the genetic program often leads to building up fat on top of the stomach- urging them to ask: How to lose weight?

"I want to lose belly fat" is something I hear very often- but, unfortunately, it is not possible to lose fat on a body part. All we can do is to get an overall lean body (what is an ever better outcome anyway than just lose belly fat).

If you ask yourself: How to lose weight- are crunches effective? Crunches are great to tone the core muscles around your belly. To get a nicely shaped figure, numerous exercises for the ab muscles will help you achieve that. I recommend to do some exercises for the lower back muscles as well, to make the whole midsection strong. This will improve posture and prevent lower back pain. For many over 40 back pain is rather common- our sedentary life style adds to that greatly.

In comparison crunches are not the most time-efficient thing to do when you want to lose weight. The belly muscles are relatively small, so if you spend 15 minutes on crunches you burn much fewer calories as if you'd spend 15 minutes exercising your leg muscles. Your leg muscles are much bigger and will burn more calories in the same time. If you are asking yourself: How to lose weight than crunches won't help you much.

So: Don't do crunches to lose belly fat over 40, do crunches to tone up your core.

In this short article I gave you some ideas on how to lose weight.

Losing weight is full of obstacles these days. The availability of fattening food demands good choices. The main stumbling block is inconvenience. It's not convenient to be on a diet. Especially in the fast paced world we live in. Making wise food choices can be easier than you think if you arm yourself with convenient food that's scientifically designed for weight loss.

Healthy food is composed of high fiber, high protein, and most importantly, they're low glycemic. The protein and fiber fill you up and keep you feeling full and the low glycemic carbs release energy slowly and maintain balanced blood sugar levels. How do you consistently meet those healthy eating guidelines if you're not a health nut or dietician? The most convenient way to meet these guidelines is in the form of bars and shakes that are specifically designed for this reason.

Ideally, if you can start the day with a low glycemic shake that is high in protein and fiber, you will be giving yourself a huge jump-start. Permanent weight loss is about changing eating habits. A morning shake is an easy habit to get into and it can make the most difference. It's true what they say: "Breakfast is the most important meal of the day". Make it a good one.

That brings me to lunch (and in-between snacks). My solution is a balanced meal replacement bar if time is short and you have no healthy lunch options. If you're going to eat lunch then I recommend eating a healthy snack an hour or two before lunch. Try fresh fruit or even a half of a meal bar. That way you won't over-eat and you can even save money by ordering less.

Don't block yourself from shedding unwanted weight. Shed old eating habits and swing the pendulum back toward a healthier look and feel. Make it healthy. Make it right, with convenient bars and shakes scientifically designed for weight loss.

The best way to lose weight is not hard, but it does take some discipline. If you do not educate yourself on healthy food choices, you will stumble and trip up and down the scale. Eating healthy is a choice. But how do you choose wisely?

Portion control is key. Everyone knows if you can limit your meal sizes, losing weight would be gravy! That's easy to say, but very difficult to do. How do you effectively curb your appetite? With High protein, high fiber, and low glycemic food. This is a powerful weight loss combination. Lets explore each of these to help understand how they can help.

Good sources of protein are low fat. Some popular choices are fish and chicken, but beware of fatty meats like beef and pork. Protein digests slowly keeping you feeling full longer. It helps prevent snacking between meals. Ever had a protein shake or bar? You won't be hungry for hours! Now lets talk about the glycemic index.

The glycemic index of food measures how fast each carbohydrate turns into glucose (sugar) in the bloodstream. Low glycemic foods keep you feeling full longer because the carbs (energy) is used at a slower rate. High glycemic foods on the other hand raise your blood sugar and the excess glucose is stored as fat. You get hungry faster and the cycle repeats itself. Understanding the glycemic index is a very effective way to lose weight naturally and without hunger pains. Whole food like fresh fruits, vegetables, grains, and beans are always a good choice.

High fiber foods are practically missing in the American diet. Have you heard anyone boasting about their daily fiber supplement? I have personally heard several co-workers bragging about the "outcome" of fiber supplementation. The way they tell it, I half expect them to shake my hand and pull out a box of cigars! Being regular is not just a psychological "pick-me-up", it's necessary for good health and weight loss. Fiber is by definition a carbohydrate that cannot be used for energy. It's "filler". Eating high fiber foods will also scrub your intestines clean, which allows better digestion of nutrients. It's a win-win.

Whole foods (fresh fruits, vegetables, grains, nuts, etc) are usually low glycemic and high fiber. Couple that with some lean meat and you have a recipe for weight loss. Hint: When shopping at your local grocery store try to buy more food from the perimeter of the store (that's where all the fresh food is). The isles are designed for the packaged, preserved, and fattening food.

The best way to lose weight is to suppress you appetite naturally. If you start reading labels in search of high protein and high fiber foods while educating yourself on the glycemic index, you can lose weight without going hungry.

Simply stated, metabolism is the process by which your body converts food into energy. The faster your metabolism works the more calories you burn, the slower your metabolism works, the fewer calories. Dieters are sometimes misguided in their efforts to accelerate metabolism unnaturally through the use of drugs or speedy supplements. This approach may temporarily "jack - up" one's metabolic rate for the purpose of weight loss, but over a longer term is doomed to fail, and any weight lost will, no doubt, return with a vengeance.

In truth, over seventy percent of your metabolism is used for basic functions such as breathing and heart beat, and is not easily controlled (this is called Basal Metabolic Rate or BMR). Like a furnace set on automatic for room temperature, your BMR burns calories at a fairly even rate, twenty four hours a day. Products designed to speed up your BMR over the long haul generally act like petro-fuel being tossed into your body's "furnace." Such substances, usually stimulants (whether natural or synthetic), are marginally safe for the short term but often have dangerous side effects associated with continued or longer term use.

Once you stop taking the metabolism "accelerators" your body will react violently in the reverse direction and overcompensate to "slow down the burning", i.e. the yo yo effect where weight rapidly returns with a vengeance, usually with interest!

The good news is, about thirty percent of your metabolism can be controlled. How? Through physical activity, of course. In addition, physical activity stimulates muscle growth, which is also good for weight loss, as muscle tissue burns more calories than fat tissue. This is nature's way of keeping your body lean.

But there's more good news - internal cleansing can also naturally speed up a sluggish metabolism. When a body is toxic it attracts and holds onto fat as a way of trapping toxins - an automatic protective mechanism to keep them out of your bloodstream. In other words, the body's survival instinct determines that it is of course better to be fat than dead! The basic problem however is that this excess fat and toxin situation also slows down metabolic function and you tend to keep getting fatter - until you do something about the condition.

You may notice for example that when a bug runs into some bug spray and begins to absorb toxins it will slow down gradually and then eventually stop, dead in its tracks. Likewise the human body slows down as toxins are absorbed through artificial food additives and environmental chemicals.

Our society has been thoroughly inundated with chemical preservatives, artificial colors and flavors, chemical sweeteners, pesticides, industrial chemicals and on and on to an unprecedented degree. Never before in our history have people needed to deal with this insanely unnatural situation. Bodies get confused when ingesting these non digestible toxins and continually accumulate fat in their defense. Just observe the current overweight and obesity crisis - not to mention all of the medical risk factors proven to be associated with excess weight.

When you effectively rid the body of these toxins the metabolism picks up speed and resumes its normal rate of food burning. Weight that held on tenaciously before seems to just fall off and normal body functions are restored.

A recent University study conducted by Dr. Michale Gonzales (Bachelor degree in biology and chemistry (Catholic University), Masters in Cellular Biology and Biophysics (Nova University), Masters in Nutrition and Public Health (University of P.R.), Doctorate in Health Sciences (Lafayette University), Doctorate in Nutritional Medicine (John F. Kennedy University) and a Doctorate on Nutritional Biochemistry and Cancer Biology (Michigan State University) showed a direct correlation between system detoxification and weight loss, increased metabolism and restored health. Amazing body chemistry corrections often occur with lowered cholesterol levels, lowered glucose levels and increased Ph levels resulting from correctly administered cleansing. Each and every one of us can easily reverse the downward spiral of unwanted weight gain and compromised health in this simple way.

Conclusion: When it comes to controlling weight, the word metabolism only need enter the conversation relating to how fast one is burning calories through physical activity. Stay away from products that promise to speed up metabolism over a long-term basis. Cleanse periodically to restore metabolic efficiency and phase into a proper diet consisting mainly of chemical free, natural foods. And regular physical activity is of course your best guarantee over the long haul.

Sometimes, what you need to lose the tummy fat is some motivation. Whether it be feeling jealous about someone else losing the fat or just your family encouraging you that you can do it, these tips can help you out. Here are some smart tips to implement.

Doing aerobic exercise is a must for burning stomach fat. Examples of such include joggling, cycling, nordic walking, stair climbing, and swimming. Also, one myth about abdominal fat loss is that you can lose fat by doing sit-ups or crunches. This is simply not in most cases. It can, however, lead to a ripped chest. No harm in that.

Starting a healthy diet should no doubt be part of your routine. No since in doing jumping jacks if you're going to chug down a triple cheese burger every night. Eat a good serving of fruits and vegetables every day. To keep in a lot of the nutrients associated with cooking vegetables, try using a steamer instead. There are plenty of healthy style cooking recipes out there.

Drinking water instead of soda or other unhealthy drinks does not hurt either. When you have a midnight craving, just pull out a glass of water. Not only does it stop your hunger, but is also helps hydrate your body.

Create a daily routine for all activities. The last that you want is to get overwhelmed. And when you get overwhelmed, it leads to not doing what you need to do.

With these tips and ideas comes with great consequences. It can lead to an healthier you and can promote other to do the same.