Lose Fat Fast: Target Body Weight Loss Areas
Author: Daniel Murray - Contact: Contact Details
Published: 2013/05/31 - Updated: 2023/08/02
Publication Type: Informative
Topic: How to Lose Weight Tips (Publications Database)
Page Content: Synopsis Introduction Main Item
Synopsis: From head to toe Daniel Murray takes us through a number of ways and exercises that assist in losing fat in various parts of the body. There are many different types of fat that include saturated and unsaturated fats and each of these has their own function, beneficial or not. The problem with fat is although we need a certain amount of "good" fat to survive, it is easier to accumulate more of bad fat than we need, causing us to gain weight.
Introduction
Weight loss is defined, in the context of medicine, health or physical fitness, as a reduction of the total body mass due to a mean loss of fluid, body fat or adipose tissue and/or lean mass, namely bone mineral deposits, muscle, tendon and other connective tissue. It can occur unintentionally due to an underlying disease or from a conscious effort to improve an actual or perceived overweight or obese state.
Main Item
Your body uses food for energy. It stores any excess energy as fat. This means if you eat more food than your body needs for daily activities and cell maintenance, you'll gain weight.
What Exactly is Fat?
No matter what your current weight is, everyone has fat on their body. There are many different types of fat that include saturated and unsaturated fats and each of these has their own function, beneficial or not. There are types of fat that are beneficial for our overall health and system function. Fats are necessary to the absorption and digestion of vitamins such as K, E, D and A. You have more than likely heard of essential fatty acids and this type of fat is necessary for the overall function of the body, inside and out. Fats promote healthier skin and hair as well as provide you with a proper body temperature and serve to protect your organs in more ways than one.
Now that you are aware of the benefits of fats and how your body needs fat in order to function and survive properly, it is time to focus on the fats that cause us to gain weight and lose energy.
The saturated fats are the fats that should be limited when it comes to your daily consumption. These types of fats add to your high cholesterol levels, increase the blockage within your important arteries and add to your risk of heart disease. The problem with fat is that although we do need a certain amount of "good" fat to survive, it is easier to accumulate more of the bad fat than we need, causing us to gain weight.
There are many different disease factors that are associated with saturated fats and many of these conditions can be life threatening if this type of fat is not eliminated from your diet and lost through exercise on a regular basis. You may be at a higher risk for diabetes, heart disease, high cholesterol, cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure and even gallbladder diseases. There are so many areas of your body that can be affected when you have accumulated too much fat, it can literally be a risk to your life.
Understanding which types of fat are beneficial and what types of food are the sources, as well as which foods to avoid becomes very important to everyone's diet no matter how old you are. The younger you adapt this type of healthy eating and living the less likely you will be to accumulate too much fat that can be hard to lose once you have it. Take the time to readjust your life today, for the better.
How to Lose:
Face Fat
Many people look at their bodies and target the areas that require work and fat reduction and one of the most popular areas for both men and women is the face.
Right up front it is important for you to be aware that spot fat reduction is not possible, no matter how much diet and exercise you conduct it is not only going to affect one area and for your face, it can be hard to melt this fat away. This does not make this task impossible; however it is one task where patience is required because it will take time for your exercising efforts to reach the fat within your face.
Generally if you are feeling that your face is fat, it is fair to say that this is not the only problem area you have to work on. With this being said, overall exercise regimes are the best way to begin your quest towards face fat loses. You will want to combine a rigorous but not extreme cardio routine of 15-20 minutes to start with a strength training program that focuses on each part of the body to provide you with an overall toning and strengthening. You will want to create a workout schedule to help you keep on track of your exercises and make sure to alternate different muscle groups each day so there is a rest day in between workouts for each group.
Once you have your workout regime set in place, it is time to take a closer look at your diet. You will want to cut out anything with artificial sweeteners or sugar in them as well as caffeine and processed foods. These are the foods that are causing you not only to gain weight but keep the weight and immediately eliminating them from your diet is the first action you must take. Replace these unhealthy beverages with water, plain, natural water. Water can help cleanse your body of these toxins you are putting in it and help you digest your food which is a major component in weight loss that is often overlooked.
Unfortunately these are the only two steps we can outline for you as there are no exercises for your face! Working out your entire body thoroughly like we have stated above will help you melt away fat all over your body and yes this includes your face.
Arm Fat
Many men and women alike have the extra arm fat that can make them feel self conscious and even embarrassed. If this is you than we have the exercises and strategies to help you lose this arm fat and create lean muscle to replace it.
All it takes is a proper diet and the strength training exercises that target your arms to help reduce this excess fat and make it less noticeable within only a few weeks. Just as with any problem area it is always more beneficial to focus your efforts on your overall body and health so your arms are not the only area of your body that are toned and in shape.
When many people hear the term "strength training" they are immediately scared and don't want to take part in it because they are not looking to gain big bulky muscles only lose their excess arm fat.
The truth about strength training is that there are several ways to utilize it and unless you are planning to become a body builder there are dozens of ways to use strength training to tone your arm fat and the rest of your body as well without creating the out of proportioned muscles everyone fears getting with this type of regime. As part of your workout routine you first want to include exercises that target your biceps, triceps and shoulders as these are the most important features of your arms that retain the excess fat you want to lose.
By choosing to target each and every muscle within the arm, you have a better chance to lose muscle throughout the entire arm as well as sending a message to your body to store its excess fat somewhere else. You cannot choose one or only two of these three muscle groups and expect to see results, work on each of the three or don't bother because you won't see results any other way. There are many different forms of exercise you can utilize in order to work the entire arm within one exercise or several different exercises for each muscle group.
The push-up is very effective for strengthening and toning your entire arm but if you are not prone to doing push-ups they can be very hard in the beginning. Start off slow with only 5 push-ups and constantly raise the number so you are always faced with a challenge. The second your chosen exercise becomes easy, you are not pushing yourself hard enough. Next you will want to focus your attention on the dumbbells. There are dozens of different arm exercises you can utilize here and best of all you can do them at home as well. The dumbbell curls target your biceps, bench dips target your triceps and barbell extensions are good for your biceps. These are only a few of the different techniques and can be used and remember that your form is very important for any of these exercises to be successful.
There is no way to lose arm fat alone so make sure you are incorporating these arm targeted exercises into your regular fitness routine that works your entire body, as the fat melts throughout the rest of your body, it will reach your arms as well. Also, make sure to include aerobic activity into your workout routine as this is the fastest way to burn calories and fat in your arms. Make sure to utilize any of the cardio machines at your gym or running from home for at least 20 - 30 minutes every other day for best results.
Stomach Fat
For many people everything they eat goes straight to their stomach, creating or adding to the classic pot belly look. This can be very discouraging but it can also be what pushes a man or a woman to begin a workout program to help lose stomach fat and keep it off. Everyone has a limit and when your health comes into question as it often does with excess stomach fat, it is important to take action and do something about it. There are several different types of techniques that can be utilized to burn away stomach fat, check out the list below and use them to help you get started.
Your diet is generally the key component to this targeted form of weight gain which makes changing your diet the perfect place to start. First, you will want to minimize the amounts of white breads you consume in a day. We are not telling you to give up carbohydrates altogether, only that white bread tends to store as fat easier and more frequently than whole grain products. Next, you will want to avoid fried or processed foods as they contain large amounts of fats and grease which only make it that much more difficult to burn your existing calories when you are adding to them daily.
Alcohol is a big weight gainer as well that many people do not realize. Alcohol literally slows down your metabolism so cutting down or even better eliminating alcohol from your diet is the best way to do what you can to prevent more calories and fats from entering your body regularly. Maintaining a high in protein diet is a great way to make sure that your muscles stay toned and lean during your workouts and proteins like fish and lean meats are great for your overall health as well.
Conducting more intense workouts for shorter periods of time is a great way to begin melting stomach fat and seeing results in no time. Cardio is the perfect way to begin your exercise routine and get your heart rate up and running also requires your abdominal muscles to do some of the work which in turn helps you burn stomach fat. Cardiovascular routines also help speed up your metabolism, always make sure to start and end your routine with cardio.
Depending on your current fitness level you can choose to conduct shorter workouts that are more intense or less intense workouts that are longer. This is an option that is left up to you and you will be able to tell the difference when you try one or the other. You burn more fat with longer workouts but you tone more muscle with shorter workouts. When you begin to lose stomach fat, switch to the shorter workout routines in order to take that muscle and tone it.
Working your legs is actually the key to burning stomach fat and this is how everyone should start. Bicycle crunches actually work both your legs and abdomen and should be utilized accordingly. Always make sure that you are conducting a full body workout and drinking plenty of water throughout your workout as well as throughout each and every day. Water cleanses your system and makes sure there are no toxins inhibiting you from your weight loss goals. By doing all that you can to lose stomach fat, through 3-5 workout sessions a week it won't be long before you start to see the results you have dreamed about.
Lower Belly Fat
It is far easier to lose fat in the upper abdominal area that it is in the lower, this requires far more endurance and self discipline to receive the results you are hoping for. Losing lower belly fat can be difficult for both men and women if you do not know where to start.
Learning the key components to overall belly fat loss is a great place to start and then narrow down your exercises to focus on the lower quadrants of your belly to get rid of the stubborn fat that is found there on many men and women today. It is far easier to lose fat in the upper abdominal area that it is in the lower, this requires far more endurance and self discipline to receive the results you are hoping for.
Reverse crunches are by far the best of the best when it comes to burning lower belly fat away for good. You lay on your back on the floor with your legs tight together so your body is completely straight and your hands at your sides or behind your head. Take your legs and lift them so they are off the floor and cross your legs at your knees. You then pull your legs towards you and lift your hips off from the floor, making sure that your back is flat on the floor throughout this entire exercise. Repeat this reverse crunch in sets of 10-12 repetitions to begin with and raise them as your abdomen muscles progress.
Next you have the choice of the leg raises. This is a simple exercise to understand but the results are phenomenal. You lay on your back on the floor with your hands at your sides and as close to your body as possible. From here you simply raise your legs, keeping them straight and together, pushing your abs into the floor during this process. Bring them back down and repeat. It is amazing how much you will feel this simple exercise and this is a great exercise to help relieve tension in the lower back as well.
Lastly, it is important to take note on the foods and beverages going into your body. If all you drink is caffeine then maybe it is time to eliminate these toxins and replace them with water. The same goes for processed and fatty foods that can be replaced with fresh vegetables that can not only lower your weight but increase the nutrients you place in your body as well. With the combination of exercises and a healthy nutritious diet, you are well on your way to losing that lower belly fat.
Belly Fat and Children
An alarming new report shows that abdominal obesity, belly fat, in kids is up 65%. The report is especially alarming in light of new evidence showing that belly fat is a much better indicator of diseases like heart disease and diabetes than the traditional body mass index. Pediatricians and doctors alike are growing concerned in the new trend as some children are developing fat related diseases that are normally found in later life.
The first ever national study which covers the years 1998 to 2004 breaks the belly fat issue among boys and girl found that among boys the incidence of belly fat had increased 65% and the incidence among girls was up 70%. The findings are painting a bleak picture for children. Children with belly fat are more prone to develop type II diabetes and some are even being reported to have early onset cardiovascular disease.
Belly fat accumulates in the body just like any other fat. The body converts excess calories it gets through the eating process into fat and the fat is stored. This stored fat is supposed to be used by the body when extra reserves of energy are called for. The making of fat in the body is not unusual, but what is unusual is the decrease in the call up of reserves in children. Children have been historically a segment of the population with very active lifestyles, typically burning any excess body fat on their body.
Children today are facing a combination of poor diet and lack of exercise. High fat fast food diets are becoming more of a staple in children's diets, and even when they do receive home cooked meals, some children suffer poor diets as parents often are not aware of the nutritional value of the foods they prepare. It's kind of a double whammy for children, they are getting poorer nutrition in the food's they eat, and they are exercising less to burn off the extra calories.
It's not too late for children with belly fat. The resiliency of youth can combine with the implementation of healthy diets and exercise routines which can counter act the effects of belly fat. Parents play a key role in getting their children to a healthier life position.
By setting up more nutritious diets and promoting exercise rich life styles, parents can help their belly fat children shed weight and learn to live healthier lives.
Hip Fat
It would be nice if we could target our weight loss to one particular area, but unfortunately that is just not how the weight loss game works. Although everyone can look at their bodies and see problem areas they want to fix, the only way to go about this is to conduct a full body workout regime to lose hip fat as well as fat anywhere else on the body.
It is important to mention right up front that if your diet it not healthy, than it will become impossible to lose hip fat; your diet is a very important component to weight loss.
You will want to include protein, carbohydrates and of course each of the four food groups in every meal. Fresh vegetables and fruits should be eaten daily because they are high in fiber and are a great aid to lose that unwanted hip fat.
An equal amount of proteins and complex carbohydrates (whole grains) equals diets that can help you succeed with your fat loss goals. Doing all that you can to raise your metabolism is the key to losing this type of stubborn fat from areas like your hips are hard to work out.
You want to become more active by going to the gym and completing a full body workout. Cardio is the key to losing stubborn fat that cannot be burned off any other way. Cardio is the best way to burn off calories and in a short period of time, this is why it is a great idea to begin your workout with 20-30minutes of cardio to get you heart rate as well as your metabolism up.
Exercises like the leg press, hip abductors and squats can help lose hip fat and are beneficial for other parts of your body as well.
Every exercise you do works on your abdominals and these exercises are no different. Being able to understand these exercises and which muscle groups they target is the only way to make sure you can lose that hip fat and keep it off. Without this common understanding you will not find results only frustration.
Get rid of that extra weight around your mid-section and improve your health and lifestyle at the same time. Once you lose hip fat, it is only easy to keep it off if you maintain your workout strategies and diet for the long term.
Bottom Fat
Bottom fat is perhaps the most difficult area of the body to lose fat and turn that fat into toned muscle, but we have the tips that can help you get on the right track.
First let's clear the myth that there are special exercises that allow you to lose weight in one area versus another, this is not true. In order to fix one problem area of your body you have to engage in a full body workout and the fat will melt away evenly. A full body workout includes a 20 minute cardio routine to start, followed by a weight or strength training routine to help you burn fat at a quicker rate and see new firm muscles throughout your body.
Your full body workout should always include specified exercises that target your chosen problem area, in this case your butt. There are dozens of different bottom exercises that can help you lose bottom fat which means you will never get bored of your fitness regime as there are always new exercises to mix things up.
Choose 3-4 of the following bottom targeted exercises to get you started and feel free to change them every week or so for something different.
Dead Lift: you begin this exercise by standing with your feet apart and your toes facing outward. With your hands clasped together in front of you, bend at your knees from your hips and keep your spine completely straight. It is helpful to do this exercise in front of a mirror to make sure you are utilizing your posture.
Kneeling Kickback: start on all fours and raise one leg as high as you can and then lower it. Do these while alternating legs with reps of 12-15 or as many as you can do within a set.
Stair climbing machines: Ideal for your butt and can be taken advantage of at any gym. This type of continuous workout is great for burning bottom fat.
Squats: stand straight against the wall and bend at the knees until your knees are at a 90 degree angle. Repeat this in 10-12 reps and 1-2 sets.
Stability ball: Lie with the ball on your stomach, facing down and bend your legs at the knees so you can lift them into the air, therefore lifting your butt off the ball. A set of 10 is generally enough to get started as this is a difficult exercise.
Learning how to lose bottom fat is something everyone is interested in and by including these exercises in your fitness routine you have a good chance of success.
Thigh Fat
Toning the muscle in your thighs as well as learning how to lose thigh fat, is simple and easy and everyone has the ability to see results.
As you probably already know everyone's body stores fat differently and if your thighs are your problem areas, there is a large variety of different exercises that can be utilized to lose fat and gain muscle. Everyone wants sexy legs for the summer, men and women and now is the time to begin your new workout routine for fast results.
When it comes to losing thigh fat you need to understand that there are three different muscle groups to focus on in order to see results; the quadriceps, hamstrings and hip abductors. Focusing on only one of these alone is not enough to see results. We have outlined the exercises below that fall under each different muscle group so you know exactly how to use them and when. You want to make sure that you are working out at least 4 times a week for best results, but always having a day of rest in between for your muscles to recover.
Quadriceps: The walking lunge is great for these muscles. You simply begin in the lunge position and carry it out in a straight line as if you were walking. This can be more work than you think and you should accomplish at least 10 lunges throughout the process.
Step-up: A simple exercise that promotes a great deal of thigh strength. You use an exercise box or bench and step up with your left foot and then rotate and repeat.
Hamstrings: Lying leg curls are one of the most effective for this muscle group. You simply lay face down on a bench with a cable cord attached to your legs to pull the weight up as you bring your legs in towards your buttocks. Slowly lower them back down and repeat in sets of 10-12 repetitions to begin.
The standing leg curl uses the cables again: Here you are standing with your feet hip width apart and you take your left foot and curl it up towards your buttocks, repeat with right leg as well.
Hip Abductors: Leg raises are best for this part of your thigh. You lay with your back flat on the ground and raise your legs high, lower them slowly back down but not so they are touching the floor, so they are about 1inch above the floor and repeat 10 times for best results.
Leg Fat
Understanding the most beneficial and successful methods to lose leg fat is the best way to begin your new workout routine.
It is impossible to begin working out with the goal to lose leg fat when you have no idea where to start, so let us help you. As you have probably already discovered it is not possible to lose fat in only one area of your body and not the other areas. This can be discouraging news to hear but you still have the ability to lose leg fat when you maintain and utilize a full body workout, combined with a healthy diet.
Your legs are perhaps the easiest to train and lose fat on because there are so many different types of exercises and options to choose from. When you have a wide variety of exercises to choose from you can be sure that you will never be bored when you are working out, therefore ensuring a longer and more successful fitness regime. Calve raises are a great place to start. This type of exercise focuses on the back of your legs and can be done with a machine at the gym or from home with dumbbells. You simply stand; holding two dumbbells of your chosen weight in your hands and raise your body up so you are standing on your tip toes. Then lower back down slowly. Repeat this in sets of 10-12 to start.
Next you have squats which are very productive. These too can be done at the gym or at home. Holding weights in your hands from home or with a barbell on your shoulders at the gym you keep your back straight and lower down with your knees until they are at a 90degree angle. Slowly return to your starting position. You should feel this in your thighs and glutes but if you don't then please stop to make sure you are doing this exercise correctly.
Although cardio has been branded for only those who love to run, it is a great asset for those looking to lose leg fat. Whether you choose to run, jog, walk, rollerblade or play any type of recreational sport you can be sure this is working out those leg muscles accordingly. This is one of the greatest aspects of trying to lose leg fat, you can run outside or in the gym you can play tennis or do leg extensions at the gym, with so many options you can constantly be changing your workout program to coincide with the weather or your choices of the day.
Lastly, it is important for us to mention the importance of your diet in regards to how you lose your leg fat. No matter how much time you spend exercising you will still not lose the leg fat if on the way home you are drinking a soda and then you eat through the drive-thru for dinner. It is time to develop a healthier lifestyle overall and begin working to change your health and lose fat throughout your entire body for best results. Start drinking large amounts of water throughout the day, no caffeine, no junk food and no processed foods. You want to be able to cut your calorie intake through your diet which in turn will help you burn more fat throughout your workouts.
Find the food guide that is right for you by searching the internet or speaking with a nutritionist to get you on the right track. By putting so much effort into working out to lose leg fat, you have to go all the way and change your lifestyle to find the results and then maintain them as well.
Losing Visceral Fat
Visceral fat is the fat that surrounds your inner organs, or better known as hidden fat. This fat is most commonly located around the mid-section because this is where the majority of our inner organs are located.
This type of fat can be more dangerous as it is closer to the skin and can put you at a greater risk for diabetes, heart disease, hypertension and high cholesterol.
Overeating is the main way you can develop visceral fat. If you intake more fatty foods on a regular basis than your body is more likely store this amount of excess fat around your stomach and internal organs when you reach a limit of fat storage that is maxed out. When a person becomes over weight or even obese they increase the chance of experiencing the dangers and risks of visceral fat build up.
Some of the most effective ways to lose this visceral fat include intense cardiovascular routines on a regular basis. This can include activities at the gym or swimming, jogging, walking, rollerblading or any type of sport. Losing weight throughout your entire body and regaining a new sense of health is the best way to begin losing this visceral fat. More aggressive and intense forms of exercise may be required in order to lose this type of internal fat, but with a solid effort it is not impossible.
Of course a change in diet is 100% necessary to even see the slightest bit of change when you reach this type of fat loss program requirements. By utilizing a diet that is higher in protein and lower in fat is the way to begin breaking down and burning away that visceral fat. Lots of fruits, vegetables, lean meats and water are the key to this type of intense and aggressive weight loss.
A doctor can tell you if you do in fact have visceral fat and when you find this information out, take the above steps to help you move towards a healthier lifestyle that will help you lose visceral fat for good.
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Cite This Page (APA): Daniel Murray. (2013, May 31 - Last revised: 2023, August 2). Lose Fat Fast: Target Body Weight Loss Areas. Disabled World. Retrieved November 3, 2024 from www.disabled-world.com/fitness/diets/bodyfat/body-weight.php
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