The women's fitness blog

If you've been losing weight for a while, you may come to a stage where you can't lose any more fat from some areas. For women, this is usually the stomach, hips and thighs. If you want to shift that stubborn fat from these problem areas, it doesn't have to be hard. Even if you are busy, I can show you how to succeed.

My intention with this post is to teach you a few things you can do to shift the fat and how plan out your day to help.

1. Fat Loss Workouts

You may think that in order to get in an effective workout you have to spend hours every week slaving away on the treadmill or going to classes in order to lose that stubborn fat from your stomach, hips, thighs, buttocks and upper back.

Have you attained the body of your dreams by doing that or do you just think that that's what you're supposed to do?

Doing hours of light exercise isn't going to shift that stubborn fat.

All you really need to do is find about 10-20 minutes every day to fit in quality, intense workouts, with little interruption, and you'll be burning fat like crazy.

You don't even need lots of fancy equipment. You could get away with just using some dumbbells, resistance bands and your own bodyweight. Just make sure the dumbbells are heavy enough - you should have to make real effort and work up a sweat.

Here's an example of a female fat loss bodyweight workout. Do these exercises in a circuit format and complete as many of the circuits as you can in 15 minutes.

1A) Bodyweight Squat - 15 reps

1B) Push-up - 10 reps

1C) Hip Extension - 15 reps

1D) Plank - 45 seconds

1E) Forward Lunge - 15 per leg

1F) Push-up - 10 reps

1G) Mt. Climbers - 30 seconds

Do that a few times a week and I guarantee you'll lose stomach fat, you'll lose the muffin top...you'll be losing that stubborn fat like crazy!

2. Fit in quality meals when you're busy

It's tough to fit in quality meals when you're always on the go, but that doesn't mean it's impossible.

You just need to learn to plan ahead and know where your weaknesses are.

Do you always find yourself starving by 9:00? Well, then plan ahead and bring along some almonds and a piece of fruit so you're not tempted to eat an unhealthy snack, bagel or nothing at all.

If you get really pressed for time and are hungry come lunch time, don't head for the nearest drive-thru or to eat a high-fat or high-carb meal. Instead, plan ahead and make something for lunch that's easy to eat on the go like a turkey or chicken breast sandwich with some fruit. Make sure you snack on healthy foods through the morning so you don't get too hungry and can show some self-control.

You should also sit down on Sundays and look at your calendar and plan ahead for the week. If you know you're going to be busy every night of the week, plan ahead and bake up a bunch of chicken breast and have some healthy side dishes prepared in advance so all you have to do is pop them in the microwave and you're good to go.

Convenience is key with this one. If it's not convenient, you'll find something that is...like fast food or a box of cookies.

Learn to understand your habits and follow these two stubborn fat loss tips and you'll be well on your way to getting rid of the stubborn fat that just won't seem to go away.

Labels: busy lifestyle, hips, stomach, thighs

What lady doesn't want flat, firm abs and a sexy stomach?

What busy woman and mom doesn't want to lose stomach fat and finally feel good wearing her swimsuit or tight tank top and skinny jeans?

I can count on one hand the number of women I've trained who were totally satisfied with their stomachs, and I've been training women for years and have logged thousands of personal training sessions.

But what does it take to get that flat, firm stomach? How does a woman lose stomach fat? Does she really need to do lots of crunches, buy the latest gizmo, follow some weird diet or go on mind-numbingly boring walks or jogs with her friends?

In short, no. I'm going to reveal to you the top 3 secrets to flat, firm abs for ladies. Follow them and you will lose stomach fat and you will have that flat sexy tummy you want.

#1. Nutrition is Key.

You really can't overlook nutrition. You're probably saying to yourself "No kidding, smart guy.", but I'm serious. No workout will ever outperform a bad eating plan, no matter how tough the workout plan may be. You just can't look past your nutrition.

That doesn't mean that you need to eat like a bird, nor does it mean you need to stick with some crazy fad diet that your co-worker, sister, mom, or the other moms at the park told you about.

You need to eat sensibly and you need to eat more than you think. First you need to cut out all the processed carbohydrates found in boxes and bags, yes that includes all those so-called "healthy" crackers and snacks. Most are wolves in sheep's clothing that will do nothing but make you gain fat, especially stomach fat.

You need to consume lots and lots of fruits and vegetables. You may have heard that fruits make you fat because they've got too much sugar, but that's a total lie. I've never known anyone who eats lots of fruit and gets fat. Quite the contrary, everyone I know who eats lots of fresh fruit is very lean with very little body fat and the majority of them have flat, firm stomachs that look awesome in tank-tops and swimsuits. So stick with fresh fruits and veggies if you want to lose stomach fat and get that flat, firm stomach.

You also need to make sure you're getting enough protein. That doesn't mean you need to eat tons of meat, though. You can get plenty of protein by consuming lots of healthy nuts and legumes like almonds, peanuts, black and white beans, etc.

Whole-grains are also a good source of protein as is soy.

However if you're going to get your protein from meat sources or dairy, just make sure it's low in fat and if at all possible organic.

#2. Switch from long steady-state boring cardio to interval training.

Long, steady state cardio is a favorite for ladies wanting to lose stomach fat and get that firm, flat stomach. I always see women out on the sidewalks, streets and bike trails with their friends walking for hours upon hours everyday hoping to get rid of their stomach fat, yet most of them look the same today as they did a couple months ago.

That's because long, steady state cardio as a means to lose stomach fat is a thing of the past, especially for a busy woman like you.

There's a better way and that better way is through interval training.

Doing interval training doesn't mean you have to turn yourself into some kind of world-class sprinter or "hardcore" athlete. It just means you have to step up your intensity every 60-90 seconds and work harder.

Say you like to jog for your cardio. That's fine, just intermix bouts of running harder for a period of 30 seconds every 90 seconds and repeat that cycle about 6 times and you're done...after your warm-up of course. If you do it correctly, you'll have worked your tail off and jacked your metabolism up for the rest of the day helping you to lose stomach fat even while you're not working out!

#3. Stop doing so many crunches and sit-ups!

Endless amounts of crunches, sit-ups, twists, leg lifts, etc. will do little to nothing when it comes to getting rid of your tummy fat and getting that flat, firm stomach you've always wanted.

Actually they'll do practically nothing, despite what the advertisements and so-called experts tell you.

To lose stomach fat and get that flat, firm tummy you have to burn the layer of fat off your stomach and doing so means that you have to combine the first two tips I just gave you and limit the number of crunches you do in favor of full-body workouts and full-body exercises.

You can't spot reduce. When your body burns fat, it doesn't just burn it from one spot, it burns it from everywhere. So it should make sense that to burn the most fat you need to move the most muscle and crunches move very little muscle.

You should instead stick to exercises like squats, lunges, push-ups, etc. Those exercises work lots of muscle, which means they burn lots of calories and will have that layer of fat burned off your stomach in no time giving you that firm sexy stomach you've always wanted.

So take my advice and follow those 3 tips and before you know it, you'll be able to fit into that bikini, buy those skinny jeans and wear that sexy tank top because you'll be rid of your stomach fat and finally have that firm and flat stomach.

Labels: abs, six pack, six-pack, stomach, toning