Women--6-Week Total Body Makeover
Denise Austin's targeted workouts for head-to-toe toning.
by Denise Austin, Prevention magazine

Summer’s winding down but there’s still time to whip your body into bikini-ready shape with fitness expert Denise Austin’s targeted workouts for head-to-toe toning.

Arms:
Need a body-confidence boost? Toning your upper arms with a series of simple exercises might be just what you need. Pick up a pair of dumbbells and let your gaze linger on the outline of your biceps as you lift the weights. That's how they can look all the time if you follow this workout. Get the moves…

Bust:
Although you can't make your breasts bigger, you can give them a lift (and create sexy cleavage for that low-cut dress) with exercises that firm the pectoral muscles beneath your breasts. These chest fly and push-up exercises are two moves that do just that. I've made them more challenging by showing you how to do them on an exercise ball (available at sporting goods stores). Other muscles, including your abs, also get a mini workout as they stabilize you. A beautiful bust improves your figure and boosts your confidence. And having strong chest muscles makes pushing a grocery cart loaded with groceries easy. Get the moves…

Back:
I know what you're thinking: Why bother working out muscles I can't even see? Because when back muscles are strong, they help you stand taller and pull in your tummy so you look slimmer, even if you don't drop an ounce. Plus summery clothes show more of your back than you may realize. Get the moves…

Abs:
In the hopes of creating a toned tummy, most people do sit-ups, which work the rectus abdominis, the long muscle between the ribs and the pelvis. But to really sculpt your abs, you must engage your entire torso. The three-dimensional moves in this routine zone in on your core by targeting your abs from every angle. They work the obliques on your sides, the transverse abdominis deep in your belly, and the muscles along your spine, in addition to the rectus abdominis. Get the moves…

Butt:
With bathing suit season upon us, you definitely want to look your best, which means you want to working on your posterior regions to get a great "rear view" as part of your seasonal shape up. So I've put together a super-efficient routine to tone a flabby backside.

In a recent American Council on Exercise study, these moves were shown to have the most butt-toning power. Do 3 sets of 12 reps of each exercise, 3 days a week. Get the moves…

Legs:
If you think a workout doesn't count unless it leaves you soaked with sweat and out of breath, let me introduce you to tai chi, a traditional Chinese martial art that's performed so slowly and gracefully, it almost looks as if you're moving underwater.

One of the things I love about this movement system is that it's kind to your body—but still gets results. The tai chi-inspired exercises I've chosen this month will sculpt your thighs without ever causing you a moment of joint pain. They have other benefits as well, such as promoting relaxation and fine-tuning strength, balance, and flexibility. You can do them every day for gentle lower-body toning or as a warm-up or cool-down for a more strenuous workout. Get the moves…

Denise Austin is the author of several books including Sculpt Your Body with Balls and Bands and the host of two Lifetime Television fitness programs.

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Men- Ultimate Body Overhaul
From Men's Health

Get a bigger, stronger body fast (we're talking weeks!) with this head-to-toe muscle makeover from Men's Health magazine. Starting from the top, we'll take you step-by-step through the most effective workouts for all your major muscle groups.

Shoulders:
This 4-week plan is designed to work the entire shoulder girdle—all the muscles that hold your upper-arm bone in its socket and allow the shoulder blade to move. This includes your deltoids, trapezius, rhomboids and scapular stabilizers. Get the moves....

Back:
Want to improve your lat pulldown and build a bigger back? You'll need to work the stabilizing muscles in your shoulders and upper arms to produce solid lat muscles that can handle heavier loads. This 4-week exercise plan effectively increases strength and mass. Get the moves....

Chest:
This routine attacks the primary cause of puniness. "The mistake most men make when looking for more chest size and strength is always sticking to the traditional eight-to-12-repetition principle," says Jason Ferruggia, owner of Renegade Strength and Conditioning, in Warren, New Jersey. Ferruggia's first rule: Diversify your repetition schemes and emphasize heavier-weight, lower-repetition sets. This allows you to target your body's fast-twitch muscle fibers, the ones with the greatest potential for growth. This 8-week plan trains your body to use more muscle in every exercise. Get the moves....

Abs:
Looking to shave even more time off your workout while shaving fat from your waistline?

These five moves work several areas of your midsection simultaneously. Use any one of the following substitutions to cover two or three areas with one exercise and you can reduce your workout plan to just a few exercises instead of five. Get the moves....

Butt & Legs:
The classic barbell back squat develops all the muscles of your lower body, making it a must-have move in any workout plan. It develops strength and power in the quadriceps, hamstrings and glutes, all in one basic movement.

Here, you'll find two upgrades that strengthen the same muscles while also engaging your core. An added bonus: You'll build an athletic body by improving the flexibility and stability of your lats, lower back, hips and abs. Get the moves....

Feet:
When was the last time you worked your feet? Top trainers know that two secrets to big athletic gains are at the ends of your legs. By focusing part of your workout on your feet, you'll gain greater speed, agility, power, and balance. "And, certainly, strong and flexible feet and ankles put you at less risk of sprains, strains, and other injuries," says Richard Cotton, Ph.D., chief exercise physiologist at myexerciseplan.com. Get the moves....

Photograph by Piotr Sikora / Provided by Men's Health

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Triumph Over Snack Attacks
by Lynn Grieger, R.D., C.D., C.D.E. for iVillage

We all face snack attacks: after work when the kids are hungry and we're frazzled from a hectic day; late in the evening while watching TV; on lazy weekend afternoons.

We can control snack attacks with three easy steps:

Be prepared. Make sure you have healthier snacks on hand, and keep cookies and other high-fat, high-sugar treats hidden from sight in the back of the cupboard and refrigerator.

Use the food pyramid to fill in the gaps. If breakfast was cereal and toast, perhaps a midmorning snack could consist of fruit, yogurt or string cheese—all items missing from breakfast. If you use this tactic, you won't be as easily tempted to choose high-calorie snacks, and you'll improve your nutritional intake at the same time.

Choose a satisfying snack. Do you want something salty? Sweet? Cold? If we can understand what type of flavor or texture we want, we're more likely to be satisfied sooner rather than later, after we've rummaged through the cupboards. Here are some ideas for healthy snacks:

To satisfy your sweet tooth:

• Fresh or dried fruit
• A frozen fruit-based sweet or other frozen treat
• Frozen grapes or berries
• Low-fat yogurts in exotic flavors: cappuccino, banana cream pie and even chocolate mint

If you're looking for something crunchy:

• Plain, reduced-fat microwave popcorn. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese for extra flavor.
• Pretzels and low-fat crackers made with whole grains.
• Bagel or tortilla chips. Make your own: Cut tortillas into pie-shaped wedges and slice bagels thinly. Place on a cookie sheet in a single layer, and bake in a 400-degree oven until toasted (5-10 minutes).
• Baby carrots, celery sticks and jicama slices. Keep them ready to eat in the refrigerator.

Craving protein?

• Low-fat string cheese or cubes of other reduced-fat cheese.
• A hard-boiled egg.
• Rolled-up slices of low-fat turkey or ham.
• A hearty lentil or black bean salad for fiber and protein: simply mix rinsed and drained canned legumes with your favorite fat-free salad dressing.

If you'd rather sip your snack:

• Blender drinks: Mix any combination of skim milk, yogurt, fruit juice and fruit in a blender.
• Caffeine-free flavored teas.
• We often mistake thirst for hunger: Try calorie-free flavored waters, or add your own flavor to sparkling water with a twist of lemon or lime, or even add fresh cranberries.
• Sugar-free hot chocolate made with skim milk: It not only satisfies your sweet tooth, it adds essential calcium and vitamin D to your diet.

Bag a healthy snack:

• Pretzels or plain popcorn in individual bags.
• Cereal or granola bars that contain added calcium.
• Reduced-fat or baked potato chips.
• Snack in a bag: Mix your favorite types of dry cereal, and add a handful of raisins and a sprinkling of roasted nuts.

Provided by www.iVillage.com

See additional information.

7 Holiday Foods That Are Actually Good For You
by Nutritionist Sue Gilbert, M.S. for iVillage
MSN Health & Fitness / Diet & Nutrition

With all the focus on how not to gain weight, and what not to eat over the holidays, the wonderful nutrition in holiday foods often gets overlooked. If you want to celebrate all the healthy reasons to eat this holiday, take a look below to see the cornucopia of nutritional goodies our traditional foods bring to the table.

1. Pumpkin: Pumpkin is a remarkably healthy ingredient, providing 3 1/2 times the recommended daily allowance of vitamin A and a lot of fiber per half-cup serving. Pureed pumpkin lends itself to healthy cooking. It can, like applesauce and prune puree, replace fat in baked goods without giving them a rubbery texture.

2. Roast Turkey: Serve up three ounces of skinless turkey breast and you get a whopping 20 grams of protein with practically no fat. All that and only 100 calories. Plus you fill 25 percent of your daily need for niacin and vitamin B6.

3. Sweet Potatoes: Ounce for ounce, they have as much beta-carotene as carrots. A mere four ounces contain 50 percent of your daily requirement of vitamin C, as much potassium as a banana and a good amount of fiber. All this adds up to one terrific disease-fighting food!

4. Cranberry Relish: There's a substance in cranberries that helps prevent urinary tract infections by interfering with the ability of bacteria to adhere to cell membranes. Cranberries also contain a potentially cancer-preventing compound called ellagic acid. Make a fresh orange-cranberry relish and get added benefit from the vitamin C in oranges.

5. Potatoes: Whether mashed or in latkes, potatoes are good food. They contain loads of vitamin C and potassium, plus fiber, iron, copper and plenty of B vitamins. Boiling potatoes will destroy some of the vitamin C and dissolve some of the rest of it into the cooking water. To help preserve the vitamin C content, use some of the cooking water instead of milk or cream when mashing them.

6. Figgy Pudding: Figs help make the pudding a nutritional gold mine. They are a good source of potassium, calcium, magnesium and niacin, plus they have a natural laxative effect.

7. Eggnog: Choose only the low-fat variety and enjoy a holiday tradition while getting a good amount of protein and some calcium. (Just be sure not to drink too much, since there's still lots of sugar and calories in even the low-fat version.)

The Last 5 Pounds Diet
Provided by iVillage
MSN Health & Fitness / Diet & Nutrition

Losing the last five stubborn pounds requires three Ps: a plan, persistence and portion control. We give you the plan, and it's up to you to stick with it until you've reached your goal. Eyeballing portion sizes isn't enough—you've got to measure foods to avoid overeating. Losing the last five pounds is more difficult than losing the first five pounds! As you get closer to your goal you'll need to fine-tune your eating plan to nudge your body toward giving up the last bit of unwanted weight. At this point, every calorie counts!

Breakfast suggestions:
Option One

• 1/2 grapefruit
• 1 slice whole-grain toast, spread with one tablespoon peanut butter
• 1 cup skim milk

Option Two

• Egg white omelet made in a non-stick skillet with 1 ounce of cheese and 1 cup of mixed veggies
• 1 slice plain whole-grain toast
• 1 cup skim milk

Option Three

• 1 cup cooked plain oatmeal, made with skim milk
• 1/2 cup berries on the oatmeal
• 1 cup skim milk

Lunch suggestions:
Option One

• 2 cups tossed salad with fat-free dressing
• Sandwich made from 2 slices whole-grain bread, 2 ounces turkey, tomatoes and raw veggies of your choice
• 1 fresh apple

Option Two

• Veggie Lentil Soup
• 1 cup raw green pepper, red pepper and cucumbers
• 1/2 cup grapes

Option Three

• Tuna salad plate: Mix 1/2 cup water-packed tuna with 1 tablespoon low-fat mayonnaise and 1/2 cup diced raw vegetables (celery, green pepper, carrot, etc.). Serve with one sliced tomato and 1 cup dark green lettuce
• 2 tangerine oranges

Dinner suggestions:
Option One

• Grilled Ginger Teriyaki Tuna
• 1/2 cup brown rice mixed with 1/2 cup broccoli
• 2 cups tossed salad with fat-free dressing
• 1 cup skim milk

Option Two

• Italian Marinated Chicken
• Lynn Fischer's Bean Salad
• 1/2 cup raw carrots
• 1 fresh pear
• 1 cup skim milk

Option Three

• One veggie burger served on a whole-grain bun with lettuce, tomato and onion 1/2 cup cooked spinach
• One fresh peach
• 1 cup skim milk

Snack ideas:
Remember to eat a snack or meal every three to four hours during the day. Stop eating at least three hours before you go to bed.

• 1 whole grapefruit
• 1 cup plain yogurt mixed with 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce and 2 tablespoons low-fat granola
• 6 low-fat Triscuits
• 1/2 cup chickpeas mixed with fat-free Italian dressing, chopped celery and tomatoes
• 2 tangelos
• 1 cup grapes (freeze them first for an icy-delicious treat)
• 1 cup pretzels
• 3 cups air-popped popcorn sprinkled with 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
• 6 mini rice cakes
• 6 baby carrots with 1/4 cup fat-free ranch dressing to "dip"
• 1 apple with 1 tablespoon peanut butter

Top 10 need-to-cheat treats:
Sometimes, you just have to have that treat. There are ways to satisfy your sweet tooth—without blowing your diet:

• 12 animal crackers
• 2 small chocolate chip cookies
• 2 Oreo cookies
• 1/2 cup fat-free, sugar-free pudding
• 1 peanut butter cup candy
• 25 chocolate-covered raisins
• 1 lollipop
• 3 caramel candy squares
• 1/2 cup fat-free ice cream
• 1 fat-free fudgesicle ice cream bar

Top drop-five tips:

Limit alcohol. Alcoholic beverages add calories but not nutrients. Keep your consumption to one drink per week.

Drink more water. Carry a water bottle with you at all times. Drink at least five, 8-ounce glasses of water throughout the day and drink 8 to 16 ounces of water with every meal.

Eat slowly and steadily. Eat a meal or snack every three to four hours to avoid being hungry. Eat meals and snacks slowly, savoring every delicious bite.

Stop eating two hours before you go to bed.

Curb your sweet tooth. By avoiding sweetened beverages such as soda and fruit drinks, you curb your cravings for all sweets. Choose water instead of diet soda.

Keep up with your exercise routine. You might consider longer or more intense workouts to increase the calorie burn.

Measure your portions. It is easy to underestimate how much you are eating. A food diary is also helpful in keeping an eye on food intake.

Provided by iVillage

10 Ways to Exercise as a Family
How to get the whole family moving -- together.
By Aviva Patz
Get Moving by MSN Lifestyle / Family & Parenting / Raising Kids

Babies and toddlers spend an awful lot of time strapped into car seats or plopped in front of the TV. Not only does this prevent them from practicing their emerging motor skills and strengthening their heart, lungs, and muscles, but it can also set them up for a sedentary lifestyle, and even obesity, as adults. A good habit of physical activity, on the other hand, will last a lifetime, says Adelphi University professor Stephen Virgilio, author of Active Start for Healthy Kids (Human Kinetics Publishers, 2005). "And it's never too early to start," he says.

How, you may wonder, can you help your child get the recommended one-plus hours of daily physical activity when you can't even make it to the gym? The answer, says Virgilio, is to rethink your idea of exercise. "A workout doesn't have to mean running laps or lifting weights, which requires you to set aside blocks of time," he says. "Think of exercise as leading an active lifestyle, which you can do with your kids, and you'll be able to fit in more than you think."

As a bonus, exercise with family does double duty as quality time -- no small consideration given our jam-packed schedules. Let these creative ideas help you turn every day into an opportunity to get fit -- and have fun -- together.

1. Go for pre- or post-dinner walks.
Whether you head into town or just cruise the neighborhood, building a walk into your daily schedule ensures that it won't get put off. Brookline, Massachusetts, master Pilates instructor Lisa Johnson and her husband take evening walks with 3-year-old Alex, who alternates time in and out of the stroller. To make walking more enticing, Johnson makes a sport of it. "At one house we look for a cat sitting in the window, at another we run up and down a short flight of stairs," she says.

2. Crank up the music and boogie down.
Betsy Murphy of Coral Gables, Florida, holds disco nights with her four kids and several neighbors. She moves the furniture aside, fills the CD player with dance tunes, and lets the kids take turns using a flashlight as a strobe light. "They dance for three hours straight," Murphy says. "The older ones know all the words to the songs and really dance; it's hilarious to see the younger ones try to mimic them. Their favorite song is 'Brick House!'"

3. Make a game out of household chores.
Pretend that dust creatures are invading earth and it's up to Captain [insert child's name] to save the day by capturing them with his broom, suggests registered dietitian Juliet Zuercher of Wickenburg, Arizona. "Make believe he's one of the Rescue Heroes, and have him save his teddy bears from the slimy pit of the floor by putting them safely in his toy chest," she says. Jodi Arlen of Bethesda, Maryland, turns folding laundry into a guessing game. "It started when my daughter would ask, 'Is that mine?' and it grew into 'Guess whose this is!'" she says. After her daughters, 3 years old and 20 months old, correctly identify the clothing, they help fold them.

4. Sneak workouts into other activities.
Have your toddler walk instead of riding in the cart at the supermarket, and take the stairs or walk up the escalator whenever possible. Nancy Twigg of Knoxville, Tennessee, drives partway to her daughter Lydia's preschool, parks the car, and walks the rest of the way.

5. Turn TV commercials into fitness breaks.
Invent silly names for simple exercises like squats, push-ups, and sit-ups, and then do them together till the show comes back on. "Call them princess sit-ups or Bob the Builder muscle builders," says physical therapist Peter Kofitsas, of New York City, who does the moves with his 4-year-old and 20-month-old daughters. You can also play "coach," in which you take turns "ordering" each other to "drop and give me five," or "follow the leader," in which one person leads the others in fun, simple moves like clapping, wiggling, and marching.

6. Have a weekly sports night.
Every Wednesday, for example, get everyone up and moving. One game to play is the fit-deck shuffle. Create a series of playing cards featuring family-friendly exercises, such as bear-crawling or ape-walking. Each family member picks a card and performs the exercise pictured until all the cards have been dealt. You can also buy a ready-made set of exercise cards from FitDeck (fitdeck.com).

7. Walk or run for charity.
Model the value of exercise -- and of giving back to society -- by teaming up with your children for a fund-raising race. When her husband and father-in-law participated in the Father's Day Race for Prostate Cancer, Jodi Zielinski, of Upper Montclair, New Jersey, took her 3-year-old daughter, Noa, to watch them run. When the race was over, she entered Noa in the kids' race that followed. "She didn't win but she had a great time," says Zielinski, who hopes to make it an annual family tradition.

8. Put kids to work in the yard.
If autumn brings down leaves in your area, make a game out of catching them on a windy day -- see who can catch the most yellow, orange, or red ones, suggests Zuercher. Then rake them into piles -- give the kids child-sized rakes so they can help -- and have fun jumping in them, or take turns completely covering one another in leaves. After a snowfall, let kids help clear the porch or walkway, then see who can make the most snow angels. Older kids can help build a snowman -- and even toss a few snowballs.

9. Team up for gardening.
Kids are great at digging up dirt, so let them turn over the soil and help you plant new bulbs. Research shows that gardening is as good as weight training when it comes to preventing osteoporosis, and if you're planting vegetables, it can make them more appetizing to kids. Dawn Schwartz, of Livingston, New Jersey, has her 3-year-old daughter, Samantha, help water the plants. "She loves to mush her hands in the soil," she says. In the summer, set up a sprinkler to water the lawn and challenge kids to duck the droplets.

10. Walk the dog.
New research from North American Association on the Study of Obesity shows that dog-owners had more fun losing weight and were able to keep it off longer than non-pup-owners. Don't have a pooch? Go look for some. Somers, New York, mom Mary Rose Almasi gets her two kids, ages 5 and 3, to go for a walk after dinner by suggesting they go "looking for dogs." "Luckily, there are a few at the end of my long street. That's the carrot I dangle," she says. "It works like a charm."

Aviva Patz is a mother of two daughters in Montclair, New Jersey.

Weight loss: Are you ready?
By MayoClinic.com

Weight loss demands focus plus mental and physical energy. So if you want to succeed, you need to prepare yourself. Part of that preparation is determining whether now is the right time to start your weight-loss program.

"Weight loss is challenging, and it requires a commitment, as many people who have tried know very well," says Donald Hensrud, M.D., a preventive medicine and nutrition specialist at Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. "But if there is another factor present, such as stress, lack of time or a physical ailment or condition that limits physical activity, it can make the challenge of weight loss even more difficult."

Your weight-loss success depends on your readiness to take on this challenge. These questions can help you judge whether you're ready to lose weight:

• Are you motivated to make long-term lifestyle changes that require eating healthy foods and exercising more? Be honest. Knowing you need to make changes in your life and feeling up to the challenge are two different things. Successful weight loss depends on your willingness to take action.
  
• Do you currently have distractions in your life that may prevent you from committing to your weight-loss program? You may set yourself up for failure if you're distracted by other major events in your life, such as marital problems, job stress or financial worries. Give your life a chance to calm down before you start. Making the lifestyle changes necessary to achieve and maintain a healthy weight must be among your highest priorities.
  
• Do you truly believe that slower is better? Losing weight at a relatively slow pace has proved safe, healthy and effective over the long term. You want to aim for a weight loss of 1 to 2 pounds a week. That may seem agonizingly slow in our instant-gratification society. But if you make improving your health a long-term goal of your weight-loss program, speed won't matter.
  
• Are you realistic about your weight-loss goal? Remember, losing as little as 5 percent to 10 percent of your body weight can reap health rewards if you're overweight or obese. Start small. Work on losing 4 to 8 pounds a month. Ask your doctor how much weight you can safely lose.
  
• Do you have family and friends to support your weight-loss efforts? It certainly helps to have someone in your corner. In fact, the more the merrier. If you don't have someone you can rely on, consider joining a weight-loss support group.
  
• Do you believe that you can change your eating habits? Sounds easy to do in theory, but in practice, it can be difficult. It's hard to cast aside established behaviors.
  
• Are you willing to become more physically active? Increasing your level of physical activity is essential to losing weight and keeping it off. You'll also feel better and have more energy.
  
• Do you have time to keep records of your food intake and physical activity? Keeping records increases your chance of success. Although this takes time at first, the effort required decreases as you adopt healthier habits. You'll be pleasantly surprised by how helpful it is to track your progress.
  
• Are you willing to look at past successes and failures in weight loss and other areas of your life? Changing behavior isn't easy. It takes time and effort. You'll run into barriers on your path to success. But be optimistic. Learn from the past about what motivates you. Keep working to resolve barriers that might prevent success.
  
• Do you view a healthy-weight program as a positive experience? Lose weight because you want to and not because you think it's expected. You'll quickly appreciate the benefits that come from weight loss.
  
• Have you resolved any eating disorders or other emotional issues that make it difficult for you to achieve a healthy weight? If you have a tendency to binge, purge, starve or overexert when you exercise, or if you're depressed or anxious, you may need professional help.
  
• Do you believe that a healthy weight is a lifelong commitment? Achieving and maintaining a healthy weight is a lifelong process. There's no going back to your old behaviors. Are you ready to make a permanent change?

If you answered yes to all of these questions, you're ready to make the lifestyle changes necessary for permanent weight loss.

If you answered no to one or more of these questions, you may not be ready. And that's OK. Explore what's holding you back and face those obstacles. In some cases it may be a simple matter of timing. For instance, you may need to resolve other problems in your life. In other cases, you may need to work on related issues — such as your feelings toward weight loss or your willingness to commit to permanent changes.

You may be able to make these changes alone, or you may need the help of a doctor or dietitian. "Educating yourself about the process of successful weight loss and maintenance is a start," says Dr. Hensrud. For example, learn more about the dietary changes necessary for losing weight. Or enroll in a behavioral-based program — a program that can help you change the behaviors that can interfere with weight loss, such as eating when you're stressed or bored.

If you're ready for weight loss but fear you'll become discouraged quickly, think toward the future. "As you become more physically active and make dietary changes," says Dr. Hensrud, "you'll feel better and have more energy." And rather than thinking of weight loss as a short-term drudgery, view it as an enjoyable lifestyle change that persists indefinitely.

by MayoClinic.com
Last Updated: 7/14/2005

Lose Your Middle Layer
Shed that stubborn roll around your middle with this workout.
by Scott Quill, Associate Editor, Men's Health; Workout Photography by Beth Bischoff
MSN Health & Fitness / Men's Health

Shed that stubborn roll around your middle with this fat-loss workout from Jim Liston, C.S.C.S., strength and conditioning coach for the Los Angeles Galaxy soccer team. Perform the workout below three days a week, incorporating the variations on days two and three. The variations ensure that you work your muscles in a slightly different way each time, which forces you to work harder while strengthening your body at every angle—key in preventing sports injuries. Do the exercises as a circuit, moving from one to the next without rest. Complete a total of four circuits, resting 60 seconds after each.

1. Golf Squat

Day 1: Hold one 20-pound dumbbell with both hands at arm's length in front of your body, your upper arms pressed against your chest. Keep your torso upright and lower your hips until your thighs are at least parallel to the floor. Pause one second, then rise to a standing position as you rotate your upper body to the left and lift the weight toward the ceiling, keeping your arms straight as if swinging a golf club. Lower the weight as you return to the starting position. Repeat, this time rotating to your right. Do 15 repetitions on each side.
Day 2: Perform the same move with two light dumbbells, holding one in each hand. As you stand up and rotate to the left, keep your right arm down while lifting your left arm toward the ceiling. As you rotate to the right, keep your left arm down and lift your right arm toward the ceiling.
Day 3: Same as day two, but as you lift one arm, punch across your body with the other.

2. Broad Jump

Day 1: Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and knees slightly bent. Dip your knees and jump forward as far as you can. Land on both feet with soft knees. Pause, then jump again. Complete a set of 10.
Day 2: Hop forward about two feet. As soon as your toes touch the floor, jump again. Complete a set of 10.
Day 3: Same as day one, but after each broad jump, squat slightly and quickly explode straight up, reaching both arms overhead. Land with soft knees, then jump forward again. Complete a set of 10 broad jumps with a vertical jump after each.

3. Swiss-Ball Pushup

Day 1: Get into pushup position with your shins on a Swiss ball and your hands on the floor. Do 20 standard pushups.
Day 2: Same as day one, but lift one leg off the ball and do 10 pushups. Change legs and do another 10.
Day 3: Same as day one, but move your hands out so they're six inches farther apart than normal.

Provided by Men's Health for MSN Health & Fitness

Trick Yourself Thin
10 tips to power off the pounds
by David Schipper; Photograph by Kate Power
MSN Health & Fitness / Diet & Nutrition

The great ones have great strategies for success—Odysseus hiding in the Trojan horse, Ali using the rope-a-dope, Bugs Bunny dressing in drag.

Your weight-loss strategy should be similarly inspired. Willpower alone won't shrink your waist—you need facts and wisdom on your side if you're going to maintain the resolve you showed in January.

There are scientists who study weight loss so the rest of us can keep track of the important stuff, like spring training and Rotisserie drafts. These researchers regularly come up with good advice, the latest and greatest of which we've gathered for you. Pick a few tips, put them in your lineup, and get back in the weight-loss game.

1. Weigh yourself often.
Time was, experts said to stay off the scale—it can be discouraging. But after studying 3,500 individuals from the National Weight Control Registry (NWCR) who've maintained 60 or more pounds of weight loss for at least a year, researchers found that 44 percent weighed themselves daily. Unhealthy obsession? No, says James Hill, Ph.D., NWCR cofounder and director of the center for human nutrition at the University of Colorado. "They use it as an early warning system for preventing weight regain," he explains. "If your goal is to keep your weight at a certain level, you have to have feedback to see whether you're successful."

2. Turn off the TV.
Scientists at Brookhaven National Laboratory in New York recently determined that simply seeing food can trigger a physiological "feed me" response. In the study, visual food cues caused brain activity to jump by 24 percent—mostly in the orbitofrontal cortex, the area of the brain related to drive and acquisition. So a constant barrage of pizza-delivery ads on TV could test your limits. And don't get us started on the Food Network.

3. Pray the fat away.
Christian men who report feeling greater intimacy with God through prayer are more likely to be physically active than other men, according to research from Cornell University. "Studies have shown that those who have more social support move more, and being closer to God may give men that support," says lead researcher Karen Kim. Another possible reason: "General religion in the United States encompasses theological teachings about the body as a temple, which may also lead to the consumption of a healthier diet and increased physical activity," she adds. Amen to that.

4. Beware tastebud betrayal.
"Hunger increases healthy men's taste sensitivity to sweet and salty substances," says researcher Yuriy Zverev, of the University of Malawi. This means vending-machine snacks (which come in two flavors: sweet or salty—coincidence?) will taste even better when you're hungry. You could trust that you'd savor the flavor by eating only a small amount. (Right.)  Or you could sidestep this land mine altogether. "Eat offensively," says Katherine Tallmadge, M.A., R.D., a spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association. "Eat regularly during the day to stave off cravings and the bingeing that can result."

5. Snack on almonds.
Seventy per day, to be exact. That's the number that people in a City of Hope National Medical Center experiment ate daily for six months, in conjunction with a reduced-calorie diet, to drop 18 percent of their body weight. Study author Michelle Wien partially credits the satiety factor. "Almonds are a nutrient-dense food that provides healthful monounsaturated fat, protein, and fiber, which together contribute to feeling full," she says. Go for whole almonds in their unsalted, raw, or dry-roasted state. Fifteen to 20 will do the trick for a quick snack. Try 50 as a meal replacement.

6. Grab the day.
Long summer days can help you lose weight. "The best time to start a diet is in May, because the days are very long, which makes your energy levels go up and your food cravings go down," says Judith Wurtman, Ph.D., a nutrition researcher at MIT. "You'll eat less and exercise more." So if you get home and it's still light, go for that run. Conversely, resolution-crazed January is the worst time to diet—the short days knock your serotonin levels out of whack, causing cravings. An Apollo Health goLite P1 lamp (apollolight.com/golite) can help your body adjust to the dark days of winter.

7. Pour a bowl of cereal for lunch.
A study from Purdue University shows that eating cereal in place of meals helps you lose weight. Participants consumed an average of 640 fewer total daily calories and lost roughly four pounds during the two-week intervention. According to study author Richard Mattes, M.P.H., Ph.D., R.D., the approach teaches portion control with a convenient, easy-to-use food. Stick to filling, high-fiber cereals, like All-Bran or Fiber One, and eat them with low-fat milk.

8. Go under the needle.
When Polish researchers examined acupuncture as a diet aid, they found that people who got needled lost 10 more pounds and ticked two additional points off their BMIs compared with those who merely cut calories. Marie Cargill, a licensed acupuncturist in the Boston area, explains that pressure points on the body—mostly on the ear—work as a switchboard to the brain, triggering electrical pulses that suppress appetite. "The ear system is very effective for addiction treatment," she says.

9. Eat a cow's worth.
Of dairy, that is. Reports of the benefits just keep coming. Recently, a University of Tennessee study found that people who ate a daily 1,200 milligrams (mg) of calcium from dairy lost an average of 24 pounds, or 11 percent of their total body weight. "When you don't have enough calcium in your diet, you're more efficient at making fat and less efficient at breaking down fat, causing a bigger, fatter fat cell," says lead researcher Michael Zemel, Ph.D. Get the just-right amount by taking in two 8-ounce glasses of low-fat milk (699 mg), a cup of low-fat yogurt (338 mg), and an ounce and a half of cheese (287 mg).

10. Gamble on yourself.
Take a cue from the poker craze and wager against a buddy to see who can shed the most pounds. "Men do really well when they make weight loss a competitive game," says New York City nutritionist Joy Bauer, M.S., R.D., author of Cooking with Joy. "Have a six-month and a one-year check-in—none of that two-week garbage." Or try it in teams, as on NBC's The Biggest Loser, and you'll double the incentive—you'll want to win the bet and avoid letting down your team. "Healthy competition can bring out the absolute best in people," says the show's red-team trainer, Jillian Michaels, owner of SkySport and Spa in Beverly Hills. She recommends that the team take on a swimming relay or a 5-K run. "That way, it's not a scenario like 'Who can lift the most?'" she says. "Losing weight is ultimately about better health. For $100, somebody might do a pulldown that's way too heavy and end up tearing a rotator cuff." It'd be a shame if, after you'd lost all that weight, you still couldn't button your pants.

Enjoy food more, eat less?
How mindful eating can help you enjoy food more and eat less.
By Sara Eckel for Lifetimetv.com
article from: MSN/Women/Health & Wellness

A. The key to slimming down is to burn more calories than you take in—that means exercising more and eating less. It sounds like you have the activity component of the weight loss equation covered—good work. For many, that's the harder part.

But you still need to consume fewer calories. In a 2004 University of Rhode Island study of 90 obese men and women, those who exercised without cutting calories didn't lose any weight, while those who exercised and ate 500 fewer calories a day lost 15 pounds in 12 weeks.

One reason exercise alone has little impact on the scale is that it's too easy to eat back all the calories you expend exercising. Walking very briskly for 20 minutes burns about 110 calories*—the equivalent of a large banana. Even if you run seven miles in an hour (782 calories*), you can negate it all with a burger and a large order of fries.

But don't let that weaken your exercise commitment. Though your scale may not show it, you've probably lost some fat—particularly the disease-promoting kind around your belly—and gained some muscle. The URI researchers found that the exercise-only group in their study lost fat, particularly from their waistlines. Plus, exercise keeps you looking and feeling younger, boosts your mood, helps you sleep better, combats stress and lowers your risk of disease. Another big bonus: It can help ensure that once you lose the weight, you'll keep it off.

*based on a 150-pound person

Michele Stanten, Prevention's Fitness Director, is a certified group fitness instructor and counselor in the areas of weight control and stress management.