There you have the problem…both gaining fat AND losing muscle mass is the worst possible scneario because you not only packing on weight for extra calories and fat-laden foods, but your body also slows down burning calories as your muscles wither away. The result…

• I felt incredible tired, low energy
• Had a noticeable gut having gained the most belly fat I had ever packed on
• Had trouble bending over to put on socks and tie my shoes (now that is NOT a good feeling)
• Zero stamina, I couldn’t keep up with the kids any longer
• Noticed the muscles in my arms and legs were decreasing
• Suddenly had trouble sleeping, up many nights with indigestion

November hit and I became fed up.  That’s when I put the following plan into action and lost more than 10lbs in less than 30-days (and have regained more muscle mass than I had earlier this year which means my body continues to burn calories at a higher rate – even when I am at rest)

1. Had a check-up with my local alternative doctor to make sure my digestive tract and blood sugar were in balance.  Of course they were not, and that fact leads to terrible cravings for carbs and sugar foods.  With some adjustments and Candacin for digestive yeast overgrowth, I was back on track within a week

2. Went from a normal breakfast of 2pcs of toast, lots of cereal and orange juice to 1-piece of wheat toast, 1/2 tsp of almond butter, large glass of water and yogurt with 2-days a week a breakfast of eggs with 1-piece of toast. 

3. Made sure I exercised at least 30-minutes 5-days of the week.  At least 3 of those days needed to be cardio where I jogged, treadmill or eliptical to keep my heart rate up for 25-30-minutes followed by various core strengthening exercises 3-days a week for 20-minutes (to build muscle, tone and increase metabolism). The other two days of the week or if I couldn’t fit cardio in I went for a fast-paced, 45-minute walk

4. Lunch – I simply changed my normal lunch of processed meat and white bread sandwiches to either salad with protein such as cottage cheese, chicken or tuna or soup and a piece of fruit (apple, banana or peach were my main staples) .  Another large glass of water instead of juice or soft-drinks

5. I found with these lunches my craving for afternoon snacks pretty much went away – but if I did have a craving I made myself a smoothie or ate an protein bar if I was on the run

6. Dinners I pretty much kept the same except making sure I was getting enough protein so that I wasn’t tempted to gorge myself again before bed.

That’s it – a very simple, effective way to continually drop 10-lbs over a 30-day period.  I am already down another 5 heading into December.  Now the challenge will be to keep relatively true to this system over the Holidays…but I feel so great right now there is every motivation to stick to the plan.

The best part of this entire weight loss process is that I lost most of the visible belly fat, I have regained the size in my bicepts and legs, have strengthened my core, have healthy skin and feel like a million bucks.  Are you up for it?

• Your diet & nutrition
• Your ability to manage stress
• A combination of modest and moderate exercise
• And Keeping your digestive tract healthy

When it comes to diet, we tend to think that 1) We need to cut out all fats and sugars and 2) We must cut back to the calories to the point where we are dying from hunger – but are these really the key diet and nutrition secrets to achieve true weight loss and fat burning?

EXERCISE IS NOT ENOUGH
I remember a time in my life when I thought I could go on eating poorly and just exercise myself out of the despicable love handles that used to persist no matter what I did. 

So I would spend weeks in the gym, getting up extra early to run, work out like a maniac, overload my muscles with weight building exercises…to the point where I was spending hours each day on activity and yes, I did drop some weight, but the tough stomach fat stayed…cleary I needed to do more.

That’s when I started to get smarter with my eating.  Within days of continued exercise but with a renewed focus on these fat burning foods I finally noticed a huge difference – after years of trying different diets and exercise programs.

What were the 10 burn the fat foods? 

10 FAT BURNING SUPERFOODS

1. Beans And Lentils:  I noticed that my intake of beans and lentils was poor – less than twice a month when it should be twice to three times a week (or even more).  Not only do beans and lentils offer monstrous fiber intake to keep your system healthy, but they also are rich in vitamins, low in fat and are low on the glycemic index – and they also do a great job of making you feel full, unlike many healthy foods where they leave you wanting more

2. Fish – you will hear from some people that certain fish types are better than others for fat burning, but bottom line is get more fish into your diet and because many people are picky about their fish choice, just find some that you like and look at alternate ways of cooking it such as baked, grilled or steamed/poached.  I was never a big fish fan, but mild fish like haddock or sole, salmon and tuna are now favorites of mine.  Don’t forget sardines too…these little guys pack a wallop of good essential fatty acids for your system

3. Water – ok technically water is not a food, but you WILL be amazed at how much fat you can burn by substituting water for juices, soft drinks or other unhealthy, suger-laced drinks.  I used to drink juice by the gallon and sports energy drinks until I realized how much sugar they contained – now my first choice is always water and it is much easier to lose weight because I’m not always fighting the sugar high’s associated with other drink choices

4.  Eggs – I’m not sure if you are like me and heard that eggs were BAD because of their cholesteral?  But really, unless you are struggling mightily with cholesteral, eggs are a terrific source of protein, contain B-12 for fat burning and should be part of your weekly diet

5. Nuts – especially Almonds.  One of the first moves I made back when I started losing weight was to bring Almonds into my diet and substitute a good deal of my peanut butter craving with almond butter – with more fiber, more vitamins, less mould and more omega fats, almonds turned out to be a superfood in many ways, including burning fat

6. Oatmeal – I start off most mornings with oatmeal mainly because it is a great source of fiber and has a low glycemic index value, this means that I get less cravings through the day, especially in the morning after eating oatmeal.   If I eat processed breakfast cereal instead, I find my blood sugar rides a rollercoaster ride all morning making it tough to exercise properly and to prevent binge eating

7. Yogurt – preferably a low sugar (but stay away from sugar substitutes) plain variety which you can spice up with fresh or dried fruit or whole grain toppings is mainly good for adding friendly bacteria to your digestive tract keeping it healthy so that it digests other complex foods properly and absorbs nutrients as it should.  As is pointed out in Attracting Greatness – the majority of us suffer from an unbalanced digestive tract which negatively affects food absorption making fat burning impossible

8. Fresh Vegetables – especially carrots, tomatoes, and broccoli, these 3 super foods add fiber, pure water source, critical vitamins and nutrients to your diet.  If you aren’t into snacking on vegetables or eating salads consider salsa, shredded broccoli cabbage or sliced carrots with a natural yogurt dip

9. Warm lemon and cayenne pepper drink – a big part of why we continue to pack on stomach fat, love handles and other seemingly impossible fat stores is because our system is – to an extent – toxic, where our cells are clogged, our lymphatic system overrun and our blood carrying compounds that it shouldn’t.  What I have found a tremendous natural liver detox is 3-times a week, in the morning before eating breakfast, boil water and squeeze a half a lemon along with a few shakes of cayenne pepper and sip this tasty detox drink

10. Blueberries:  One of the richest foods in the world with abundent anti-oxidents, fiber and a near perfect rich taste.  Blueberries can be used to spice up oatmeal, added to cold salads, blended for a powerful fat burning smoothie or just eaten as they are. 

I hope you can see that many fat burning foods are not only easy to buy but actually taste very good and can easily be added to your existing diet without compromising the hurried lifestyle we live.

Alter your diet so that you are focusing more on these 10 super fat burning foods, combine that with daily exercise and stress management techniques like yoga or meditation and you wil have the secret to finally losing that last 5-10 lbs, kissing those love handles goodbye forever and getting rid of the unhealthy visceral fat that plagues most of our population.

But what about some basic tactics that help us achieve our weight loss goals using psychology? 

Stress relief is a big one…but so is making healthy choices about what food you have around you making sure that you don’t surround yourself with unhealthy foods. 

Here’s a terrific guest article by Tom Venuto – brilliant health & nutritionalist as well as author of “Burn The Fat, Feed The Muscle” 

The See-Food, Reach-Food Diet
By Tom Venuto
www.burnthefat.com 

You’ve heard of the “See-Food” diet haven’t you? No, that’s not the diet where you load up on fish, lobster, crab and mussels. The See-Food Diet is the one that so many of us crack jokes about – it’s the diet where you eat everything in sight! But don’t laugh too hard. Scientists at Cornell University and other research institutions have proven that you actually WILL eat more food if you see food more. In fact, if you can see it and it’s within arm’s reach, you could eat yourself obese within a few years and not even know what hit you because the eating happens unconsciously.

It should be common sense that when you’re constantly surrounded by food, you tend to eat more.

But one thing that hasn’t been clear until recently was how seeing food (visibility) and having it within reach (proximity) could influence unconscious eating (and how it influences what I call “eating amnesia”).

Developmental psychologists tell us that the more effort or time you invest in a unique activity, the more likely you’ll be to remember it.

In other words, if you have to go out of your way to get food, you’ll remember eating it. If the food is right there within arms reach, you’ll munch away and more easily forget it.

For years, Dr. Brian Wansink of the Food and Brand Laboratory at Cornell University has been conducting fascinating experiments to find out what really makes you eat more food than you need.

Some of his previous studies revealed that taste, palatability, mood, stress, social context, role models (parental influence), visual cues, visibility and convenience can all influence how much you eat (Eating behavior is environmentally and psychologically influenced – appetite is not just biological).

To explore the influence of food proximity and visibility on eating behavior, Wansink set up an experiment using 40 female staff members from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champain. The subjects were not told it was a weight loss or calorie-related study. They were told that they would be given a free candy dish filled with chocolates (candy “kisses”) and they’d be contacted and surveyed about their candy preferences. They were also told not to share the candies, take them home or move the dish.

Participants were divided into four groups:

1) Proximate and visible (can see and reach)
2) Proximate and non-visible (can reach but not see)
3) Less proximate and visible (can see but can’t reach)
4) Less proximate and non visible (can’t see, and can’t reach)

During each day of the four week study, 30 chocolates were placed in 20 clear containers and 20 opaque containers and delivered to the 40 subjects. The containers were replenished every afternoon. They were kept in the same location for 4 straight business days and then rotated on the following week. Researchers kept a daily record of the number of chocolates eaten from each container and comparisons were made from the data collected.

At the end of each week, each subject was given a questionnaire which asked them how much they thought they had eaten over the entire week and asked them about their perceptions regarding the chocolates (such as “it was difficult to stop eating them,” “I thought of eating the chocolates often,” etc).

When the results were tabulated, here’s what Dr. Wansink and his research team discovered:

The visibility and proximity of the candy dish also influenced the subject’s perceptions. Regardless of whether participants could actually see the chocolates, if the candies were sitting on the desk (as opposed to being a mere 2 meters away), they were rated as more attention-attracting and difficult to resist. Candies in the clear containers were also rated as more difficult to resist and more attention attracting.

Most interesting of all, this study confirmed that when food is close by and visible, you’ll not only eat more, you’ll also be likely to forget that you ate them and therefore, underestimate how much you’ve eaten (I like to call that “eating amnesia.”)

Is a few extra candies a day really a big deal?

If it becomes habitual it sure is! Over a year, the difference between the candy dish placement would mean 125 calories per day which adds up to 12 extra pounds of body fat over a year.

When given the advice to keep junk food out of the house and office, I often hear complaints that it’s “impossible” to do because the rest of the family would have a fit, or simply not allow it. As for the office, one of the biggest excuses I’ve heard for diet failure is that the temptations are always there and it’s out of your control to change. Invariably someone else brings doughnuts or candy to the office.

Now you know what to do to reduce temptation and successfully stick with your program more effectively:

If you can’t keep it out of your office or house, keep it out of sight and out of arm’s reach. That alone is enough to reduce consumption.

At home, if your significant other or family is not willing to remove all offending foods from the premises, then get their agreement that their food is not to remain in plain sight – it goes in the back of a refrigerator drawer and not on the shelf at eye level, or if non-perishable, it goes inside a cupboard that is exclusively the domain of the other person.

At work, tell your office pals to keep the candy, doughnuts and other temptations off your desk, at a distance and out of sight. If they put any unhealthy snacks on your desk, promptly remove them!

Environmental cues can trigger you to eat impulsively. If you can see it and reach it, you’ll eat more of it, and you’ll forget how much you ate. So get the junk out of your home and office now and if you can’t, then get it out of your sight. If you can’t do that, get it out of arms reach.

Better yet, setup an “environment for success” with a lifestyle program like my Burn The Fat, Feed The Muscle system.

Tom Venuto, author of
Burn The Fat Feed The Muscle

Founder & CEO of
Burn The Fat Inner Circle

About the Author:

Tom Venuto is the author of the #1 best seller, Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle: Fat Burning Secrets of the World’s Best Bodybuilders and Fitness Models. Tom is a lifetime natural bodybuilder and fat loss expert who achieved an astonishing 3.7% body fat level without drugs or supplements. Discover how to increase your metabolism and burn stubborn body fat, find out which foods burn fat and which foods turn to fat, plus get a free fat loss report and mini course by visiting Tom’s site at: Burn The Fat.com

I have found that the best fast loss programs are often the simplest. Fat burning techniques that can be understood clearly and can be fit easily into your schedule on a weekly basis give us the best chance of not only seeing quick fat loss results, but also sticking with the techniques that work so that we can sustain our weight loss beyond the initial phase.

Here are 5 everyday fat burning tips you can work into your schedule immediately:

1. Relaxation and Meditation:  Study after study has shown the link between weight gain and stress in our lives.   In fact, the story is even worse, not only does stress have direct implications on weight gain, it also leads to the worst kind of fat – visceral belly fat.  Stress can directly impact insulin levels and also indirectly impact our emotional state leading to poor discipline, bad choices of food and an overall depression that keeps us from getting out and enjoying life.  In other words, if you don’t deal with stress, often we fall into a ‘spiral’ of unhealthy behaviors.  Head over to this Peak Achievement Site and download your free 20-point guide to meditation and relaxation.  As someone who tried and failed at meditation for almost 10-years but then FINALLY got it and uses it everyday – I can tell you it is the most impactful thing you can do for yourself period!
2. Work activity into your day:  Exercise (both aerobic and strength training) are important to weight loss, yet everyone immediately assumes they have to go take out a $60/month gym membership or start to pay a personal trainer a couple hundred dollars a month to lose weight.  The fact is that you can work enough activity into your schedule so that you don’t have to go to a gym.  Here some ideas:  Rapid walking for 20-minutes when you first get up in the morning or after dinner, take 15-minutes out of your day if you work in an office building and go up and down the stairs, jog on the spot while you watch your favorite evening television show, or fit in 20-30 sit-ups and push-ups into a free 10-minutes here and there.   You will be amazed at how you can fit the required activity into your daily schedule with little to know interruption
3. Cleanse your system:  The majority of us are walking around with digestive, lymphatic and nervous systems that are out of whack.  I regularly visit our good friends over at Awakening Potentials to help keep a healthy gut, keep our immune systems and body filtration filters working properly.  We are all susceptible to parasites, bacteria and enzyme imbalances – when these occur it can be nearly impossible to lose weight
4. Cut down on sugar:  For most people it is not necessary to go on some crazy diet plan that you would normally not stick to anyway – in fact recent research has shown that the rollercoaster impact of losing weight fast and then gaining it back again can be harmful to your body.  So, focus on one simple change in your diet – cut out as much sugar as you can.  For instance, drinking water instead of juice, milk (there are other ways to get your calcium) and soft drinks will dramatically cut the sugar in your diet.  Do this and you can still have the odd desert indulgence and still see a big change in your overall fat burning goals
5. Discipline daily routine:  Look, we all lead crazy lives and at times we lose control of our schedule, but the more consistent we can be with our sleep (at least 6.5 hours each night), meals, meditation or other stress reduction techniques and activity the quicker and more widespread we will see our weight loss objectives be

Now, doesn’t seem so hard does it? 

Look – there are always those of us on the extreme, where a complete lifestyle change (7-days at the gym) will be the right decision, but for most of us that is not who we are, so focusing on these 5 fat burning tips will help to peel off the fat, give you more energy, improve how you look and have dramatic impact on what you can achieve in your life.

The study was released in the journal titled Obesity followed over 6000 adolescents into adulthood finding that married people pack on more fat and are less likely to lose weight than their single cohorts.

While reasons are not given, here are some possible explanations:

• There is more focus on food when people are married – home life becomes more structured and suddenly life is organized around meal times.  Without paying special attention to diet and nutrition, those meal times can actually be quite unhealthy and lead to weight gain
• Becoming married can come with a certain amount of stress – in fact the study found that weight gain occurred a couple of years into the marriage, when the euphoria melts off and some people can undergo increased stress feeling they are “locked” into a relationship – even if they truly do love their spouse.  As we know, there is a strong correlation between stress and gaining weight
• I didn’t see in the study accounting for children – there is also likely to be a strong correlation between having kids and gaining weight simply because stress levels go sky high, activity is minimized (especially in the first few years) and eating is often an “escape” for mothers and fathers
• Perhaps the most obvious reason, as we become more comfortable in marriage our sites get set on other things – body image doesn’t rank #1 anymore, things like being secure financially, career growth and friendships then take over as the primary focus…the result is we have less motivation and effort going into maintaining a healthy weight.

Interestingly, all is not lost given that married people tend to be more healthy in other ways, so with a little attention paid to weight loss, nutrition and continuing to be active – married people truly can have the best of both worlds.

Are you married?  Have you noticed a difference in your weight or eating habits since being married?

The good news is that instead of cutting out all sweets, carbohydrates and other foods you love, by mixing in some moderate exercise, some natural stress relief and some other positive habits in your life, your fat loss plan doesn’t need to be painful and can occur very quickly.

For example…

1. By simply reducing the snacking you are doing each day by 1 or 2 (let’s say you used to have a mid-morning, afternoon and before bed snack) AND eating smaller portions of carbohydrates or sugary deserts you can set the stage for substantial fat burning

2. Next, make sure you are getting at least 3 periods of rather intense cardio exercise during the week. This could be jogging, swimming for 30-minutes, playing tennis for 45-minutes, playing soccer, running on a treadmill or walking rapidly for 60-minutes – the secret here is to make sure the activity you choose is something you like.

Some people find it easier to plan these activities with friends, while others prefer to do it alone. Whatever the choice, you have to plan that activity into your life…this is something you need to do for months, not just a few weeks.

3. Learn to meditate and/or learn yoga…you will magically find after a few weeks that you are able to handle stress like it was nothing — suddenly you get more perspective and peace in your life and eating doesn’t become your method of relaxation PLUS you have more energy to work on daily activities.

It’s strange – but have you ever come across a person that meditates or does yoga regularly that has a weight problem?

No – and it is mainly because stress is the #1 cause of over-eating AND lowering energy and our immune systems so we don’t feel well enough to exercise.

So, fat burning can be so much easier and less painful if we balance eating 20% better with exercising 20% more and meditating a few times during the week.

There you have the #1 most effective fat burning plan that really works, is extremely easy to follow and really gets you lasting fat loss results. Give it a try!

Let us know what challenges you have with your weight loss goals…and be sure to get your 20-tips for burning fat fast over to the right…it builds on the material we share here.

I’m not sure about you, but for me, Monday’s are always the toughest to get back into my weight loss routine…somehow I always stray just enough on the weekend to break the successful weight loss habits of the week before.

Getting Off Track

And…if I get off track on Monday, it’s usually Wednesday when I suddenly look at my week and figure out – “if I don’t quickly get my butt moving this week will be a total right-off” – ahhhh….my Wednesday then becomes my Monday!

Of course, the right answer is to maintain your weight loss and exercise routine right through 7-days a week so that you don’t have to worry about getting back into positive habits – but for many of us, that is not the way this whole weight loss exercise will go, especially if you are committed to long-term fitness and health.

It’s the summer, and over the weekend we had some friends over, had a few beers, some wine, a barbecue and ate some foods I typically don’t eat including an ice cream with the kids.

Ok, I had been incredibly good with my weight loss goals all week – so cheating ** a little ** would not have been such a bad thing – but it went a bit too far.

So, Monday morning comes around and every ounce of my being was screaming to delay my workout today. But I’m proud to say I fought that urge and convinced myself that even though I didn’t feel energetic, that my stomach didn’t feel great and I had the start of a headache – I would just start my 5Km jog anyway.

Quitting is NOT An Option

When I first turned on the radio in the morning I heard a Tiger Woods commercial for a watch I think, in there he uttered the words – “quitting is NOT an option”.

Coming off of an inspirational British Open run by 53-year old Greg Norman (easily my favorite player past and present) – I was ready to be inspired and all through the run I kept saying to myself “quitting is NOT an option”

Guess what happened!

I finished my run in a record time, burst through all of the bad feelings from the weekend and then came in and did 30-minutes of weights and felt AMAZING!!

I actually exceeded my weight loss objectives for the day by a great deal – quitting is NOT an option.

Try it yourself. If you have trouble getting motivated one day, repeat to yourself “quitting is not an option” and picture in your mind someone who has achieved something extraordinary that you really respect and admire.

You’ll be amazed at the extra weight loss motivation you get from using this simple, but powerful technique.

It starts with moving up one or two sizes in pants, then knowing we are carrying around an extra, stubborn 10-lbs, losing some endurance when we walk up the stairs or go out to play with the kids…and if we don’t deal with it, then belly fat can become something we choose to live with instead of eliminate.

Not only has belly fat been linked to various health issues including heart disease, cancers, immune deficiency diseases, diabetes and a host of other health ailments…the impact on our energy level, how we feel in front of others and most important, how we feel about ourselves is just as critical.

Self-esteem and self condidence are so important to our personal and professional lives and yet the presence of belly fat is allowed to stand in the way of reaching maximum self confidence.

So what do we do about this extra weight that gathers in and around our belly? Fat accumulating in the front or sides of your abdominals can sit there for years, is there really a way to quickly eliminate belly fat?

The answer is yes, if I can do it, so can you.

Here is a 5-step system that is simple to follow and will show amazing results for you in just a few weeks…

1. Get checked or begin a cleanse for parasites. These nasties can end up in your gut from lots of places – kids and pets are especially active carriers. Once in your system, they completely throw off your digestion causing untold issues of gas, bloating and excessive fat build-up leading to both real belly fat and the perception of more weight than there really is due to excessive bloating and digestive disfunction.

2. Yeast – candida is a culprit in many of our bellies, some is natural while an overgrowth can quickly take over and render the intestines virtually dysfunctional resulting in same symptoms as #1. There are various cleanse methods on the market – take them slow at first, but most of all watch your intake of sugar (ex. pop, sweet cereals, etc…) and yeasty foods. By dealing with parasites and yeast overgrowth you can often dramatically eliminate belly fat in a matter of weeks.

3. At least 45-minutes, 3X a week of aerobics exercise such as jogging, swimming, or cycling. If you are not comfortable with moderate exercise, then substitute the 45-minute of moderate exercise for a 60-75 minute walk at least 3-miles per hour. The aerobic activity will work wonders on your belly fat.

4. Drink more water, less soft drinks and juice. One of the highest sources of hidden sugars that turn into fat in your body are soft drinks and juices. Over 5-years ago I made the decision to no longer drink ANY soft drinks or juices…I still hold true to that today with the odd drink once or twice a month. By avoiding these drinks not only do you avoid the sugar that leads to more belly fat but you then find yourself dealing with your thirst by drinking more water – at least 8-10 glasses a day will flush the toxins out of your system, keep yourself hydrated so you feel more energetic and you will burn still more fat.

5. Core body exercises. While you don’t need to spend hours each day in the gym, it does help to maintain a basic level of muscle which helps burn fat when you are at rest as well as when you are out exercising. Imagine, burning belly fat while you are sitting at your desk! Keep that image in your mind and you’ll find yourself just itching to exercise 3-4 times a week. Basic core exercises include sit-ups, crunches, and leg lifts that help to excercise the lower abdominals.

Using this simple program I was able to drop 10 lbs in less than 1-month and more important, lose the belly fat that I had been living with for more than 5-years. And, I did it without creating chaos in my existing routine. Give it a try!

The challenge, as many of you also know, is keeping that 20-lbs off. Eventually it begins to creep up again and suddenly I’m right back where I started from. While there is some comfort in knowing that I can reach my weight loss goals anytime I please, there is also an element of frustration in that I can’t take my eye off the goal or else it seems to magically reappear!

Much of that has to do with eating habits.

When I’m in fat burning mode I keep close watch on my meals – making sure to fit at least one meal of salad in, hold off on sugars (including the hidden sugars in drinks, cereals, etc…) and generally keep close tabs on everything that I ingest.

That’s when I read about this study outlining double the fat burning effectiveness of those who keep a formal food diary.

Makes sense, after all, that’s what I was doing when I’m in fat burning mode, just that I keep it in my head.

So, starting last week, I began writing down everything I eat from the time I get up in the morning to the time I rest my head on my pillow at night.

I’ll share more of my experience with you in a few weeks, but right now I can tell you that keeping track of what you eat by writing it down in a food diary is an excellent motivator to being extra careful and will lead to fat burning.

Have you ever used this technique in your fat burning?

Would you feel that was an infringement on your private right to run your own life or would you be thankful that your doctor is letting you know before you get too far overweight and actually works with you to help you understand how to tackle your weight problem early?

Japan has just come out with government standards aimed at fat burning that demands people aged 40 to 74 have their waist size taken and recorded…those that exceed government guidelines will be given 3-months to lose the weight after which they get extra guidance for a further 6-months followed by more guidance if their fat burning is not successful in bringing them below the guidelines.

States and private companies are responsible for taking the waist measurements which has come under some criticism as a method of the Japanese government offloading the cost of enforcing these weight loss guidelines onto private organizations.

Is this really a good idea?

Oddly enough, it may be a better idea for us here in North America where the average waist size exceeds the Japanese by several inches and where disease and health care costs associated with obesity and being overweight could certainly justify more rigorous attention being paid to fat burning programs.

In North America we have done a good job tackling the issue of smoking along with its impact on the health care system, is fat burning the next big area governments will focus in our bid to become a healthier, less costly society?

I for one look forward to the day when such a program exists…while they’re at it, why not begin to regulate and cover other legitimate forms of alternative health care that can go a long way to preventing disease, lowering stress, achieve lower levels of belly fat and improve the health of our society.