Whether you are trying to get rid of an unsightly beer belly or want to look good in a swimsuit, the battle of the bulge can be a tricky one to win. The good news is that it’s entirely possible to drop the pounds in a relatively short amount of time. How to lose weight comes down to one thing: burning more calories than you take in. Therefore, you either have to burn them, or decrease your intake. Here is one way to help you do the latter: Cut out soft drinks. First we’ll cover soda, then we’ll look at some other options.

You may think that drinking just one soda per day doesn’t make that much of a difference. If you’re active, and have your weight under control, then having the occasional soda is fine. But let’s take a look at how that one soda can add up and what the impact on your weight will be when you go with a calorie-free alternative.

Let’s use some simple math to see what a positive difference this one small change can make when trying to lose weight. The first thing to know is that every 3,500 calories you get rid equals one pound. Next, a typical 12 ounce can of soda contains 150 calories. Okay, here’s how it works out…

365 days in a year X 150 calories per 12 oz. = 54,750 total calories.

54,750 calories divided by 3,500 calories = 15.6 pounds!

Talk about a small change that can make add up to significant weight loss. And if you happen to drink soda in larger bottles, it could make a difference of 30 pounds or more. But be careful that you don’t replace those calories with other calories. In other words you have to cut those calories out completely to get the full benefit.

So, what are the options? Most people think juice is a good replacement for soda. Not if you’re counting calories it isn’t. For example, while soda may have 150 calories per 12 ounces, grape juice has closer to 250. Some juices have a higher water content, so you’ll have to check the label to be sure. However, if it’s a choice between soda and fruit juice, go with the juice. At least the juice contains some vital nutrients while soda is nothing but empty calories.

Another thing you may not be aware of is that the sugar in soft drinks can make you thirsty. Putting you into an endless loop of drinking calorie-laden beverages to slake the thirst that the same beverages are causing.

The best way to quench your thirst when trying to lose weight is water. Keep a large bottle within arm’s reach throughout the day, making it easy to take a sip when needed.

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If you frequently have a glass of wine with dinner, or a few beers after work, you may wonder about the effects of alcohol on your weight loss. As you diet, each food or beverage you consume has an effect on your weight loss speed. Alcohol is no exception.

Alcohol has fat, just as food does. Alcohol can lead to overeating, and the calories in alcoholic beverages are generally consumed in addition to other food and drink. Liquid calories add up quickly, so be aware of the calorie content of your drink.

Alcohol has 7 calories per gram. Fat has 9 calories per gram. Drinking an alcoholic beverage from time to time won’t kill your diet, but frequent drinking will. Alcoholic beverages can be just as bad for your diet as that greasy pizza – maybe worse. Liquid calories are typically easier to consume, and drinking your calories can cause them to add up more quickly than you’d think!

There are other effects of alcohol on your weight loss as well. Alcohol loosens you up, and helps you relax. It also loosens your dieting resolve. This means that you are less focused on your weight loss goals, and may inadvertently consume more calories than you originally intended. One wing or chip can turn into many, as you become more relaxed about your diet. Consuming large amounts of alcohol can be synonymous with consuming larger amounts of food.

Alcoholic beverages are also generally consumed in addition to food. So, if you drink several drinks with a high calorie content, you are probably also eating at the same time. This can lead to taking in a high number of calories in a short amount of time, simply because you are not paying attention to your drinks. You can help slow this process down by drinking a glass of water after each alcoholic beverage. You’ll feel fuller, and in turn you’ll eat and drink less.

There are several effects of alcohol on your weight loss. Drinking alcoholic beverages can add calories to your day quickly. Alcohol has a high calorie content, similar to fatty foods. Liquid calories in alcoholic beverages go down easily, but pack a dietary punch. Alcohol can also cause you to eat more than you originally intended. Dieters, drink with care, and be careful how many calories you consume through your drink of choice.

This article entitled “Effects of Alcohol on Your Weight Loss” is not medical advice. It should not be used as or substituted as medical advice; from a medical professional. This article is for informational purposes only.

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Exercise is the best way to burn calories to lose weight and if you choose running weight loss can be even more successful. Running is one of the most efficient, non-extreme sport ways to lose weight and accept for the cost of a good pair of running shoes, it is free to do.

Depending on your weight, running weight loss will burn about five calories for every liter of oxygen you breathe. Men will generally burn more calories than women because they generally weigh more. Say you weighed 265 pounds, you would burn about 166 calories per mile. They say on average 100 calories get burned every mile. Yeah, if you weighed 150 pounds, maybe. Someone who is heavier than that will naturally burn more calories over the same time period because they have to work harder than someone who only weighs 150 pounds.

Running also burns more calories than walking. There is information out there that states that running and walking burn the same amount of calories. I never thought this thinking was correct because you do work harder when you are running than when you are walking. Unless you are power walking, that is.

Power walking will actually burn more calories than running because you use your body completely differently while power walking and your body actually works harder because you are making it move in a way that it is not accustomed to moving.

I don’t know if you know this or not but there is a difference between your total calorie burn, or TCB, and something called your net calorie burn, or NCB. Your NCB is calculated by subtracting your resting metabolic calories. These are the calories that you would have burned anyway during the same amount of time even if you had not been exercising.

So, let’s do the math. If you weighed 265 pounds and then ran one mile you would have burned a total calorie burn of 166 calories. But now, to get your net calorie burn you have to subtract your resting calories from that number. Your resting calorie burn is about 20 calories for the same amount of time as your workout. So, subtract 20 from 166 and you get 146 net calories burned. Still not a bad number and that is only for one mile. If you build up to five miles a day then just imagine how fast the weight would come off.

Ok, here’s some more math for you. You need a calorie deficit of 3500 calories a week to lose one pound of fat. So, at 146 net calories burned per mile you would have to run about 24 miles per week to lose that pound. Sounds a little intimidating but when you think about it that is less than five miles a day. Actually it is only about 3.5 miles per day. I think if you paired your running weight loss with a nice low-fat, low-carb meal plan you might just be able to eke out a couple more pounds per week. too.

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You may think that you know what the best workout to lose abdominal fat is but I would wager that what you are thinking is incorrect. If you are thinking that doing a thousand crunches everyday or running on a treadmill or other cardio exercises will get rid of your belly then you need to keep reading to change your thinking.

Cardio exercises and crunches really have little to no effect on losing your flabby belly. Not for nothing though, cardio exercises and crunches can be an effective part of an overall strength training program.

Lean muscle burns more calories and fat than all the cardio and crunches you can do. Building lean muscle, or strength training, is the best workout to lose abdominal fat, not to mention fat all over the rest of your body.

I am not saying that you can’t incorporate some cardio into your workout but you do not have to spend mind-numbing hours on end on the treadmill. Use the treadmill as your warm up and then when your muscles are warm concentrate on resistance training and really work your muscles.

Test yourself first and figure out how much weight you can safely lift without causing yourself injury. When you have the heaviest weight then do one slow set of about 10-12 reps. You should be barely able to even lift the last two reps. If this is not the case then you should increase the weight you use.

If you are able to work your muscles to fatigue in one set then your muscle is working at it’s peak. You can significantly reduce the amount of time you spend working out with this system. One set, at maximum weight, for all the major muscles of the body is the best way to build the lean muscle you need to burn the excess fat you have.

With toned, lean muscle you will be able to better burn fat and calories even when you are resting you will burn more than you did without the lean muscle. Your metabolism will be stoked all the time, especially if you are eating healthier, too. Decreasing your carbohydrate intake and increasing your protein intake will help lose the weight quickly.

Now, ladies, building lean muscle does not mean you have to bulk up. You will get toned and look better than you have in years. Lean muscle just keeps burning calories and fat. In fact you may be surprised at how easily it will seem that not only your belly fat disappears but that you slim down all over.

Do not try to spot lose, this is impossible. You either have to lose weight all over or not at all. You can do individual resistance exercises that target each muscle system at different times in your workout, this is different than spot reducing. You are still getting the best workout to lose abdominal fat, you just are also including the rest of your body, as well.

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