Adding to my previous posts on shedding arm fat, and getting a flat tummy, today we look at the “31 Day Fat Loss Cure“, a best-selling, highly effective program that gets results.

I wasn’t always fascinated with fat loss.  In fact, throughout my 20′s  and early 30′s, I pretty much stayed the same weight and shape as the day  I graduated from high school.  I had no worries whatsoever about fat loss.  None.

As happens to many of us, having kids changed things.  Suddenly, the scale was creeping up, and dancing at the weekend just didn’t cut it as targeted, effective exercise.

Since then, I’ve been seeking productive ways to lose fat quickly and effectively, something to combat the naturally declining metabolism of the forties.

The 31 Day Fat Loss Cure is exactly the kind of book that’s perfect for those of us who simply don’t have time for hours of cardio, elaborate, calorie-controlled meals, and are just not interested in depriving ourselves of food.

The 31 Day Fat Loss Cure – A Review

The author, Vic Magary, is ex-soldier, and brings Army effective techniques that have been modified to make them accessible to a range of abilities, from beginners to advanced, and even includes specific instructions for sedentary and / or elderly individuals.

One thing that particularly appealed to me personally is the availability of targeted exercises for use in the gym, as well as body weight exercise that I can do in the privacy of my home.

Fat loss is a massive topic (no pun intended!), but Vic manages to clearly distil useful information into 13 sections, covering exercises as well as diet.

The 31 Day Fat Loss Cure – Diet

Actually, it isn’t really much of a “diet” as such.  You certainly never go hungry, and there are plenty of good, hearty choices, as would be the case in any sound, nutritionally balanced diet.

There are some specific foods to minimize and stay away from.  There are elements of the Caveman Diet – essentially, stay away from processed stuff, and eat as though you didn’t have an entire industry pre-packaging stuff for you.

In other words, eat more “God made foods”, and less / no “Man made foods”.

The 31 Day Fat Loss Cure – Exercise

As I have advocated many times in my posts on effective workouts, and sneaking exercise into your day, Vic is in favour of working smart more than working hard.  There are no hour long jogs or protracted stints on the elliptical machine.

Short bursts of highly targeted exercises that are great fat burners are laid out in the guide in easy-to-understand language.

Fat loss starts to take place almost immediately with a minimal time commitment compared to the positive outcomes.

The 31 Day Fat Loss Cure – Results?

Launched in early 2010, this ebook has received a ton a positive reviews, and more importantly, some pretty awesome results.

Several have lost well over 15 pounds, and some of the before/after pictures are simply outstanding.

Click here to have a look at those stories and find out more

Vic stands behind his program 100% with both a guarantee to lose 10 pounds (5 kg) in a month, as well as a full 60-day money back guarantee.  Yup, he’s pretty sure of the results you will definitely get.

What really appeals to me is the time-boxed nature of the program.  Thirty one days.  That’s 5 weekends away.

In one month’s time, you could be looking forward to seeing yourself in the mirror instead of quickly averting your eyes from an unflattering belly.

In 31 days, you could be looking back at today, at very this moment when you made the decision that led you to attain the body you know you secretly want.

Wanting and hoping doesn’t get results.  Action does.

>>> Click here to find out more on losing 10 pounds of fat <<<

I was happy and relieved to find success in a program that doesn’t involve massive amounts of time commitment, or a logistically difficult gym membership.

This blog has always been about finding ways of getting out of the way quickly and effectively, and I’m pleased to add 31 Day Fat Loss Cure to the recommended list.

The bad news about arm fat

First, the bad news: it is impossible to spot reduce.  This applies to getting rid of belly fat, love handles, chubby cheeks and arm fat.

Think of it as snow – for those of us who experience snow on a regular basis.  After a big snow storm, when the snow starts to melt, it will first melt where it is at its thinnest.  Highly trafficked roads and other places where it hasn’t accumulated are the first places where the snow melts.  The last place that clears up is where you have a huge pile of it in your back garden perhaps.

This means that as you start to focus on how to get rid of arm flab, you will actually be focusing on getting rid of fat all over your body. To lose body fat, you must burn fat.

So what can be done to lose arm fat?

Still, there are some things that you can do in tandem with losing fat all over to get toned arms.

Add weight training to lose arm fat

There’s nothing like training against resistance to build muscle (ladies, don’t worry, you won’t look like Arnie).  Not only does it make you strong, but we all know that muscle consumes more calories than fat even when you’re sitting around watching TV.

Punch something hard

Boxing is a great stress releasing exercise, and it works the heck out of your arms.  Get a punch bag, put on some aggressive music and relive that frustrating meeting in your head as you pound and pummel away.

 I dare you to not feel good afterwards.  And it will help you get rid of flappy arms.

Walk to help with losing arm fat

Walking is highly underrated.  Adding a daily 30-45 minute walk to your day can help you lose a good amount of weight in a few weeks.  Consistency is key.  Supercharge your walk by taking an interesting podcast with you, or better yet, a friend.  You will burn additional calories if you argue heatedly with your friend.

Just kidding.  Only arguing with your spouse burns extra calories. And helps get rid of arm fat.

Drink up to speed up fat loss

Water, water and more water.  You’ve heard the whole “our bodies are 60% water …” story.  It’s true.  So drink water to help your system flush out the toxins that make you retain water.  Who knows the level of toxins hidden away in all that arm fat.

Do the dip for firm, toned arms

Tricep dips are excellent exercises you can easily do every day.  Find yourself a sturdy chair.  Grip the ends and lower yourself down, and back up again.   Do not, please, use the office chair with the wheels!

Another option is the bathtub in the morning.  Use the 20 seconds it takes for the water to heat up, and do a few dips using the edge of the bathtub.

Raising your metabolism by doing the physical things first thing in the morning can also dramatically boost your chances at fat loss.

Stick with these small tweaks on how to get rid of arm fat, and rejoice when one day, brushing your teeth, you notice that you no longer have flapping wings and arm fat.

Recommended Resources

I’ve done a little research for you, and identified programs that can help you get started immediately on tackling the unsightly arms problem.  Each of them takes a slightly different approach, but all, if followed properly, will help you get rid of arm fat.

Tighter In 10 Days: super focused program for when you want to get that firm, toned look and get it fast

Female Fat Loss: if you are over 40 (like me!), this is the program for you to return your arms to the sleek way they used to look

Dessert Angel: tackling fat loss from the nutrition angle, this program helps you discover desserts that actually help shrink your stomach!

You too can have a flat tummy

I bet that one of your new year’s resolutions was to get yourself a flat tummy.  Unless you smoke.  In which case, you probably decided to stop smoking and get yourself a six-pack. Either way, I know the scenario below applies to many, many of us.

It’s a weekend night.  You’ve been looking forward to tonight’s event all week.  Actually all month.  You grab your jeans, slip them on, and …  the zip won’t get past this bulge that masquerades as your stomach.

At this point, you would do absolutely anything to have a flat stomach.  Just for tonight.  Ok, starting with tonight, and keeping it forever.

Another scenario.

You’re strolling along on a pleasant afternoon, people watching behind your sunglasses, enjoying a few moments of solitude.   Perhaps you’re early for an appointment nearby, or are waiting for your child to finish a play date.

Suddenly, you catch a glimpse of yourself on a particularly reflective storefront window.  Your eyes are inevitably drawn to your taut abs, but alas, you discover it is sleek only in your mind, while the harsh reality that confronts you is more akin to a six-month pregnant woman.

Is it too late to get a flat tummy?

I look at the young and lean Facebook generation, and fondly remember the days when we could eat anything and still look sleek, with a toned, flat midriff.   Somewhere along the line, our bodies decided to actually show what we’re doing to it – and not in a good way.

The good news is that it’s absolutely not too late to having that nice, toned mid-section, that flat tummy of yesteryear. I have come across so many instances of individuals who have claimed their bodies back, some who today look even better than they did 10 years ago, with a tight, flat tummy.  Of course, some work at it harder than others, but let us first pick at the low lying fruit, or how to achieve a flat stomach with some simple tweaks.

Bloating is major contributor to not having a flat tummy

This phenomenon is annoying as it is common.  You literally can’t recognize yourself in that big-bellied person that stares back at you in the mirror.  Actually, it is relatively simple to eliminate bloating if you follow these steps to get you closer to a flat tummy.

Lose the fizzy drinks: bubbles contribute a great deal to feeling and looking bloated.  Even carbonated water has that effect.  The reason is the carbon dioxide in the bubbles creates gas.

Shut your trap: cut down on activities that cause you to swallow excess air.  These include smoking, chewing gum, talking while you’re eating, or even drinking through a straw.  Excess air is another reason for a bulging belly.

Go for the real thing: artificial sweeteners can be difficult to digest for some people, especially sorbitol, used in many sugar-free sweets, candy and brands of chewing gum.  Treat yourself to a tiny bit of real sugar once in a while.

Eat your bananas: potassium-rich foods such as bananas, spinach, tomatoes and mangoes help regulate fluid balance in the body, helping reduce bloating and help get that flat abs look.

Watch your portions: eating a lot of fat in one sitting can slow down your digestion, causing food to be stuck in your stomach for longer periods.  Similarly, skip heavy starches before bed, as they contribute to retaining water.  You’ll wake up with anything but not with a flat tummy.

There are foods that help with achieving a flat tummy

Yes, it’s true.  Such foods do exist.  They are called cruciferous vegetables.  Broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, kale are all members of this family of vegetables.

Increase your intake of these vegetables for a flat tummy, and apart from the fact that they will you up – they’re high in fibre – they combat the hormones in our body that encourage the body to store fat.  Not only to store it, but to store it right around your lovely used-to-be flat tummy.

Being high in fibre also means that your digestive system will benefit a great deal from them, reducing the time that ingested food hangs around your stomach waiting to be processed.

A word of caution: some people tend to produce a lot of gas in response to eating some of the vegetables.  Combining the vegetables with cumin, ginger, fennel and anise seeds.  Experiment with what works best for you, so that you maximize the benefits of these vegetables.

A soothing cup of peppermint tea will also alleviate any gassy discomfort as a result of eating cruciferous vegetables in our quest for the ultimate flat stomach.

Dance your fat away for flatter stomach

Any kind of movement helps in overall well being, including banishing those pesky fat cells around our otherwise gorgeous midriff.  I personally do not enjoy hours and hours of cardio – can’t think of anything more boring.

But there are ways that you can move without it being boring, assuming the goal of having a flat tum is not enough motivation.  Dancing!

Whether you are coordinated or not, is great fun, gets the heart pumping, sends these fantastic feelings of well being all through you and is just darn good.  In fact, entire industries are being redefined by dance.

Look at the Disney dancing franchise of Camp Rock and High School Musical.  But specifically for us non-teenagers that aspire to looking lean, and worthy of flat tummy-ness, check out Zumba.  Or, as the tag line goes, join the party. Actually that would be join the party!!!

You can go to a Zumba class, get a Zumba workout DVD, play Zumba on Playstation, Wii or XBox.  I’ve opted for the DVD, and before you know it, you too will be infected, three-stepping away around the house when no one is looking.  Not a bad way to work your way to nice, defined waist.

Are there any big tweaks for achieving a flat tummy ?

We’ve reached the end of the small tweaks.  However, if you are truly serious about getting a flat tummy, I recommend you have a look at this presentation from Mike Geary, Certified Personal Trainer and  Nutrition Specialist.  He’s pretty awesome, and the presentation is compelling.  And free.

I promise you the presentation will be worth your time, and you will be surprised in places, and relieved in others when you find out that, well, it’s not really all your fault, and that you too can have a flat tummy.  Even if you’re not that young, or  genetically gifted and especially if you don’t have masses of money and time to dedicate to just getting fit.

In conclusion, it is possible to regain your once flat tummy, even if the last time you saw it was in kindergarden.  Start with the small tweaks presented here today, including the dancing – you can tell that’s my favourite bit!

Getting back into good, even great shape, doesn’t take forever – it just needs to be consistent for an intense, short period, and then let your newly developed habits take over the rest of the short journey to an amazingly flat tummy.

In the words of Thomas Edison: “Many of life’s failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up.”

Perhaps you too don’t realize how close you are having that elusive flat tummy, and you can get it with a bit of deliberate focus and a little guidance from an expert.

The three options below all require little or no equipment, can be done just about anywhere, and are all under 20 minutes.

If you have 4 minutes – the Tabata

Put together by a Japanese professor, a Tabata is a 20-second burst of very, very high intensity, big muscle exercise, followed by a rest period of 10 seconds.  The whole sequence is repeated 8 times for a total of four minutes.  Yes, four minutes.  It works, but only if you truly go high intensity for the 20 seconds, and involve large muscle groups. Good exercises for Tabata intervals are squats, jumping jacks, jumping rope, or my personal painful favourite, the burpee.

If you have 8 minutes – the 8 minute workout

This series of 8 Minute Workouts  focus on a single area for 8 minutes.  There’s a workout for legs, thighs and hips, abs, arms, and a stretching workout.  You can do one each day, and you will begin to see results in a few weeks.  I’ve used them all five of the workouts, and even keep them on my phone in case the mood strikes …

If you have 20 minutes – Jillian’s shred

Called the 30-day shred and conceived by Jillian Michaels, trainer to the contestants on The Biggest Loser, this 20-minute workout comes in three levels.  I dare you to stick with it for 30 days, doing Level 1 for 10 days, Level 2 for the next 10 days, and finishing up with Level 3.  It will kick your behind, even in Level 1.  Trust me on this.  I had incredulous sweat and sore-in-a-good-way feeling to prove it.  Yes, even in Level 1.

These are all short enough to do every day, and, all other things being equal (like your diet), you should start to see small but definite results within 10 days to 2 weeks.

New mothers, pre-exam students, and deadline-dogged workers know exactly what I’m talking about.

Here are seven ways to help your body recharge, whether you are in crisis mode or just having an off Tuesday:

1. Go to bed

Sounds obvious, right? But you will surprised at how many fall asleep on the couch or armchair, only to to find that when they do go to bed, can’t fall asleep again.  Just go to bed already.  That’s where you’re supposed to fall asleep.

2. Avoid heavy meals

If any part of your body is working hard, you will not be able to relax enough to wind down.  If you bog down your digestive system with a heavy meal, it has to work overtime to process it, and that is absolutely not conducive to getting pleasantly drowsy.

3. Avoid caffeine

Again, an obvious one.  Wean yourself off the afternoon caffeine.  Try to stick to decaf or herbal teas after lunch.  Contrary to coffee enthusiast beliefs, herbal teas aren’t all tasteless and lame.

4. Do something different

Stress is an obstacle to sleep.  Switch your workday or current obsession by doing something completely different.  Go skating. Karaoke.  Dance.  Anything that engages both your body and your brain.

5. Have a warm bath

A shower will also do the trick.  The key is to get your body nice and warm (or cool and fresh depending on your ambient temperature).  Snuggle into comfy pajamas and under a cozy sheet as soon as possible after your bath. Very relaxing.

6. Turn off electronics

Another obvious one.  Yet how many times have you been woken up by a wrong number or worse, an email notification just as you were drifting off? Just turn your phone and any other silly-noise emitting electronic device.  If you must keep the TV on, put it on a timer of no more than 30 minutes.

7. Outsource brain function

To turn off your brain, you need to get rid the stuff that’s got it working overtime, including whether you will be able to wake up at all, now that it ‘s already 3:00 and you’ve yet to fall asleep.  Set an alarm, write down the problem, make a list of the things you’re worried you’ll forget.  Just get it out of your head.  Better yet, do so before you head into the shower.

Try a few of these tips and you will notice the difference almost immediately.  We are creatures of habit, and our bodies learn what we teach them.

Sweet dreams!

So – in addition to standing around a lot as suggested by the article, consider the following three ways of sneaking exercise into our day by marrying mini-workouts with every day tasks:

Walk ‘n Talk

Turn your tete-a-tete with a colleague into a brisk walk.  You will amazed at how much walking you can get done.  You will be so engrossed in your discussion, you will forget you are actually exercising.

Bonus: if you work in an open plan area, going away for a walk will get you some privacy and some fresh air.  In Dubai, try to do these sessions early in the day for obvious weather reasons.

Brush ‘n Squat

Squats are some of the best all around exercises as they work several of the large muscle groups.  Doing squats while you brush your teeth means you can likely do roughly two sets of at least ten squats – especially if you brush your teeth for the full 3 minutes you’re supposed to.  Make sure you keep your back straight, and your knees are over your toes – never, ever beyond your toes.

Watch ‘n Dip

Tricep dips are easy to do while in front of the TV or YouTube  using the very chair you are sitting on, as long as it is not on wheels!  Make sure you keep your body close to the chair as you lower yourself down.

Tricep Dips from about.com

These are just three simple ways of easing into exercise without really committing to a regime, and sneakily burning calories without triggering your body’s compensation response.

Until my metabolism caught up with me.  Or rather, I caught up with my metabolism.  My meals had consisted mostly of pasta with an interesting mix of sauces, and when that got old, I turned to rice with an interesting mix of curries.  Suddenly, every ounce of carb started to show on the scale, on my hips and on my face.

Time to fall in love with vegetables.  Here are a few things that work for me.

Interesting Ingredients

Salads don’t have to be made up of just lettuce, tomato and cucumber.  Try adding apples, raisins, nuts, sweet potatoes, beetroot or beans.  That hint of sweetness works for me.

Hot Pasta Salad

Forget the cold pasta salad with tuna that abounds in hotel buffets.  Instead, grill or steam red or yellow peppers, zucchini, asparagus, and add it to the tomato sauce before tossing it with penne or fusilli pasta.

No fresh produce in the fridge? Crack open a can of mixed vegetables, or the frozen kind, toss it with extra garlic and onion, and your pasta will turn into a healthy dish covering at least two servings of vegetables.

Breakfast Soup

Yes, you heard right.  This is my latest trend and it is working fabulously.  I start each morning with green vegetable soup.  Whatever veg is in the fridge (or freezer) gets heated / nuked, thrown into the blender with a bit of seasoning, and voila, there’s all five servings a day right in my breakfast bowl.

As a bonus, I add a heaped tablespoon of flaxseed, and before even starting my day, I’m up on all my veg, my Omega-3, fibre, and a smug grin to go with it.

How about you? Are you one of those of annoying types who actually love vegetables? Do share how you get your five-a-day.

Alternatively, click here for a good solution to the whole getting-the-diet right dilemma.

Get it out of your head and into a single, trusted “inbox”. There only three requirements for a good inbox are:

• It must be with you at all times
• You always use it to accept input
• You always refer to it (this is the difficult bit!)

You see, your brain comes right on top when being auditioned against these three requirements.  It is just such a shame to waste such brain power on something the back of an envelope can do quite well.  Don’t waste time and energy memorizing your to-do list, and use something else as your trusted inbox.

Here are some options for a trusted inbox:

• A small notebook
• Your phone’s notes application
• Your answering machine: call and leave yourself notes  (could get expensive)

You could have multiple inboxes – just make sure you synchronize one a week or so.

Try it today: sit down and write down (into your inbox) all of the bits you have been trying to remember to keep track of – things that must be done early next week, the dentist appointment you must make, the phone number you promised to text to your neighbour, the dry cleaning that needs picking up …

Now sit back and feel good that you’ve captured it all, and you can happily forgive your memory if it lapses.

Bonus: when you cross an item off the list, the feel good factor is way higher than if you had not written it down in the first place

I love timers.  Something about knowing there is a finite number of minutes left appeals to my fickle inner child.  So, what can you do with a timer?

Fight procrastination: The procrastinators 10+2 hack from 43 Folders recommends setting your timer on a 10 + 2 round.  You work for 10 minutes, goof off for 2 minutes.

Boost productivity: Set the timer for a 15 or 30 minutes to focus on a task and commit to it completely till the timer goes off.  You’re only committing for 15 minutes.  Totally doable.  This also works a treat if you set it for 5 minutes to get kids to put away their toys or generally pick up their play area.

Interval training: Many exercise protocols are based around intervals.  One of the most effective is tabata, where you practically kill yourself in 30 second spurts followed by 10 seconds of rest.

My timer mashup: set timer for rounds of 30 + 2.  Work for 30 minutes, exercise for 2.  I use “exercise” in a very loose sense here.   It doesn’t really matter what kind of exercise you do, as long as you move.  If you work at a desk / computer for a living, taking these breaks is great for your eyes, your neck, and making you realize you just spent the last 30 minutes on Twitter.  You can then spend 2 minutes repenting by doing jumping jacks.

I use sweatshop as my timer.  It’s a freebie I found here – Windows only unfortunately.

Do you use a timer?