10 diet traps to avoid

diet and calorie count statistics

7 squat challenge

6 rounded butt exercises

7 moves for shaped butt

8 moves for summer butt

7 booty lifting toning

killer abs

8 min bikini abs

5 minute plank workout

30 day plank challenge

30 day squat challenge

30 day flat abs

30 day thigh slimming

30 day butt lift

weight loss chart 2

weight loss chart 1

10 Ways to Boost Your Metabolism

Booty Boot Camp

If you feel your "rear view" needs a makeover, the right fitness routine can help give you a lift. Can you achieve the "perfect" Brazilian beach butt seen on TV? That depends partly on your body type and genes. But most everyone can shape up to look better in jeans. These pictures show you the moves.

Behind It All: Meet Your Glutes

The shape of the buttocks is defined by muscles known as the glutes. That's the gluteus maximus, gluteus medius, and gluteus minimus, as well as the fat that lies over them. Walking, running, and climbing all work the glutes. Strength training that targets these muscles can help give you a tighter, more rounded look. Adding a few butt-busting moves to your routine may be enough to see a change.

Squat and Tone

The squat tops every list of butt-sculpting exercises. It directly works the glutes.You can build bigger bottom muscles by adding hand-held weights.

Form: Keep feet parallel, shoulder-width apart. Slowly lower the hips as if sitting in a chair; then return to standing.  Make sure your knees do not push out in front of your toes. Keep your torso tight and back straight.

Or Try a Ball Squat

If you're just starting out, a large ball can help with balance while you master the form. For each exercise on our list, aim for three sets of 15 reps. Try to do each exercise three times a week with cardio or exercises focused on other body parts on other days.

Form: Keep the ball between your low back and a wall. Slowly perform the classic squat. Walk your feet out in front so the knees stay behind your toes.

Forward Lunge

This butt builder also tones the thighs and calves. It's a pretty good fat burner, too.

Form: With your feet parallel and hip-distance apart, take one giant step forward. Lower your body slowly, bending both knees, and return to standing. Repeat on the other side. Bend your knees no more than 90 degrees. Keep your front knee stacked right over your front ankle. Do not rest your back knee on the ground.

Or Try a Backward Lunge

When you step backward into a lunge, it works the glutes a little harder. Your workout gets variety, too. Lunges also add flexibility to your hips. They align your body better, too, something  that can suffer when people spend long hours sitting at a desk.

Form: Use the same posture as in a forward lunge, but step backward to position the lower leg. Don't let the front knee push out in front of your toes.

Or Try a Side Lunge

The side lunge targets the muscle on the outside of the hips, the glutes, and tones the inner thighs, too.

Form: From a wide stance, bend one knee. Keep the shinbone under that knee straight up from the floor. If the knee falls inside the foot, use a shorter stance. Lean forward slightly, but keep your shoulders behind your knees to keep from hurting yourself. Put your hands where they help with balance.

On the Ball: Leg Lift

Leg lifts done while you balance on an exercise ball will strengthen your shoulders and abs, as well as your glutes. As you get more fit, try lifting both legs at the same time for a harder, beautiful-butt move.

Form: Keep your abs tight and back flat. Squeeze your glute muscles tight as you lift one leg. Just a few inches is fine when you're just starting out. Be careful not to use your lower back muscles.

On the Ball: Hip Lift

This small movement focuses on the gluteus maximus, the largest muscle in the body. Be careful not to use the back muscles; the glutes should do the work.

Form: Bend the knees 90 degrees, feet together. Squeeze the glutes and slowly move the thighs up off the ball. A small, controlled, 2-inch movement  is the goal.

Floor Work: Bridge

This classic is a super workout for the glutes, as well as the hamstrings and hips.

Form: Begin on your back with your knees bent, feet hip-width apart. Slowly peel your spine off the floor from the tailbone. Tighten the glutes and hamstrings as you do this. When your body has formed a long, slanted line from shoulders to knees, hold for a few seconds. Then lower slowly.

Floor Work: Side Leg Raises

This move targets the two smaller muscle groups in the buttocks, the gluteus medius and minimus.

Form: Lift the top leg while lying on your side. Keep the hips stacked and the torso still. Both knees should face forward. To work slightly different muscles, you can turn the top leg out from the hip.

Floor Work: Dirty Dog

This bottom builder gained fame in the exercise videos of the 1970s as the "fire hydrant."  It targets two of the muscle groups in the buttocks.

Form: Keep your knees hip-width apart and your hands directly under your shoulders, elbows straight. Gently stiffen the abs and keep your back in a neutral position with no sagging or arching. Slowly draw one knee up. Rotate the hip to bring the leg toward the torso, then away.

Floor Work: Dirty Dog

This bottom builder gained fame in the exercise videos of the 1970s as the "fire hydrant."  It targets two of the muscle groups in the buttocks.

Form: Keep your knees hip-width apart and your hands directly under your shoulders, elbows straight. Gently stiffen the abs and keep your back in a neutral position with no sagging or arching. Slowly draw one knee up. Rotate the hip to bring the leg toward the torso, then away.

Walk the Hills

For a no-fuss butt workout, all you have to do is walk. Tackle hills for the most glute-shaping impact. You'll burn extra calories, too.  On a treadmill, you can get this effect using a 5% to 7% incline.

Tone Your Tush With Cardio

In the gym, try stair steppers, arc trainers, and elliptical machines.They challenge the glutes while giving your heart and lungs a healthy workout. Inline skating and cycling are other choices that help both heart and tush. 

Firm Up Without Bulking Up

Don't worry about building a bulky butt. Women aren't genetically built that way. Resistance exercises are a must for a toned behind. Keep the reps on the higher side (15 reps per set) to focus on firming rather than bulking. The last few reps should still be challenging. Don't forget the cardio to round out your butt-toning exercise routine.

Slim Your Assets

Targeted exercises alone may give you a firmer behind but not always a smaller one. For more impact, watch your diet, burn more calories, and lose weight. You'll reduce the fat pad lying over the gluteal muscles, giving you tight, trim curves back there.

How To Go for the Maximum

If bigger is better to you, you'll want to really challenge the glute muscles. Dial up the resistance on a stationary bike or other cardio machine. During strength training, go for more weight that challenges you in 6 to 12 reps. Rest 30 to 90 seconds in between sets. A high-quality diet also helps build muscle mass.

Can You Shift Your Shape?

There's much talk in beauty magazines about a rounded, "Brazilian-style" butt.  Targeted exercises can move a flat fanny closer to this beauty ideal. But a workout will most likely enhance the shape your behind already has: heart-like, pear, bubble, or another. For total reshaping, after a huge weight loss, for instance, cosmetic surgeons offer implants, lifts, and reshaping.

Shapewear for Your Tush

Lots of underwear now aims to "separate and lift" your bottom. Some styles rein in skin with elastic panels. Others enhance your rear view with padding. You can even find padded inserts and lifting Spandex panels in jeans.

Dress Your Assets Down

Boot-cut and flared jeans balance out the hips and rear for a slimming effect. Long pant legs make your legs look longer and your booty smaller. And back pockets can do much to buff up your butt. Just beware of super-long back pockets. They can make your behind look flat or saggy instead of showing off those sexy contours you earned at the gym.

Dress Your Assets Up

Skip the peg leg and ankle jeans. They widen the hips and make your body look like an ice cream cone with a big, round scoop on top. A better choice to really show off your curves are skinny-fit pant legs or leggings. Look for a tight, form-fitting rear panel for head-turning style.

10 Ways to Boost Your Metabolism

Can You Make Your Metabolism Better?

Boosting metabolism is the holy grail of weight watchers everywhere, but how fast your body burns calories depends on several things. Some people inherit a speedy metabolism. Men tend to burn more calories than women, even while resting. And for most people, metabolism slows steadily after age 40. Although you can't control your age, gender, or genetics, there are other ways to improve your metabolism. Here are 10 of them.

Build Muscle

Your body constantly burns calories, even when you're doing nothing. This resting metabolic rate is much higher in people with more muscle. Every pound of muscle uses about 6 calories a day just to sustain itself, while each pound of fat burns only 2 calories daily. That small difference can add up over time. After a session of strength training, muscles are activated all over your body, raising your average daily metabolic rate.

Step Up Your Workout

Aerobic exercise may not build big muscles, but it can rev up your metabolism in the hours after a workout. The key is to push yourself. High-intensity exercise delivers a bigger, longer rise in resting metabolic rate than low- or moderate-intensity workouts. To get the benefits, try a more intense class at the gym or include short bursts of jogging during your regular walk.

Fuel Up With Water

Your body needs water to process calories. If you are even mildly dehydrated, your metabolism may slow down. In one study, adults who drank eight or more glasses of water a day burned more calories than those who drank four. To stay hydrated, drink a glass of water or other unsweetened beverage before every meal and snack. Also, snack on fresh fruits and vegetables, which naturally contain water, rather than pretzels or chips.

Should You Try Energy Drinks?

Some ingredients in energy drinks can give your metabolism a boost. They're full of caffeine, which increases the amount of energy your body uses. They sometimes have taurine, an amino acid. Taurine can speed up your metabolism and may help burn fat. But using these drinks can cause problems like high blood pressure, anxiety, and sleep issues for some people. The American Academy of Pediatrics doesn’t recommend them for kids and teens.

Snack Smart

Eating more often can help you lose weight. When you eat large meals with many hours in between, your metabolism slows down between meals. Having a small meal or snack every 3 to 4 hours keeps your metabolism cranking, so you burn more calories over the course of a day. Several studies have also shown that people who snack regularly eat less at mealtime.

Spice Up Your Meals

Spicy foods have natural chemicals that can kick your metabolism into a higher gear. Cooking foods with a tablespoon of chopped red or green chili pepper can boost your metabolic rate. The effect is probably temporary, but if you eat spicy foods often, the benefits may add up. For a quick boost, spice up pasta dishes, chili, and stews with red pepper flakes.

Power Up With Protein

Your body burns many more calories digesting protein than it does eating fat or carbohydrates. As part of a balanced diet, replacing some carbs with lean, protein-rich foods can boost metabolism at mealtime. Good sources of protein include lean beef, turkey, fish, white meat chicken, tofu, nuts, beans, eggs, and low-fat dairy products.

Sip Some Black Coffee

If you're a coffee drinker, you probably enjoy the energy and concentration perks. Taken in moderation, one of coffee's benefits may be a short-term rise in your metabolic rate. Caffeine can help you feel less tired and even increase your endurance while you exercise.

Recharge With Green Tea

Drinking green tea or oolong tea offers the combined benefits of caffeine and catechins, substances shown to rev up the metabolism for a couple of hours. Research suggests that drinking 2 to 4 cups of either tea may push the body to burn 17% more calories during moderately intense exercise for a short time.

Avoid Crash Diets

Crash diets -- those involving eating fewer than 1,200 (if you're a woman) or 1,800 (if you're a man) calories a day -- are bad for anyone hoping to quicken their metabolism. Although these diets may help you drop pounds, that comes at the expense of good nutrition. Plus, it backfires, since you can lose muscle, which in turn slows your metabolism. The final result is your body burns fewer calories and gains weight faster than before the diet.

The Truth About Belly Fat

urprise: Everyone has some belly fat, even people who have flat abs.

That's normal. But too much belly fat can affect your health in a way that other fat doesn't.

Some of your fat is right under your skin. Other fat is deeper inside, around your heart, lungs, liver, and other organs.

It's that deeper fat -- called "visceral" fat -- that may be the bigger problem, even for thin people.

Even thin people can have too much belly fat. It's more about how active you are than your pants size.

Deep Belly Fat

You need some visceral fat. It provides cushioning around your organs.

But if you have too much of it, you may be more likely to get high blood pressure,type 2 diabetes, heart disease, dementia, and certain cancers, including breast cancer and colon cancer.

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The fat doesn't just sit there. It's an active part of your body, making "lots of nasty substances," says Kristen Hairston, MD, assistant professor of endocrinology and metabolism at Wake Forest School of Medicine.

If you gain too much weight, your body starts to store your fat in unusual places.

With increasing obesity, you have people whose regular areas to store fat are so full that the fat is deposited into the organs and around the heart, says Carol Shively, PhD, professor of pathology-comparative medicine at Wake Forest School of Medicine.

How Much Belly Fat Do You Have?

The most precise way to determine how much visceral fat you have is to get a CT scan or MRI. But there's a much simpler, low-cost way to check.

Get a measuring tape, wrap it around your waist at your belly button, and check your girth. Do it while you're standing up, and make sure the tape measure is level.

For your health's sake, you want your waist size to be less than 35 inches if you're a woman and less than 40 inches if you're a man.

Having a "pear shape" -- bigger hips and thighs -- is considered safer than an "apple shape," which describes a wider waistline.

“What we’re really pointing to with the apple versus pear,” Hairston says, "is that, if you have more abdominal fat, it’s probably an indicator that you have more visceral fat."

Thin People Have It, Too

Even if you're thin, you can still have too much visceral fat.

How much you have is partly about your genes, and partly about your lifestyle, especially how active you are.

Visceral fat likes inactivity. In one study, thin people who watched their diets but didn't exercise were more likely to have too much visceral fat.

The key is to be active, no matter what size you are.

4 Steps for Beating Belly Fat

There are four keys to controlling belly fat: exercise, diet,sleep, and stress management.

1. Exercise: Vigorous exercise trims all your fat, including visceral fat.

Get at least 30 minutes of moderate exercise at least 5 days a week. Walking counts, as long as it's brisk enough that you work up a sweat and breathe harder, with your heart ratefaster than usual.

To get the same results in half the time, step up your pace and get vigorous exercise -- like jogging or walking. You'd need to do that for 20 minutes a day, 4 days a week.

Jog, if you're already fit, or walk briskly at an incline on a treadmill if you're not ready for jogging. Vigorous workouts on stationary bikes and elliptical or rowing machines are also effective, says Duke researcher Cris Slentz, PhD.

Moderate activity -- raising your heart rate for 30 minutes at least three times per week -- also helps. It slows down how much visceral fat you gain. But to torch visceral fat, your workouts may need to be stepped up.

“Rake leaves, walk, garden, go to Zumba, play soccer with your kids. It doesn’t have to be in the gym,” Hairston says.

If you are not active now, it's a good idea to check with yourhealth care provider before starting a new fitness program.

2. Diet: There is no magic diet for belly fat. But when you lose weight on any diet, belly fat usually goes first.

Getting enough fiber can help. Hairston’s research shows that people who eat 10 grams of soluble fiber per day -- without any other diet changes -- build up less visceral fat over time than others. That’s as simple as eating two small apples, a cup of green peas, or a half-cup of pinto beans.

4 Steps for Beating Belly Fat continued...

“Even if you kept everything else the same but switched to a higher-fiber bread, you might be able to better maintain your weight over time,” Hairston says.

3. Sleep: Getting the right amount of shut-eye helps. In one study, people who got 6 to 7 hours of sleep per night gained less visceral fat over 5 years compared to those who slept 5 or fewer hours per night or 8 or more hours per night. Sleep may not have been the only thing that mattered -- but it was part of the picture.

4. Stress: Everyone has stress. How you handle it matters. The best things you can do include relaxing with friends and family, meditating, exercising to blow off steam, and getting counseling. That leaves you healthier and better prepared to make good choices for yourself.

“If you could only afford the time to do one of these things," Shively says, "exercise probably has the most immediate benefits, because it gets at both obesity and stress.”

The 1,200-Calorie Daily Meal Plan to Lose Weight Fast

Part of sliming down involves a simple, sensible exercise and eating plan. Here's a week-long menu for ourLose 20 Pounds Fast Diet program: Over the next 90 days you should aim to consume 1,200 calories a day plus calorie-free beverages as desired, and take a multivitamin and a 400-milligram calcium supplement daily.

RELATED: The 39-Dish Meal Plan to Slim You Down Fast

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Day 1
Breakfast
• 3/4 cup bran flakes, 1 banana, 1 cup fat-free milk

Lunch
• Sandwich: 1 mini whole wheat pita, 3 ounces turkey breast, 1/2 roasted pepper, 1 teaspoon light mayonnaise, mustard, lettuce
• 1 stick part-skim mozzarella string cheese
• 2 kiwifruits

Dinner
• 4 ounces broiled flounder or sole
• 2 sliced plum tomatoes sprinkled with 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese, broiled until just golden
• 1 cup cooked couscous
• 1 cup steamed broccoli
• 1 fat-free pudding cup

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Day 2
Breakfast• Smoothie: Blend 1 cup frozen berries, 1/2 banana, and 8 ounces fat-free milk.
• 1/2 English muffin spread with 1 teaspoon light margarine

Lunch
• 1 cup vegetarian vegetable soup
• 1 veggie burger in a mini whole wheat pita with lettuce and salsa
• 6 ounces light yogurt
• 15 grapes

Dinner
• BBQ chicken: Brush 4 ounces boneless, skinless breast with barbecue sauce and grill.
• 1/2 cup vegetarian baked beans
• 3 small boiled red potatoes topped with 1 teaspoon light margarine and a pinch of dill

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Day 3
Breakfast
• Oatmeal: In the microwave, cook 1/2 cup quick-cooking oats with 3/4 cup fat-free milk; 1/2 apple, chopped; 1 teaspoon honey; and a pinch of cinnamon

Lunch
• Chicken salad: Toss 4 ounces shredded skinless roast chicken breast with 1/4 cup sliced red grapes, 1 tablespoon slivered almonds, 1 tablespoon light mayonnaise, and 1 tablespoon fat-free sour cream. Serve over lettuce.
• 1 banana

Dinner
• 4 ounces steamed shrimp
• 1 baked potato topped with 3 tablespoons salsa and 1 tablespoon fat-free sour cream
• 3 cups spinach, steamed
• 1 low-fat frozen fudge bar

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Day 4
Breakfast
• 1/2 toasted English muffin topped with 1/2 small apple, sliced, and 1 ounce shredded reduced-fat cheese, any type. Microwave 30 seconds on High.
• 6 ounces light yogurt sprinkled with 1 tablespoon slivered almonds

Lunch
• 1 cup tomato soup
• Sandwich: 1 mini whole wheat pita, 3 ounces thinly sliced roast beef, 1 teaspoon horseradish, mustard, tomato slices, lettuce
• 1 cup raw veggies
• 1 pear

Dinner
• 3 ounces poached salmon
• Slaw: Toss 1 1/4 cups coleslaw mix and 2 sliced green onions with 2 tablespoons fat-free dressing (no more than 30 calories per 2 tablespoons)
• 3/4 cup cooked brown rice
• 1/2 cup pineapple chunks in juice

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Day 5
Breakfast
• 1 cup Cheerios, 1/2 cup berries, 1 tablespoon slivered almonds, 8 ounces fat-free milk

Lunch
• Quesadilla: Spread 1/4 cup fat-free refried beans over 1 small whole wheat tortilla. Sprinkle on 1 ounce shredded reduced-fat cheese. Top with salsa and another tortilla; microwave 45 seconds on High.
• 1/2 cup low-fat cottage cheese topped with 1/2 cup mandarin orange sections
• Cucumber spears

Dinner
• 3 ounces roasted pork tenderloin
• 1 cup baked acorn squash, mashed with a pinch of cinnamon
• 2 to 3 cups salad greens with 2 tablespoons fat-free dressing
• 1/2 cup vanilla fat-free frozen yogurt topped with 1 cup berries

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Day 6
Breakfast• 1 toasted frozen waffle, spread with 1 tablespoon peanut butter and topped with 1/2 sliced banana
• 8 ounces fat-free milk

Lunch
• Tuna pita: 1 mini whole wheat pita, 2 ounces water-packed light tuna, 1 tablespoon light mayonnaise, mustard, and cucumber and onion slices
• 10 baby carrots
• 6 ounces light yogurt mixed with 1/2 banana

Dinner
• Jambalaya: Combine 3/4 cup cooked brown rice; 1/2 cup corn; 2 ounces cooked turkey sausage, sliced; 1/3 cup salsa; and 1/4 cup canned kidney beans. Heat through.
• 3 cups spinach, steamed
• 1 medium apple

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Day 7
Breakfast
• 1/2 toasted English muffin layered with 1 ounce reduced-fat cheese, sliced; 1 tomato slice; 1/2 cup steamed spinach, drained; and 1 poached egg
• 1 grapefruit

Lunch
• Black bean salad: Toss 1/2 cup canned black beans, 1/2 cup mandarin orange sections, and chopped red bell peppers, red onion, and scallions with 1 teaspoon vinegar. Serve over salad greens.
• 1 mini whole wheat pita
• 1 pear

Dinner
• 3 ounces broiled or grilled flank steak
• 1 baked sweet potato with 1 teaspoon light margarine
• 1 cup steamed zucchini
• 1/2 cup pineapple chunks in juice