I’ve seen some pretty wild claims about herbal body wraps. I’ve actually gotten several before, with interesting near-term results that never last, although they are quite effective if you want quick inch loss for a big event.  Keep in mind, even for quick inch loss, you may need several body wraps in a row before you see any significant difference in your actual measurements.

Herbal body wraps are basically herbal solutions that are applied either before your body is wrapped up like a mummy on its target spots, usually with ace bandage types of bandages. Either that or it may be a cream or solution that is applied directly to the skin before the dry wrap is applied.

The type I got was where the cloth bandages themselves were soaked in an herbal solution then applied to my skin, so basically I had to sit in a dark room with a giant plastic sauna suit on for an hour, wrapped like a mummy. It’s definitely not for people who are claustrophobic in any way or in the least bit fidgety like I tend to be.

I couldn’t stand laying there for a full hour, with just my thoughts and relaxing music. It’s different if you’re getting a massage or something, but body wraps really are not that relaxing to me because all I do is think about all the other things I could be doing while I’m just laying there, unable to fall asleep.

Then again, I’m kind of a nervous-energy type of person anyway, so that may not be everyone.  I did notice that my inches were being lost after about the sixth body wrap. I went to get them once a week, usually on the weekend since that was most convenient for my schedule.

They would measure me every time after the wrap and tell me how much I lost.  Of course, keep in mind that right after the wrap, your measurements will of course be smaller simply because your fatty tissue is still compressed from being wrapped up for an hour.

I unfortunately didn’t notice much of a long lasting difference from my experience with herbal body wraps. I did notice some improvement in my cellulite, but that’s about it. I wish I could say they are a miracle, but of course, just like everything else, true weight and inch loss that is lasting comes from dietary changes and fitness discipline as well as making sure you are not sedentary.

It seems that most women, even those of us that are seemingly “perfection” when it comes to the graces God handed to us as far as genetics such as big boobs, no cellulite and tiny waists and thighs, have issues with our bodies. There’s always at least one part that just somehow doesn’t fit our own personal ideal of what we think the ideal female body is.

I’ve known women who have killer curves that a lot of other ladies would love to have say they hate the very thing other women envy. I’ve heard women with thin stick figure, willowy tall bodies say they wish they had a little more shape or curve. I’ve heard women with pear shapes say they’d love to be more proportional.

It all seems to be in the symmetry, and some of it has to do with the “look” of the moment.  Why can’t we all just be happy and content with what we were handed instead of having body image issues?  Of course we are not, because plastic surgery’s popularity has just been climbing more and more every year since it started to become affordable and widespread enough for even the average Joes, not just the elite and privileged.

Recent surveys showed that most young girls are especially susceptible to these ridiculous societal ideals of what is the perfect body. The majority of teen girls when surveyed said that they would feel prettier and more attractive if they lost weight.  It was quite a general and far reaching statement – they just all felt that any weight lost would add to their attractiveness!

Almost all of them would also change their body in some way if they could, which is also a staggering figure, and shows that women at younger ages are very impressionable when it comes to what they think is attractive and how they have to conform to this ideal, even if it is totally outside their genetic capability.

While it is a known fact that teens are most susceptible to body dysfmorphic issues (where they feel their bodies are much fatter than they are), and eating disorders (see our past story on eating disorders), it seems that older women are caving to the pressure as well.  Everything from cellulite, to “too small breasts” to larger upper arms (we have some exercises for that).

Eating disorders such as anorexia and bulimia are much more prevalent in older women than they used to be. Is this because of the ideals paraded in front of us on what a beautiful woman should look like?  The endless magazine advertisements, reality shows and movies that show impossible figures?

There is no one true answer, but the fact is that plastic surgery has definitely changed the landscape of what women consider to be perfection, and in my opinion it’s not a good thing.  Instead of opting for surgery, try an awesome boot camp style workout, or get into a good fitness regimen that will make you feel like you can kick some butt. Surgery will not do that for you.

If you are looking to get fit and are interested in fast results to getting the toned and sculpted muscular look, Rushfit is a possible way to achieve your goals.  Rushfit is a fitness program designed by George St. Pierre, who is a mixed martial artist champion, and his trainer, Erik Owings.

This is a good solid exercise regimen that is actually quite practical in terms of time and money invested.  The recommended amount of time to be spent each day working out is 45 minutes.  The cost for obtaining the material needed is 3 payments of $29.99 plus shipping and handling for the 8 week home training camp materials.

The only other thing you will need is a set of dumbbells ranging in weight from 2 lbs. to 25 lbs.  You will not need any weights greater than 25 lbs., since you gain most of your strength from reps, not from heavier weights.

The eight week home training camp consists of 7 workouts on 6 DVD’s, a workout guide book, a nutrition guide and training plans.  The fitness and conditioning program has workouts that include: strength and endurance, explosive power, fight conditioning, abdominal strength and core conditioning, full body strength and conditioning and bonus workouts.

The workout guide book contains instructions on how to reach your fitness goals within 8 weeks step by step.  The nutrition guide informs you of the best nutrients to focus on to go along with a tough workout routine.  The training plans enables you to choose a workout calendar to mesh with your schedule and still meet your training needs.

This program is designed to help you build muscle and lose weight and it promises faster results for body toning and conditioning.  George St. Pierre is known for the intensity of his workouts.  He uses a mixed martial arts training style and his workouts are broken down into 5 separate 5 minute rounds.

This fitness program focuses on areas of strength, endurance, core stability, power, flexibility, balance and agility.  Each of his workout videos can be purchased separately online for a range of $14.99 to $19.99, if purchasing the entire 8 week home training camp is too expensive. The website for Rushfit is gsprushfit.com and it is comprehensive on what is offered.

The workout videos emphasize quality and intensity of each move.  They address all of the areas that are needed to build strength, both upper and lower body.  In addition to the five round divisions, there is a warm up and cool down to each exercise.

It is not an easy workout, but with eight weeks of really staying with this and following the nutrition guide, you would almost have to lose weight and gain strength.

Women are more and more frequently getting on weight machines, and that’s a great thing.  Women previously seemed to be either intimidated by weight machines or simply were more interested in doing aerobic activity.  Now, with muscles being considered sexy and powerful on women, you find females on these machines all the time.  It’s a great thing!

If you are thinking about using the weight machines at any gym, whether you’re a guy or a girl, make sure you first get the little once-over type of education they give you at any gym. They should always have a person on site that will be able to show you how to use weight machines safely.

They also will be able to show you how to use them effectively, so that you get the most results out of each use and are targeting the proper problem area that you want to when using it. Basically, you need to know how to use these machines correctly so that A.) you don’t get hurt and B.) you don’t waste your time doing an exercise wrong.

Well, since women have been increasingly getting on these machines, there have been more reports of injuries. I’ve gotta be honest, at the gym, I’m seeing more women on these weight machines than men, so it makes sense that more women are reporting injuries.

The increase in weight room related injuries in women has gone up over 50% over the past few years. You think maybe women are loving feeling strong and muscular?  I, as a woman myself, can tell you that it feels amazing to me when I can actually lift heavy things and I feel stronger.

To me, it’s just empowering. Sure, it’s great to look muscular and more “cut”, but the best thing about it is, the older I get, the more invincible building muscle makes me feel.

When it comes to the fat on your body, there are actually two types that can cause huge differences in the way you burn fat and maintain weight. Numerous studies have corroborated that brown fat cells actually burn more calories than white fat cells, making them the more desirable of the two types of fat to have.

A recent study actually showed that mice who have higher concentrations of brown fat over white fat cells burned more calories and maintained a trimmer physique than the mice that had more white fat cells.

Brown fat is found a lot in newborns, and is found a lot more in thinner people, leading researchers to find that this type of fat is much more beneficial than “white fat” is on the human body. 

So what accounts for the brown color of brown fat? Well, it contains many more cells, and it actually contains iron stores, which makes it appear the brownish color versus the white color.

It is thought that due to the higher energy need of brown fat, it helps the body to burn more fat by having a higher thermogenic property than white fat. This means it generates more heat and burns a lot more calories and therefore a lot more “bad fat”.

Brown fat actually “takes” energy from white fat cells, and is therefore an excellent mode of burning extra fat and thinning down the body, as well as sculpting the body and helping to reduce things like big thighs, jiggly arms, and reduce cellulite on the body.

In short, there are sure to be more studies on white vs. brown fat, and I’m sure we’ll see more ways to take advantage of this for our weight loss goals. For now, there are really no published ways that we can figure out how to increase our good body fat while decreasing bad body fat.

One of the best ways to make sure you keep a lean, sleek physique that’s not bulky or overly manly and “muscular” if you are a woman, is to combine a lot of stretching types of exercises with any weight lifting and cardio that you do.

Cardio is a must if you are going to get that lean look, since it is still the most effective way to get the heart rate up and strip fat from the body quickly and efficiently.  I have found that one of the best combinations for me personally to get lean and sleek looking (and I’m only 5′ 4″, so it’s tough for me to look this way), is to combine running and yoga.

Unfortunately, I run mostly when it’s nice outside, and since I live in Northeastern Ohio where the days can be extremely rare that you can get outside in the months of winter.  So then, I just have to resort to either an elliptical trainer or a treadmill and just run inside.

It’s just a lot tougher to keep your focus when you can’t be running outside past pretty green scenery, landscapes and other visually appealing and entertaining sights. Not to mention, you don’t get that same fresh air and the same runner elation that typically comes, for me anyway, more when I’m running outdoors.

I’ve found that combining running and yoga practice really makes me keep my weight at a nice level as well. The running provides me with pure cardio, a great heart pumping practice, and also great for trimming down my legs as well as my arms since I pump my arms quite a bit when I run.

The yoga takes those same muscles that I work so hard when running, and it stretches them back out. It keeps me flexible, and it also elongates my muscles, which helps me to keep that longer, leaner look, and helps to “stretch” my naturally shorter body out a little more, making me walk and appear taller.

It’s also great for flexibility, as well as mood. Studies have shown that women who practice yoga regularly experience much less depression, and tend to have healthier attitudes toward their life and toward stressful situations.  A good yoga DVD is worth its weight in gold, and if you combine this with running as your cardio practice, then you can get a sleek, mean, lean look that you are going for.

Usually, when we lose weight, we think of how we will look better in our favorite pair of pants.  We don’t often think of our pants as a means to lose weight.  There are pants on the market that help us to reach our weight loss goals.  There are several types and brands of weight loss pants.

On Amazon.com, you can find Neoprene Workout Pants for $52.95 to help you get more out of your workout.  Neoprene is a synthetic rubber that traps your body heat which causes your body to sweat while trying to cool off.  If you wear neoprene pants while working out, you’ll probably find you have lost several pounds right after your workout from water weight loss.

You must rehydrate if using neoprene pants or suits during a workout as excessive sweating can lead to dehydration.  Since your workout could lead to dehydration, and this kind of weight loss will be temporary, the best method would be diet and exercise for lasting and safer results.

Another type of weight loss pants are called the LipoContour pants.  They were designed by an Italian cosmetic surgeon.  Initially, they were designed to help liposuction patients recover faster and more comfortably after surgery.  Then, it was noted that an extra added effect of wearing the LipoContour pants was a slimming effect and possibly even a cellulite reduction as well.

The LipoContour pants are made of 2 thin, tight layers of mesh with a reinforced panel for the tummy that extends to the knees.  The LipoContour pants need to be worn 8 hours per day for a period of 8 to 12 weeks to see the slimming effect.  The pants, themselves, do a massage action that increases blood flow and helps to break down fatty deposits thus decreasing cellulite.

Another kind of weight loss pants are actual caffeine pants called Lytess leggings.  This type of weight loss pants are manufactured with fibers of caffeine and shea butter microcapsules.  The slimming action is caused by the friction of everyday activities.

According to their website, after 18 days of use, you should look visibly trimmer.  They state that clinical trials showed up to a 1.2 ” reduction on thighs and up to a 2.1″ loss on hips after 21 days of use.

Lytess leggings do not make you sweat and they are designed to use either as an undergarment or they can be used as activewear by themselves.  They are like a second skin and are form-fitting.  The price of Lytess leggings is $70.00.

There is no replacement for smart and sensible eating and an active lifestyle to maintain a healthy weight.  But, if you are looking to accelerate your weight and cellulite reduction, you could try the addition of weight loss pants, read the reviews and decide for yourself which type is safest and best for you.

Lately, everyone is talking about fitness as a perfect goal.  The question is, what is fitness?  How do we define it?  Can you tell by appearance who is fit and who is not?  It is all cardiovascular, or do you actual count bulging muscles among your greatest fitness conquests?

Most of us define fitness by looking at a person’s appearance and attach fitness to a list of physical traits.  You don’t have to be thin or the typical “buff” look to be considered physically fit.  There are a lot of mistaken beliefs about fitness and physical appearance. 

Fitness is a composite of many different factors including body fat percentage, aerobic capacity and resting heart rate.  Fitness is described by many as functional ability and many even factor in emotional measures such as happiness and confidence. 

Fitness usually has to do with being healthy and being able to perform a wide variety of tasks.  Most people excel and are more fit in one category than they are in others. 

Cross fitness trainers strive to develop fitness in 10 different areas.  Since most people shy away from what they are not good at, cross fitness training gets you using muscles and coordination in areas you might ordinarily avoid.

Weight is a factor in fitness, however, it is not the only one.  BMI, or athleticism, by themselves, are not the only definition of fitness.  Actually, fitness is not about looking like models and it is not a contest.  It is an ongoing challenge and journey, to keep yourself happy, confident, physiologically sound and strong. 

Any one of us can challenge ourselves by continually raising the bar on our level of fitness.  During workouts, we usually strive to add a little more to improve ourselves and see how well we can do.  Training in the gym should be viewed as training for the outside world.  Fitness is about being our personal best with the body type and shape that nature gave us.

One huge benefit that I personally notice from working out, is that I seem to keep a lot of the mushy, smushy pesky water weight off my problem areas like my thighs and my belly (althought that used to not be a problem area, as I get older, it’s getting harder to maintain). 

Why would working out regularly help you to lose water weight? Well first off, you lose a lot of that water weight through sweating. When you lead a sedentary lifestyle, you probably don’t sweat a whole lot, which means you aren’t getting rid of excess water weight on a daily basis.

Not sweating can be very bad for your health, as this is the way that your body not only gets rid of water (besides urinating), but it is also the body’s way of getting rid of some of those toxins that can build up in your body as a result of your diet or lifestyle, and environmental toxins that can enter our body.

I notice a huge difference in my body when I’m working out reguarly – the kind of workout where I sweat a lot – aka, where I do lots of tough cardio work.  I notice that my body seems more sleek and streamlined, and I can fit into my clothes better, even if I have not changed my diet at all.

Anyone who has lost five pounds (which is almost all water weight usually, since the first five usually are, especially when lost quickly), can tell you what a huge difference this small weightloss can make in the way your clothes fit. It can make a large difference in your tummy area, your butt and thighs, all of which are the buzzwords for most women.

Guys will notice it a lot in their bellies, which always tends to be one  of the problem areas for men.  Men tend to get jiggly here, and they tend to retain water there and in their love handle region, on the sides of the belly, when they retain lots of water from consuming too much salt or not working out enough and sweating.

Working out and moving, and doing intense cardio, not only helps you keep water weight at bay, but it also keeps your circulation going, which can help with everything from cellulite to water retention.  The cellulite reduction part is obviously very appealing to women. 90% of women (at least) admit to having cellulite.

My husband recently was trying to lose weight, but he also wanted to simultaneously build lean muscle, and keep the muscle that he had. He has long been a fan of the muscle preserving and building supplement creatine.

Creatine has been around for a while, and is a staple of many body-conscious weight lifters and people who just want to get lean and muscular quickly.  It used to be that you had to drink creatine with grape juice, but there are many kinds now that you do not need to do this with.

Creatine comes in powder form, and for those that like to take pills better, it also comes in a pill form now. Depending on what you like, or what you feel is more effective, you do have options as to how to take this supplement.

My husband said he always noticed better muscle gains faster when he supplemented his diet with creatine and started a regular weight lifting regimen. I never did try it because I was always happy with my results from doing cardio and my light weight lifting. Plus I confess, I’m a woman, and I was a little scared I’d start looking a bit too buff for my personal taste!

My husband also made it a point to do his cardio after his weight training, or alternate his weight training days with his cardio days. Which is odd, because I know most women do their cardio first, then their weight lifting. Men and women metabolize a bit differently though, and they do need to do their workouts a little differently.

Also, my husband informed me a while ago that men do body parts at a time, as opposed to the whole body at one time like most women do, and get results from. This works well when they are trying to concentrate on building individual parts, such as their biceps, triceps and quads, for example.

He would take either his creatine or his protein drink of choice after his workout, and he did get more lean muscle mass by doing this.