How to lose weight- I get many emails from women over 40 asking this question. At this age the unwanted body fat often accumulates on the stomach.

Are you over 40? Do you want to lose belly fat? You'll frequently receive the advice to do crunches and other exercises aiming at the abdominal muscles. Will these exercises answer the question "How to lose weight?"

It appears to be logical- if you are exercising a body part, the fat on this particular body part will get less. But the way we are burning fat does not work like that.

There is no spot fat reduction. Where you will increase weight and where you lose it depends on your constitution, it s in the genes. Over 40 this genetic program is getting stronger and stronger. Especially in women over 40 the genetic program often leads to building up fat on top of the stomach- urging them to ask: How to lose weight?

"I want to lose belly fat" is something I hear very often- but, unfortunately, it is not possible to lose fat on a body part. All we can do is to get an overall lean body (what is an ever better outcome anyway than just lose belly fat).

If you ask yourself: How to lose weight- are crunches effective? Crunches are great to tone the core muscles around your belly. To get a nicely shaped figure, numerous exercises for the ab muscles will help you achieve that. I recommend to do some exercises for the lower back muscles as well, to make the whole midsection strong. This will improve posture and prevent lower back pain. For many over 40 back pain is rather common- our sedentary life style adds to that greatly.

In comparison crunches are not the most time-efficient thing to do when you want to lose weight. The belly muscles are relatively small, so if you spend 15 minutes on crunches you burn much fewer calories as if you'd spend 15 minutes exercising your leg muscles. Your leg muscles are much bigger and will burn more calories in the same time. If you are asking yourself: How to lose weight than crunches won't help you much.

So: Don't do crunches to lose belly fat over 40, do crunches to tone up your core.

In this short article I gave you some ideas on how to lose weight.

Losing weight is full of obstacles these days. The availability of fattening food demands good choices. The main stumbling block is inconvenience. It's not convenient to be on a diet. Especially in the fast paced world we live in. Making wise food choices can be easier than you think if you arm yourself with convenient food that's scientifically designed for weight loss.

Healthy food is composed of high fiber, high protein, and most importantly, they're low glycemic. The protein and fiber fill you up and keep you feeling full and the low glycemic carbs release energy slowly and maintain balanced blood sugar levels. How do you consistently meet those healthy eating guidelines if you're not a health nut or dietician? The most convenient way to meet these guidelines is in the form of bars and shakes that are specifically designed for this reason.

Ideally, if you can start the day with a low glycemic shake that is high in protein and fiber, you will be giving yourself a huge jump-start. Permanent weight loss is about changing eating habits. A morning shake is an easy habit to get into and it can make the most difference. It's true what they say: "Breakfast is the most important meal of the day". Make it a good one.

That brings me to lunch (and in-between snacks). My solution is a balanced meal replacement bar if time is short and you have no healthy lunch options. If you're going to eat lunch then I recommend eating a healthy snack an hour or two before lunch. Try fresh fruit or even a half of a meal bar. That way you won't over-eat and you can even save money by ordering less.

Don't block yourself from shedding unwanted weight. Shed old eating habits and swing the pendulum back toward a healthier look and feel. Make it healthy. Make it right, with convenient bars and shakes scientifically designed for weight loss.

The best way to lose weight is not hard, but it does take some discipline. If you do not educate yourself on healthy food choices, you will stumble and trip up and down the scale. Eating healthy is a choice. But how do you choose wisely?

Portion control is key. Everyone knows if you can limit your meal sizes, losing weight would be gravy! That's easy to say, but very difficult to do. How do you effectively curb your appetite? With High protein, high fiber, and low glycemic food. This is a powerful weight loss combination. Lets explore each of these to help understand how they can help.

Good sources of protein are low fat. Some popular choices are fish and chicken, but beware of fatty meats like beef and pork. Protein digests slowly keeping you feeling full longer. It helps prevent snacking between meals. Ever had a protein shake or bar? You won't be hungry for hours! Now lets talk about the glycemic index.

The glycemic index of food measures how fast each carbohydrate turns into glucose (sugar) in the bloodstream. Low glycemic foods keep you feeling full longer because the carbs (energy) is used at a slower rate. High glycemic foods on the other hand raise your blood sugar and the excess glucose is stored as fat. You get hungry faster and the cycle repeats itself. Understanding the glycemic index is a very effective way to lose weight naturally and without hunger pains. Whole food like fresh fruits, vegetables, grains, and beans are always a good choice.

High fiber foods are practically missing in the American diet. Have you heard anyone boasting about their daily fiber supplement? I have personally heard several co-workers bragging about the "outcome" of fiber supplementation. The way they tell it, I half expect them to shake my hand and pull out a box of cigars! Being regular is not just a psychological "pick-me-up", it's necessary for good health and weight loss. Fiber is by definition a carbohydrate that cannot be used for energy. It's "filler". Eating high fiber foods will also scrub your intestines clean, which allows better digestion of nutrients. It's a win-win.

Whole foods (fresh fruits, vegetables, grains, nuts, etc) are usually low glycemic and high fiber. Couple that with some lean meat and you have a recipe for weight loss. Hint: When shopping at your local grocery store try to buy more food from the perimeter of the store (that's where all the fresh food is). The isles are designed for the packaged, preserved, and fattening food.

The best way to lose weight is to suppress you appetite naturally. If you start reading labels in search of high protein and high fiber foods while educating yourself on the glycemic index, you can lose weight without going hungry.

Simply stated, metabolism is the process by which your body converts food into energy. The faster your metabolism works the more calories you burn, the slower your metabolism works, the fewer calories. Dieters are sometimes misguided in their efforts to accelerate metabolism unnaturally through the use of drugs or speedy supplements. This approach may temporarily "jack - up" one's metabolic rate for the purpose of weight loss, but over a longer term is doomed to fail, and any weight lost will, no doubt, return with a vengeance.

In truth, over seventy percent of your metabolism is used for basic functions such as breathing and heart beat, and is not easily controlled (this is called Basal Metabolic Rate or BMR). Like a furnace set on automatic for room temperature, your BMR burns calories at a fairly even rate, twenty four hours a day. Products designed to speed up your BMR over the long haul generally act like petro-fuel being tossed into your body's "furnace." Such substances, usually stimulants (whether natural or synthetic), are marginally safe for the short term but often have dangerous side effects associated with continued or longer term use.

Once you stop taking the metabolism "accelerators" your body will react violently in the reverse direction and overcompensate to "slow down the burning", i.e. the yo yo effect where weight rapidly returns with a vengeance, usually with interest!

The good news is, about thirty percent of your metabolism can be controlled. How? Through physical activity, of course. In addition, physical activity stimulates muscle growth, which is also good for weight loss, as muscle tissue burns more calories than fat tissue. This is nature's way of keeping your body lean.

But there's more good news - internal cleansing can also naturally speed up a sluggish metabolism. When a body is toxic it attracts and holds onto fat as a way of trapping toxins - an automatic protective mechanism to keep them out of your bloodstream. In other words, the body's survival instinct determines that it is of course better to be fat than dead! The basic problem however is that this excess fat and toxin situation also slows down metabolic function and you tend to keep getting fatter - until you do something about the condition.

You may notice for example that when a bug runs into some bug spray and begins to absorb toxins it will slow down gradually and then eventually stop, dead in its tracks. Likewise the human body slows down as toxins are absorbed through artificial food additives and environmental chemicals.

Our society has been thoroughly inundated with chemical preservatives, artificial colors and flavors, chemical sweeteners, pesticides, industrial chemicals and on and on to an unprecedented degree. Never before in our history have people needed to deal with this insanely unnatural situation. Bodies get confused when ingesting these non digestible toxins and continually accumulate fat in their defense. Just observe the current overweight and obesity crisis - not to mention all of the medical risk factors proven to be associated with excess weight.

When you effectively rid the body of these toxins the metabolism picks up speed and resumes its normal rate of food burning. Weight that held on tenaciously before seems to just fall off and normal body functions are restored.

A recent University study conducted by Dr. Michale Gonzales (Bachelor degree in biology and chemistry (Catholic University), Masters in Cellular Biology and Biophysics (Nova University), Masters in Nutrition and Public Health (University of P.R.), Doctorate in Health Sciences (Lafayette University), Doctorate in Nutritional Medicine (John F. Kennedy University) and a Doctorate on Nutritional Biochemistry and Cancer Biology (Michigan State University) showed a direct correlation between system detoxification and weight loss, increased metabolism and restored health. Amazing body chemistry corrections often occur with lowered cholesterol levels, lowered glucose levels and increased Ph levels resulting from correctly administered cleansing. Each and every one of us can easily reverse the downward spiral of unwanted weight gain and compromised health in this simple way.

Conclusion: When it comes to controlling weight, the word metabolism only need enter the conversation relating to how fast one is burning calories through physical activity. Stay away from products that promise to speed up metabolism over a long-term basis. Cleanse periodically to restore metabolic efficiency and phase into a proper diet consisting mainly of chemical free, natural foods. And regular physical activity is of course your best guarantee over the long haul.

By Jeff Mason

MOSCOW (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will press Russia on Tuesday to back sanctions against Iran if international talks over Tehran's nuclear program fail.

Afghanistan, missile defense, and a nuclear arms reduction treaty are also expected to feature prominently in meetings Clinton holds with Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev.

The top U.S. diplomat is finishing a European tour with a two-day visit to Russia, highlighting Washington's desire to reset ties with the Kremlin.

President Barack Obama's decision to revamp Bush-era plans, opposed by Moscow, for a missile defense shield in eastern Europe has helped improve U.S.-Russia relations.

The White House insists no quid pro quo was expected for that move, but analysts say the United States hopes Russian cooperation on a mix of foreign policy issues will increase.

Clinton needs Russian support for a U.S. push to impose sanctions on Iran if talks between six powers and Tehran over its nuclear plans end without resolution.

"The secretary will want to speak to Foreign Minister Lavrov and President Medvedev about what specific forms of pressure Russia would be prepared to join us and our other allies in if Iran fails to live up to its obligations," a senior State Department official told reporters on Monday.

Iran agreed at a meeting with six world powers in Geneva on October 1 to allow U.N. experts access to a newly disclosed uranium enrichment plant near the city of Qom.

Officials called the talks constructive, but Clinton warned on Sunday the world would not wait forever for Iran to prove it was not building nuclear bombs.

Russia has been traditionally reluctant to impose sanctions on Iran, but Medvedev signaled openness with recent comments in New York that sanctions were sometimes inevitable.

"For the Russian president to say that sometimes they're inevitable underscores what we believe," the official said.

Like Washington, Russia formally rejects any linkage between Iran and an anti-missile shield. But most analysts say Moscow is likely to use Iran as a bargaining chip.

Ahead of talks with Clinton, Lavrov said he wanted to discuss with her new U.S. plans for an anti-missile shield, redrawn on Obama's orders.

Some Russian officials, including Moscow's ambassador to NATO Dmitry Rogozin, have suggested Obama's new missile shield plan involving sea-based and mobile missiles could pose an even stronger security threat.

Russian officials have said Moscow's concerns would be finally lifted only if it became an equal partner in any European anti-missile system.

ARMS CONTROL TALKS

Clinton and Lavrov will seek to inject momentum into talks to replace the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty, which expires on December 5. Obama and Medvedev agreed on the outlines of a deal in July, but several hurdles may make it difficult to finish by the December deadline.

The two foreign ministers will also discuss a commission they are coordinating that covers issues such as arms control, energy, fighting terrorism and drug trafficking, and boosting business and scientific links.

Issues that divide the two nations may arise. Clinton will address human rights and Russia's treatment of Georgia, with which it fought a five-day war last year.

Lavrov and Medvedev may seek specifics about the U.S. review of its Afghanistan strategy and clarification about comments attributed to a U.S. defense official that Washington planned to put radar stations in Ukraine.

The United States denied such plans, and the senior State Department official said the defense official was misquoted.

(Editing by Charles Dick)