Obesity is the 2nd biggest cause of preventable deaths in the United States and obesity is rapidly increasing around the world. It's not surprising that about 50% of Americans are trying to lose weight at any one time. That's more than 150 million people who are dieting, and that's only in the US. 

The Rise of Fad Diets

It's no wonder that diets and exercise equipment are such big business! With half the population as their potential customers, many companies sell fad diets and exercise scams in the hopes of taking advantage of the weight loss niche. Unfortunately, fad diets very rarely work and if/when they do, the majority of people are unable to keep the weight off long term.

You know the story (and odds are you've even experienced it yourself)… you lose weight and get really excited about it only to gain it all back… often with an extra 10 or more pounds more than your starting weight.

Why Is It So Hard To Lose Weight?

Why is it so hard for us to lose weight and keep it off? Obviously, food tastes great and social eating has become a huge part of our personal and professional lives. But is that the whole story? Not at all!

The truth is that our bodies and programmed to survive. Many fad diets cause people to lose weight so quickly that their bodies go into survival mode. Rapid weight loss actually makes your body scared that you're going to starve to death. When your body get scared, it does everything it can to hold on to what weight it still has, and it tries to gain back some of the weight you've lost.

The Secret of Weight Loss

We all know that in order to lose weight we need to consume fewer calories and burn off more calories. That means eating healthier and working out or doing some sort of physical activity to burn off calories. But beyond that, the real secret to weight loss is to lose weight slowly and steadily so that our bodies don't go into starvation mode. That is truly the only way can lose weight and keep it off for good. 

A full body workout is designed to hit every muscle group in your body using a variety of multi-joint exercises. The full-body workout can help you progress and is easy to fit into your schedule. These exercises not only improve muscular endurance, overall strength, coordination, balance, posture and agility but also prepare your body for everyday, real world activities.

If you're finding it simply too hard to stick to a workout plan, try a full-body workout program. Let's find out some great full-body exercises:

Medicine ball squat: This workout is to add a strengthening component. The exercise requires holding the ball above your head while lowering your legs into a "sitting" position. Stand up with feet shoulder width apart, toes slightly pointed out and medicine ball overhead. Hold the ball overhead as you bend your knees and push your hips back as if sitting in a chair. Return to start position. Perform 3 sets of 10 repetitions. Increase weight of the ball as you get stronger.

Hip extension with reverse fly. Stand tall with a 5-pound dumbbell in each hand (or whatever weight you are comfortable with). Extend your right leg back and place your toe on the floor keeping your right leg straight. Lean forward slightly at the hips, lift your right leg behind you as you bring your chest towards the floor and lift your arms straight out forming a T at your shoulders, squeezing your shoulder blades together and keeping your head in line with your neck. Return to start position. Repeat 10 to 15 times for each leg. This exercise improves your balance and coordination as well as strengthens your upper, mid and lower back, shoulders and legs.

Knee lift with lateral raise. Stand tall with a 5-pound weight in each hand, arms to your sides. Lift your right knee until it reaches hip level while at the same time lifting your arms straight out to the side to form a T at your shoulders. Hold for 2 seconds making sure your belly button is pulled back towards your spine then lower to start position. Repeat 10 to 15 times for each leg. This exercise improves your core strength and balance as well as strengthens and tones your shoulders.

Flat bridge with arm extension: This exercise works your bottom, legs, spine, and abs. It helps you work on stability and strength as these muscles work together. Lie on an exercise mat. Bend your knees and place your feet flat on the floor about hip-width apart. Arms rest at your sides. Exhale and lift your hips off the floor. Raise them until you form a straight line from your knees through your hips to your shoulders. Hold the contraction by tightening your glutes and abs. Keep your thighs parallel to each other and slowly extend your right leg. Maintain a steady body position and move with control. Slowly set your right leg back on the floor. Lift your left leg off the floor, extending the knee. Slowly set the foot back down  and continue alternating your legs with your hips off the ground. Repeat one to three sets of eight to 12 repetitions.

Have you ever wondered what your fat cells are up to when you eat something "bad"? Well, here is a video to show you just that.

Your  fat  cells are very busy cells and that's why they have been called "Active Fat". Acive fat constantly pumps out dangerous chemicals that can cause cancer, Type 2 diabetes and heart disease. This awareness campaign is being sponsored by three different charities: Cancer Research UK, the British Heart Foundation and Diabetes UK so watch it and let me know what you think. Also check out ActiveFat