How to Reduce Belly Fat in 2013 - GB Personal Training

I asked over 4700 Personal Trainers and Fitness Professionals this one question:

?What is your Best Advice for Reducing Belly Fat??

Image by Vipez?..NOT everyone is Lovin It

I stipulated that I wanted a little more than just increasing exercise and reducing calories. After all we know this already right?

I think you will find some interesting answers below, some I agree with and others I?m not so convinced. I?ve also included my answer at the bottom of the page.

Enjoy!

Jessica Rapp, Personal Trainer Unique Physique for Life

Less Stress =Better Sleep=Better Workouts=Cleaner Eating=Reduced Belly Fat & Overall Fat!

1. Don?t sweat the small stuff
2. Aim for 8 hrs of sleep per night? a better rested YOU will be less stressed & less likely to over eat.
3. Physical activity such as metabolic training involving all muscle groups and cardiovascular training?into one workout 3-4 times per week.
4. Include one day per week of Core Training for 30-45 min straight.?(results are as?noticeable?in core as very next day)
5. Eat clean, NO processed foods!? Keep calories within your daily allowance!

Visit Jessica?s website:?www.uniquephysiqueforlife.com

Sandra O?Hagan, Personal Trainer ?So Full of Life

Since you cannot spot reduce belly fat, it is important to reduce fat on your entire body and my recommendations are:

Weight Train, Green Smoothies, Decrease Stress?but wait, there?s more?

?It is essential to?reduce processed food and alcohol and consume fresh fruits, vegetables, high quality protein and healthy fats?and adding a green smoothie (spinach, fruit, avocado, chia, flax, hemp, ginger, water and any other super foods you like) can provide excellent nutrients, detox and antioxidant properties as well as keep you satiated and provide great energy which will make it easier to say NO to other unhealthy choices.

Ditch the Barbie weights and lift to build muscle and rev up your metabolism.? Do full body workouts combining weight training and cardio into circuit training for an excellent way to blast the fat that collects around your middle.

When you feel great you do great and that helps you eliminate the stress that can cause you to hold belly fat.

Visit Sandra?s website:?www.sofulloflife.com

Rose Scott, Health & Wellness Coach and Personal Trainer

1. The first and foremost is that you must have the right mindset and really want to achieve this goal.
2. Proper nutrition is vital as what we eat reflects what we become, ?we are what we eat? therefore eat healthfully of good sources of protein, vegetables and limit fat, carbohydrates and eliminate sugar in all of its forms.
3. Sleep is important for regeneration of cells and body metabolism.? People that do not obtain adequate sleep?binge late at night on unhealthy food.
4. High interval intensity exercises burn fat.? Also try doing other exercises such as planks and core strengtheners that force you to ?suck in that gut?.

Visit Rose?s website: www.riseabovewithrose.com

Alex Robinson, Personal Trainer Twickenham

Exercise and Diet will in most people get results, and specific?s can be altered to achieve perhaps greater results, although frankly this method is a bit ?hit and miss?. If a client is paying a premium for a service to reduce specifically belly fat then a programme taking into account their Oestrogen levels, one which will promote the storage of fat cells in the abdomen, how well their gut is functioning and testing their Cortisol, Leptin and Ghrelin levels will make sure your client achieves outstanding results.

Visit Alex?s Website: www.stokehealth.com

Nadja Lewis, Personal Trainer Los Angeles

Change your?diet?(eating patterns) and your?exercise?routine (if you have one).? Cut down on salt and sugar intake, increase w/foods that will keep you feeling ?full? for longer such as veggies, fruit, and include some fiber.

Get enough sleep and handle your stress (don?t let it handle you).? Stress sometimes leads one to turn to ?comfort foods??instead drink more water.

Exercise FREQUENTLY?and CONSISTENTLY.? It?s nice to ?tighten? up your abs/stomach muscles, however working the core (the plank is an EXCELLENT exercise) really helps to ?shape?/reduce your belly fat if done CORRECTLY.

Visit Nadja?s website:?www.fitnessbynadjalewis.com

Angela Hope, Pre & Post Natal Fitness Specialist Ipswich

To begin reducing belly fat immediately: Eat clean ? cut refined carbs, caffeine, alcohol and processed food from your diet. Sleep well ? have 8 hours good quality sleep every night. Stay hydrated ? drink at least 2 litres of filtered or bottled water daily. Exercise regularly ? be consistent but mix it up, just have fun!

Visit Angela?s website:?www.hopefitness.co.uk

Pete Luffman, Bristol Personal Trainer and Kettlebell Club

My top tip to reduce belly fat is to take longer breaks between eating meals, effectively going into a semi short fast. During this fasting period wonderful things will happen to your body, like switching to burning fat to fuel your activity, stabilise hormone secretion, improving insulin?sensitivity, and a whole host of other health benefits.?

Plan your exercise sessions to commence towards the end of this fasting period to further enhance your results. Bare in mind this will only work if you are currently eating to support your metabolism, eating from natural whole food sources (no junk or fast food), and you are controlling portion size.

Visit Pete?s website:?www.mybristolpersonaltrainer.com

Joey?Shillolo, Personal Trainer Canada

Eliminate sugar and manage your carbohydrate intake.? Fat loss is a hormonal process and I teach all my clients to understand the role of insulin as the chief mediator of fat storage.? Knowing what foods have the greatest impact on insulin (ie simple sugars and processed carbohydrates) is key to loosing belly fat and keeping it off.

Visit Joey?s website: www.js3pt.com

Tracy Steen, Inside Out Fitness

Increase your metabolism, and your body will burn fat FOR you! The #1 way to do that? Increase your lean muscle tissue. ?In other words, pump some iron ladies!

Visit Tracy?s website: www.insofit.com

Mr. America Jason Kozma, Los Angeles Personal Training

First you?ll need to eliminate all simple carbohydrates from your diet while you are trying to reduce belly fat. ?This includes not just candy and alcohol, but fruit, juice and carbs that break down quickly like pasta and bread.

For exercise, you?ll of course need a full weight training and cardio regimen. Add fat burning cardio for an hour 6 days per week and you should train your abs with 3-4 exercises, 3-4 sets each, 3 times per week on nonconsecutive days.

Visit Jason?s website: www.lapersonaltrainer.com

Michael Caulo, Personal Trainer and Certified Fitness Nutritionist

Most people know that exercising and eating clean will help reduce body fat. ?Sometimes exercise and eating the right foods aren?t enough especially when dealing with reducing fat in the mid section. ?Now I?m not here saying that you can target fat loss because that is not how the body works , but you can guide your body in the right direction by doing the right things. ?

If eating clean and exercise aren?t enough you can add supplements into your nutrition plan that can aid in metabolizing fat which will help burn fat off your body and thus reducing the fat on your belly.

Two supplements that have been associated with breaking down stored fat and allowing it to be used for energy are?gamma linolenic acid (GLA) and?L-carnitine (Amino Acid). ?Both allow for your body to use its fat cells as a source of energy instead of your carbohydrate intake for the day which only burns food eaten that day but doesn?t directly break down and lose fat on your body.

Visit Michael?s website: www.lifeofafighter.com

Rich Blackburn, Personal Trainer Harrogate and Martial Artist

Change your breakfast to a protein breakfast.

Carbohydrates such as cereals for example, have a strong effect on your body?s insulin production, especially after a period of fasting (sleeping).

Your Insulin levels spike, and sugars are drawn out of the blood and stored ?elsewhere as fat.

By having a protein breakfast you are starting your fat burning furnace, but not spiking your Insulin levels.

Visit Rich?s website: www.360totalfitness.co.uk

Igor Toronto, Personal Trainer

Balance your hormones

Your Hormones determine your body fat much more than calories (although calories still count). The first steps to balancing hormones are to improve your nutrition, manage your stress better, and improve the health of your digestive system.

Take care of those 3 things, and you?re well on your way to a flatter belly.

Visit Igor?s website:?www.TorontoFitnessOnline.com

Chris Janke-Bueno, Personal Trainer My Core Balance

My recommendation is to focus on health first and fitness second. For the workouts, I highly recommend high intensity interval training. But what you do on your off days is probably more important. When you?re exercising at a high intensity, recovery is key.

Drink at least 1/2 gallon of water a day. Eat a huge salad daily for lunch. Take warm baths and try to relax. Get to bed by 10:30. And perhaps most importantly: make sure you?re doing some sort of balancing exercises, whether its Yoga, Pilates, or Core Balance to ensure that you don?t overtrain.

Visit Chris? website:?www.mycorebalance.com

Brian Underwood, FMS Expert and Nutritional Specialist

I?ve competed in 3 Natural bodybuilding shows so honestly, it?s 100% diet!? I don?t honestly agree with calories in, calories out because I feel that any excess protein will turn into waste and excreted.? I could have 3 twinkies all day and yes, I?d lose wait but if you continue this practice you?ll begin to lose LBM bc your body will go into starvation mode. Those are also empty calories with low amino acid profile.?

Amino acids should be the #1 macronutrient ingested for any goal. ? Yes, your activities of daily living are important too.? Moving rather than sitting will help facilitate the weight loss.

Bryna Carracino, Personal Trainer

The best way to reduce belly fat is controlling what foods you put in your Body. 80% of getting fit and staying there is food consumption. The other 20% is exercise? ?I tell my clients you want a six pack eat clean! Don?t eat anything from a bag, can or box. Eat unprocessed foods, Lean proteins, veggies, fruits, good fats and whole grains. Keep it balanced keep it clean.

Visit Bryna?s website: www.itrainwithbryna.com

Heather Lowe HBK, CPT, CFC?Personal Trainer at?Heat Fitness

The best way to help reduce belly fat is by eating less dairy and breads. These foods go straight to your abdomen and make you look bloated. By avoiding these foods in your diet you will see a great improvement to your stomach.

For the best exercise, I would say the plank as it targets all of the muscles in the abdomen and helps to keep the rest of your body strong

Visit Heather?s website:?www.Heat-Fitness.vpweb.ca

Lucy Howlett, Personal Trainer

My top tip for reducing belly fat is to have a daily greens drink. I use one which contains wheatgrass, alfalfa, barley grass and peppermint, both for myself and with my clients. As well as many other benefits, greens drinks help digestion and alkalise the body, making it more efficient at removing toxins and excess fat.

I had a small, stubborn patch of fat around my belly button for years, despite training hard and eating well.?Adding a greens drink helped make a difference and my stomach became flatter. This of course needs to work alongside training wisely,?using full body movements and functional training, keeping stress levels low, getting enough sleep and keeping a watchful eye on your diet.

Visit Lucy?s website:?www.lucyhowlett.co.uk

Vit?M?ller,?Personal trainer / Group Fitness Instructor / SYDNEY

If you are struggling with that stubborn belly fat and you?ve tried everything but nothing seems to work (especially doing those 1000 sit ups you keep doing ? spot reducing doesn?t work! ) ?try this , move your body across more joint than one ? focus on Compound exercises as they are the best to increase your metabolism which aids with fat burn .

Exercises like Squats, Push ups, Pull ups, Dead lifts, Turkish get ups for example. Now mix this kind of resistance training with some HIIT (High intensity interval training) on your other days and you are on the right path to loose that stubborn fat.

Off course not to forget the importance of healthy eating and healthy sleep otherwise all the hard work get wasted. My best advice is to hire a qualified trainer who will guide you through proper technique and keeps you motivated shall you struggle.

Visit Chris? website:?www.vitfit.com.au

Paul Edgar, Personal Trainer Body and Mind Fitness Company

Don?t follow the latest weight loss diet. The reality is that only 2% of weight loss diets (eat less, exercise more principle) are successful for long-term health [all diets have their benefits but the reality is that they are all high-fad diets where the weight loss is not sustainable.?There is no diet that is going to be the perfect diet for everybody

Look at what you are eating and when you are eating it. Why do we become obese? Generally, it is to do with ALL of the following:?The quality of food we eat,?The amount and type of calories,?The type of fats and carbohydrates

When you eat makes a difference. It is ALL of the following:

• The type, balance and quality of carbohydrates, protein and fats
• The amount of fibre
• The type of phytonutrients (plant chemicals)
• The vitamins and minerals
• The timing of meals and portion sizes
• The frequency of meals

Control your stress levels. If you don?t subdue stress, you?ll have more visceral fat due to an increase in the stress-hormone cortisol, which means more inflammation and therefore more obesity. The body shuts down your digestion under stress and the blood goes to the muscles, brain, heart and lungs for the fight or flight response

Build up your muscle by incorporating strength training into your workouts. Muscle burns 70 times more calories than fat so when you lose weight (i.e. on a restrictive diet), you lose muscle and fat ? when you put the weight back on, it is just fat and this burns 70 times fewer calories than muscle so you need fewer calories to maintain the same weight.

Visit Paul?s website:??www.bodyandmindfitnesscompany.co.uk

Brian Danley, CFT Personal Trainer

Reducing abdominal fat requires a combination of intense anaerobic circuit training (i.e., upper-lower body circuit), short high-intensity cardio interval training (HIIT), and a healthy, clean diet of minimally-processed foods. ?Training legs at a relatively high-intensity level (e.g., 70% 1-RM) while performing circuits can go a long way toward leaning out one?s midsection. ?

Rest durations between sets should be fairly brief (e.g., less than 2 minutes) to stoke the metabolic rate intra- and post-workout. ?HIITs of up to 20 minutes incorporating intervals of 30s to 1-minute intervals is ideal.

Bottom line: ?Living the lifestyle of eating healthy, working out regularly, and sleeping well are the keys to being lean and in fighting condition!

Visit Brian?s website: www.briandanleyfitness.com?

Angela Sladen-de Rox, CNC, RSNA, Weight Management Expert

Eat a minimum of 4 cups (pushed down and packed) of a mixed salad (minimum 6 different veggies: eg. lettuce, sprouts, tomatoes, cumber, red onion, celery, red, green or yellow pepper, snow peas, etc.)?AND?a minimum of 2 cups of steamed mixed veggies (carrots, cauliflower, broccoli, etc.)?EVERYDAY.

Visit Angela?s website:?www.totalhealthmethod.com

Mike Esparza, Personal Trainer

Don?t think you only need to do stomach exercises, you?ll be greatly disappointed. If you really just want to focus on losing stomach fat, do full body weight training with light weight for higher reps and do lots and lots of cardio. If you have an hour to train, do 20 minutes of weights with short rest periods followed by 40 minutes on non-stop cardio.

You can throw in some stomach exercises every night before you go to sleep. If you do this 5 days a week mixed with a healthy diet you?ll get good results. Don?t be the person to do 1000 crunches every day and expect to lose your stomach. You?ll just go from having a fat belly to having a strong fat belly.

Visit Mike?s website:?www.yourbody-yourgoals.com

Anna Ferguson, Personal Trainer, Lifestyle Coach & Nutritionist

1. Water!!! It?s an old one but true!! You can guarantee if a person is dehydrated they will be carrying a few pounds. I?ve seen it time and time again when using my body analysing scales. So get drinking.

2. Sleep, it?s amazing how a lack of sleep and poor quality sleep can really get the body storing fat. I have seen clients go to bed 1-2hrs earlier every night for a week and lose up to 5lbs. The body needs that rest and recovery. It resets the body and metabolism, and also helps people be mentally ready to make healthy choices. When tired its all too easy to reach for convenience foods.

3. Regular exercise. Consistency and persistence will win the day every time whatever you do. People are often sporadic with training and also healthy eating. Binge and starve or hard training verses nothing, just shocks the body. The clients that are in the best shape have trained regularly and consistently their whole lives. Make exercise like combing your hair or brushing your teeth, a habit that is impossible to break.

4. Focus on metabolism. You need only a very small amount of iodine in your diet that helps the function of the thyroid gland. Increase your oily fish and green leafy veg especially spinach will give you a boost and help burn that belly fat, at rest and during exercise. If struggling as you don?t like fish or green leafy veg then maybe you can try a kelp supplement.

5. Reduce stress now?.. When cortisol (stress) is high in the body, the body will lay down fat around the middle. ?They say? it takes 10secs to get stressed and 12 hrs to come down from that. If that is true we could get stressed a couple of times a day and become a fat storing machine. So take time out to breathe, meditate and relax every day?.. This is as important as exercise and healthy eating and the one thing people tend to over look. If you want to reduce belly fat chill out!!!

Visit Anna?s website:?www.fitness-fusion.co.uk

Mark Beard, Personal Trainer

In most adults who are overweight, the protruding belly is often due mostly to visceral fat. This is fat that has built up over a period and surrounds the stomach and other organs causing a swell at the abdomen. This fat is different to the subcutaneous fat that sits just below the dermis and is evenly distributed all over the body within fat cells.

Visceral fat is usually a direct result of poor eating habits over a sustained period and it can be more difficult to shift than subcutaneous fat. The methods for achieving this are however much the same as for sub C fat and rely upon the clients reducing their simple sugar intake, ensuring that most of their carbs are in the form of medium-to-low GI carbs and that intake of carbs generally is reduced/tapered towards the end of the day.

Whilst body fat generally cannot be attributed to fat intake. a build up of visceral fat may well be as a consequence of both saturated fat intake and simple sugars. In any weight loss campaign it is commonly accepted that the calorific intake will be of significantly more consequence than exercise.

However, it is important to stress that regular high intensity interval training ( for fat burning) combined with resistance training for the development and improvement of muscle density (for sustainable calorie burning) should not be overlooked and should be part of a balanced exercise and ?weight loss programme. I would also add that any serious attempt at weight loss generally will be considerably less successful without also cutting back on alcohol intake as alcohol can impede a person?s metabolism by up to 70%.

Visit Mark?s website: www.get-me-fit.co.uk

Stuart Seymour, Personal Trainer

1. Eat breakfast?.Most people neglect breakfast thinking they will lose weight, but?eating a healthily breakfast helps your insulin levels thus helping keep your LDL cholesterol?(bad) levels low.

2. De-stress?.. when stressed the body produces a hormone called cortisol which increases body fat

3.Aim to increase exercise- just walking 10,000 steps a day really helps

4.Switch to wholegrain foods

5.Drink plenty of water? Drink water through out the day can lead to a more active metabolism. Aim for 2 ? 2.5 litres a day.

Visit Stuart?s website:?www.motiv8personaltraining.co.uk

Lamar Mckay, Personal Trainer NY

The best means of reducing fat is to increase the intensity of gross motor function exercises.For example the cornerstone of many of my training programs is the deadlift.

The deadlift when done properly is recruit nearly if not all of the muscles in the body utilizing a mixture of anaerobic and aerobic muscle fiber. The body to reacts when placed under a significant amount of stress . To paraphrase a 80?s video game ?Evolve or Die.

For most of us we know what foods are a bad choice for our health. Nutritionally we are what we eat. Unfortunately many of us eat because food is available as opposed to eating for their needs.

Learning to eat to serve the bodies needs versus gluttony is the obstacle some will struggle with. And for others the details become more refined when we come to understand food sensitivities and allergies.

Visit Lamar?s website:?www.mckaystrength.com

Pamela Brown, Personal Trainer Peak Success Fitness

The resistance workout should consist of multi-joint exercises using short rest periods (less than a minute) and non-competing exercises (i.e.,supersets, circuit workouts) using challenging weight.

This should be followed by interval training, whether it?s cardio intervals, aerobic intervals, or sprint intervals, or body weight circuits from 10-25 minutes (depending on what you do).

Consume healthy fats, low-glycemic carbs, and lean meats at regular intervals throughout the day along with plenty of water (at least 1/2 your body weight in ounces.

Visit Pamela?s website:?www.peak2successfitness.com

Ed Ley, Personal Trainer Absolute Health and Fitness

The reduction of Belly fat is a mine field of possibilities. This question highlights perfectly why diets don?t work. A blanket reduction in belly fat is possible to achieve but how best to achieve belly fat loss can vary dramatically from one person to another.

We know that a post menopause woman will require a different intervention to a 25 year old male. There are a thousand different lifestyle, genetic and health related considerations when it comes to losing belly fat. Different hormones are at work and blanket prescriptions can be careless.

What becomes confusing in the world of nutrition is that people feel the need to narrow down to specific foods and micro and marco- nutrients yet the world provides us with evidence to the contrary.
Populations closer to the equator seem to thrive well on a diet close to 60% carbohydrate, the further from the equator we move the more fat and protein dense a diet seems to become and many populations seem to thrive under these circumstances.

To take a blanket approach to losing belly fat I would recommend lifestyle changes above any targeted method.

Visit Ed?s website: www.absolute-health.co.uk

Amanda Wright, Personal Trainer

1. Get motivated, be committed and determined to make a lifestyle change.
2. Set realistic goals
3. Eat clean, at least most of the time
4. Variety is the Spice of Life

Visit Amanda?s website:??www.mw-pt.co.uk

Coner Doherty, Personal Trainer Star Factory Fitness

The best way that I?ve come across to burn belly fat involves a combination of a high protein and moderate carbohydrate diet and the use of interval training.

I?ve tried many different food and nutrient combinations and I always seem to lose the most fat when I make sure that each meal consists of a high quality protein source like a chicken breast, egg whites, or lean ground beef as well as including a bunch of different veggies with each meal. I find that spinach is the easiest veggie to include in my diet because I can pack a bunch of it in a shake and not even taste it, and I always use it for salads.

As for training, I train athletes, so my focus and training always comes with performance in sports in the back of my mind. An awesome way to help burn belly fat is to run intervals either on the treadmill, on the slideboard (I train mostly hockey players), or through kettlebell swings. The after effect of interval training is a lot different than steady state cardio because your metabolism is firing on all cylinders hours after an interval workout, where as a steady state cardio workout doesn?t provide that effect on the body. I?ve had the most success burning belly fat with that combination of nutrition and exercise.

Visit Coner?s website: www.starfactoryfitness.com

Renee McLaughlin, Certified Health Coach

Looking to blast belly fat?? Excess belly fat is a signal your body isn?t processing your food (particularly high glycemic carbs) efficiently.? It can also mean your liver is getting tired and toxic!? What to do? Learn how to eat to balance your blood sugar.? Blood sugar gets balanced by eating 5 ? 6 small, balanced (balance of lean protein/low glycemic carb) mini meals a day.? This will allow your body to balance blood sugar and turn off that insulin pump that makes you hungry, tired, cranky and craving sweets.? It will also allow your body to shift into a ?belly fat burning? mode.

Visit Renee?s website:?www.healthcoachforsuccess.com

Levon Basso, Personal Trainer Superhuman Fitness

In addition to exercising more, I tell my clients to try and change first the things that are the most easiest to change (as opposed to attempting to turn everything in your world upside down and trying to change everything at once, which is very difficult to sustain).

When it comes to food, one thing I suggest to my clients is to switch out the dishes in their kitchen cabinets. Rather than a full-sized dinner plate, only make smaller plates or bowls available to yourself too eat off of. I?ve tried this myself and I was surprised at how satisfied I felt, despite how much less I obviously ate than I usually do.

And going back to the rationale of change that I mentioned ? this is an easy first step as there?s no food changes involved, no re-making your refrigerator contents. Just simply eat less, and a smaller dish is an easy way to ensure this, especially if it?s the only option in your cupboard!

Visit Levon?s website:?www.superhuman-fitness.com

Chris Hitchko, Personal Trainer Show Up Fitness

The million dollar question is, ?What is the best way to reduce belly fat?? My students and clients ask it daily, ?How do I lose my gut, spare tire or beer belly?? In the end, they all want that goddess and/or herculean shape! My answer usually mystifies them, ?When do you think you were in the best shape of your life?? So begins the much needed thought process for clients to understand that this goal will take time.

The average person was in the best shape of their life in high school or in the beginning of college ? before their freshman beer drinking days! If you?re in your 40?s, that means you have treated your body like crap for over twenty years. If you are close to retirement, that means you have probably had unhealthy habits for almost 4 decades!

We continually set unrealistic goals that usually result in failure. I have been a trainer for almost 10 years and have been teaching personal trainers for over three. My mantra is tough love. You either ?show up, listen and put in the hard work, or continue to be unhealthy and fat. The USA is an inactive nation that sets unrealistic fitness and health goals! Many of us do not comprehend that the best way to decrease the giggle in your pants is via realistic goals and proper behaviour modification.

You need to begin with exercising a minimum of five days a week ? three of those days should be full-body workouts with weights. One day needs to focus on higher intense cardio or an aerobics class. The last day can be Pilates, yoga or functional movements such as push-ups, lunges, jumps or using a TRX. Once you have jolted your fat butt into gear by exercising more; begin the behaviour modification via nutrition.

You need to eat breakfast and drink ? of your body weight in water daily! It is unacceptable to have two-three large meals a day. Now is the time to eat 5-6 small meals spread out every 2-3 hours. The consumption of vegetable and fruits needs to increase to fight off all of the bad chemicals we have been ingesting for the previous 10 ? 30 years. Implement these few bullet points of exercising, changing your habits and you will have entered the precise realm for reducing belly fat.

The results depend on you deliberately modifying your behaviour and continuing with this lifestyle for the rest of your life!

Visit Chris?s website:?www.showupfitness.com

Olly Hermon-Taylor, Personal Trainer Lean Green Human Being

The best way to reduce belly fat is to find a strong enough REASON to?make the changes to your diet and lifestyle you?re going to need to make?in order to burn fat, flatten your stomach and build a lean, toned body.

What?s going to get you out of bed in the morning when it?s dark and cold?and help you fight the sugar cravings when they start to sink their teeth in?around week 3?

The answer is a big, powerful, emotional reason to want to change.?Something stronger than will power and self-discipline that will fuel you?to reach your goals, whatever life throws in your way.

Find YOUR big reason and then make the following, simple changes for?30-Days:

1. Eat NO ?Bad Carbs? (bread, pasta, white potatoes, white rice, cakes,?pastries. Avoid the white or beige stodge).
2. Walk EVERY DAY for 20 ? 60 minutes. Leave your phone, ipod, ipad?etc. behind and walk in nature (field, park, woods).
3. Lift Weights. Start with the basics: squats, lunges, pushes, pulls, bends, twists?and keep it simple. Hire a?good?personal trainer if you?re a beginner.

Visit Olly?s website:?www.leangreenhumanbeing.com?

Becky White, Personal Trainer

My best advice for reducing belly fat is to reduce your carbohydrate intake. Carbohydrate is the body?s preferred energy supply and can be found in foods such as bread, cereals, pasta, sweets, fruit etc. Carbohydrates are not ?bad? but in order to burn fat we need to replace carbohydrates with protein & healthy fats. Carbohydrates are also NON-ESSENTIAL to the body so there is no harm in removing them from your diet.

A low-carbohydrate diet should be a way of life and not a short-term fix. Here?s a typical day?s food plan: breakfast ? 3 egg omelette with mushrooms & tomatoes or some meat. snack ? 1 handful of nuts and an apple. lunch ? chicken breast & avocado salad. snack ? cottage cheese with chopped carrot, celery & peppers. dinner ? salmon fillet with lots of steamed green vegetables. snack ? natural yogurt with pumpkin seeds.

Visit Becky?s facebook page:?onesixeightfitness

Antony Phillips, Personal Trainer AWP Fitness International

Reducing belly fat is best accomplished with a combination of proven techniques. First, and foremost, is proper nutrition. No matter the clients age, or respective metabolism, this is priority #1. It would be beneficial to measure RMR (resting metabolic rate) to get the exact daily caloric requirement. Then daily meals can be planned using this figure, minus no more than 20% of this figure to create a caloric deficit.

Note: this does not take into consideration a person who is exercising, which requires a caloric bump equivalent to the need to be effective. Meals should be spaced out at no more than 3 hrs. This can work as 4-6 meals per day.

Foods to avoid: I like the saying ?if it?s white, don?t bite!?. This applies to products with flour, sugar, dairy, white rice & potatoes. These tend to be high glycemic creating blood sugar spikes, and thus fat deposits when inactive. Consume ?clean? proteins, ?power? greens, and ?good? fats. Next, and equally important, is hydration. For an inactive individual, 1/2 the total body equivalent in ounces of water per day will provide appropriate hydration.

The metabolic equation for fat loss requires proper hydration. The remaining tools, and least important, are increasing muscle mass & cardio activity. Increased muscle mass burns more calories during exercise as well as when at rest.

Remember, it is not possible to train properly without proper fuel at the right time. Most are genetically programmed to deposit fat in the mid-section first, and it is the last place the body will retain it when leaning out. Patience & resolve are vital. Good luck.

Visit Antony?s website:?www.area44.com

Greg Brookes, Holistic Health, Fitness & Wellbeing Coach

We are all unique both inside and out. The huge array of diet and fitness books is testament to the fact that just one standised blueprint does not work. If you really want to lose your belly then you need to look inwards. You need to connect with your dreams, motivations and desires. You need to discover what really makes you tick. This is the true essence of happiness and ultimate secret to achieving a healthy looking body.

The biggest reason why most people can?t lose their belly is not usually down to the advice given but more to do with adherence. People just give up!

Your first step should be to develop a habit, the habit should be small, simple and manageable.

Second you need to look at effectiveness. What small habit will have the biggest impact on your belly? Exercise doesn?t even come close to nutrition when it comes down to reducing belly fat so my advice is to develop a small nutrition habit. Reduce sugar intake, eat more protein, go gluten free, avoid dairy etc. All these options can be broken down further into manageable habits. e.g.. Avoid eating wheat for lunch, reduce sugar in tea and coffee etc.

Develop small habits slowly and add to them day by day week by week. Once nutrition is in order start adding exercise. Try one exercise per day, like Squats, Push Ups etc. Again think about effectiveness and adherence!

Finally, anchor your innermost desires, motivations and dreams to your healthy lifestyle. Work on your nutrition to improve the lives of your kids. Improve your health to better enjoy life with your partner, family and friends. Nothing can stop the strongest desires of a man or woman who?s acting from within and following their dreams.

Over to You

What do you think of these answers? What are you going to do to reduce your Belly in 2013?

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Source: http://www.gbpersonaltraining.com/how-to-reduce-belly-fat-in-2013/

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Principle 1: Creativity is the natural order of life. Life is energy: pure ...

This is going to be the first of a series of posts which discuss Julia Cameron?s Basic Principles of Creativity. I have printed these principles out on a sheet of white paper, and tonight (after illustrating them with pretty pictures) I am going to post one up beside my bed, and one up on my desk. I believe these principles are important first because they are true, and second because they are so open to interpretation. Each one will resonate with you differently, depending on who you are as a person and as a creator. Even if you?ve heard something a thousand times, sometimes there?s a specific wording that you?re just going to get.

So, without further ado, here is the first of Julia Cameron?s BASIC PRINCIPLES:

1. Creativity is the natural order of life. Life is energy: pure creative energy.

If you?re not a creative person, or if you?re not partaking in a ?creative career? you might disagree with this statement. First, let?s look at some definitions (courtesy of the Oxford English Dictionary).

Creativity:? ?as relating to or involving the use of the imagination or original ideas to create something.?

Imagination: ?the faculty or action of forming new ideas, or images or concepts of external objects not present to the senses?

Natural: ?existing in or derived from nature; not made or caused by humankind?

Energy: ?the strength and vitality required for sustained physical or mental activity?

Order: (1) the arrangement or disposition of people or things in relation to each other according to a particular sequence, pattern, or method. (2)a particular social, political, or economic system.

Pure: not mixed or adulterated with any other substance or material.

My scene study coach would love that I did this. You can learn a lot from looking words up.

What does this first sentence even mean? Creativity is the natural order of life. By ?order of life? I think that she is referring to the way the world is run. What actually causes the hierarchy between individuals? What allows one person to make $100,000 a year, while another lives in poverty? Creativity. There is a lot involved in this word.

Even if you say that you?re not creative, I believe that every single person has the ability to be creative in the field which interests them. Creative people are not restricted to jobs in the story-telling industry. You can be creative in just about every job out there: design, business, engineering, law. Creativity has to do with thinking in a different way, which will allow you to happen upon a solution that no one has ever thought of before.

The only way we can move forward is by the invention of new ideas, new products, and new systems or beliefs. It takes creativity to come up with all these things. It took creativity for Steve Jobs to come up with the idea for the Ipad. J.K. Rowling required huge stores of creativity when she wrote the ?Harry Potter? books and inspired a generation of young-adult readers. Walt Disney needed creativity when he came up with the idea for his theme parks.

Along with creativity, you must also possess the confidence to share your ideas with the world. The perseverance to say no when people try to shut you down, and an uncompromising belief in yourself which will allow you to push through (even when you feel like giving up). Creativity means demanding more out of your life, and not being content with mediocrity and living a certain way just because that?s the way the person before you lived their life. To use your imagination means to believe/see things that are not there. I want to work as an actor. There is no sure thing in my future. All I can do is use my imagination, and imagine the life I would like to have for myself. Then I must trust, and believe (with all that I have) that this imagined reality is possible for me. You must see it first. No one else will see, and they may not understand, but we do not live this life for other people. We live this life for ourselves. If this sounds selfish, I?m sorry? but it?s what I believe. You cannot help the world, if you do not first fulfill your own needs.

This is going to sound harsh, but obesity rates are rising every year. The self-help industry is worth billions of dollars. People are not happy. People are not fulfilled. This is because people are not creating. We?re told that working 9-5 for the majority of our life, saving for retirement, abandoning our dreams in favor of survival: we?re told that this is normal. IT?S NOT NORMAL! The only way you can ever be happy, is if you go after what you love. The only way to enjoy any success in your field, is to let go of control. Open yourself up to the creative powers of the universe. Quiet your mind of all the noise so that you can listen to your creative muse.

Creativity is natural in that you can?t create by thinking. Those true moments of inspiration occur when you don?t think. When you allow for magic and wonder to enter into your life. Life is supposed to be magical. Life is supposed to be amazing. You are supposed to be creative.

Life is pure creative energy. Money is not what we trade. Money is paper. It doesn?t mean anything. What we trade is ideas. That is the currency of life, and that is the currency that will fulfill you as a person. Sitting with a group of passionate people. Bouncing ideas and concepts and theories off of one another. That?s what creates abundance. This is what life is all about.

?Great minds discuss ideas. Average minds discuss events. Small minds discuss people.?

- Eleanor Roosevelt.

I thought this quote was a good way to end this little rant. What do you think about the first principle?

Source: http://the-positivity-project.com/2013/01/01/principle-1-creativity-is-the-natural-order-of-life-life-is-energy-pure-creative-energy/

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Countdown begins for 2013 CRE Forecast | REJournals.com

Less than three weeks remain until Illinois Real Estate Journal and the Real Estate Publishing Group put on their 11^th Annual Commercial Real Estate Forecast Conference. The venue for this year?s event is new, the Sheraton Chicago Hotel & Towers, which is located at 301 E. North Water St.

More than 1,000 people again are expected to register for the Annual Forecast Event that will feature approximately 55 industry experts speaking on a variety of topics of interest to the real estate community.

The half-day event begins with registration, continental breakfast and networking with sponsors at 7 a.m.

Kicking off the 2013 forecast will be an intimate fireside chat with Dan Ryan of Jones Lang LaSalle talking with Chris Kennedy of Joseph P. Kennedy Enterprises about a variety of topics, including Wolf Point, the Merchandise Mart and the role of government in the real estate development and economic development process.

The three general sessions include:

• The Big Picture in Chicago Real Estate ??A panel of the leading names in development, ownership, brokerage and capital markets ? covering all property segments ? take a closer look at the issues, trends and outlook for commercial real estate in Chicago and the suburbs.
• Legal Issues Impacting Real Estate ??A new year almost always means new laws and regulations, from lease accounting to tax rates, etc. In this panel, some of Chicago?s leading commercial real estate attorneys address the legal issues that are and will continue to impact real estate in 2013.
• Repositioning, Refocusing and Revitalizing Chicago Real Estate ? Across the area, buildings and campuses are going through complete repositioning/repurposing programs. Developers, owners and financial sources discuss the strategies behind these efforts in this session.

Following these presentations, attendees will have their choice of six different specialty topics including the downtown and suburban office markets as well as the multifamily, industrial, retail and investment markets.

The Annual Commercial Real Estate Forecast Conference is the largest and longest running event of its kind in the industry. Last year the event attracted more than 1,050 registrants.

Registration for the event is $99. People can register by going to www.rejournals.com/conferences. Additional information is available on the website or by calling Michael Millar or Debbie DeWolf at 312-644-7800.

Other confirmed speakers include:? Shawn Mobley, Cushman & Wakefield; Andrew Davidson, MB Real Estate; Steve Schnur, Duke; Dan Arends, Colliers; Bruce Miller, Jones Lang LaSalle; Joe Cosenza, Inland; John Picchiotti, NAI Hiffman; Janet Johnson, Schiff Hardin; Michael Kurtzon, Dykema;? Marcia Owens, Edwards Wildman; Brian Liston, Liston & Tsantilis; Susanne Cannon, The Real Estate Center at DePaul University; Greg Warsak, Associated Bank; Jeff Patterson, Prime Group Realty Trust; Andy Gloor, Sterling Bay; David Stein, Steinco; Dave Liebman, OP2MIZE; Mark Goode, Venture One Real Estate; John Coleman, Newmark Grubb Knight Frank; Mark Moran, NAI Hiffman; Don Shapiro, Foresite Realty; Laura Auwerda, PNC Real Estate; George Pandaleon, Inland Institutional Capital Partners; Steve Weinstock, Marcus & Millichap; Suzanne Martinez, Avison Young; Marc Boorstein, MJ Partners; Mike Mallon, DKMallon; Scott Carr, Inland; Andy Hochberg, Next Realty; Charley Margosian III, Highland Management Associates Inc.; Christian Domin, GlenStar Properties; John Przbyla, Marcus & Millichap; Dave Trumpy, GlenStar Properties; Thomas Borow, BMO Harris; Doug Fisher, Essex Realty; and Justin Ross, Interra Realty LLC.

Tags | Chris Kennedy, Commercial Real Estate Forecast Conference, Illinois Real Estate Journal, Joseph P. Kennedy Enterprises, Real Estate Publishing Group

? 2013 Real Estate Communications Group. Duplication or reproduction of this article not permitted without authorization from the Real Estate Publishing Group. For information on reprint or electronic pdf of this article contact Mark Menzies at 312-644-4610 or menzies@rejournals.com

Source: http://www.rejournals.com/2013/01/02/countdown-begins-for-2013-cre-forecast/

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Great Barrier Reef corals found at 410 feet

Even four times as deep as most scuba divers venture, the Great Barrier Reef ?blooms. A new exploration by a remote-operated submersible has found the reef's deepest coral yet.

The common coral Acropora is living 410 feet (125 meters) below the ocean's surface, a discovery that expedition leader Pim Bongaerts of the University of Queensland called "mind-blowing." The group had previously seen the coral living in the reef at a depth of about 200 feet (60 m).

Coral reefs are made of colonies of polyps which secret a rock-like exoskeleton. The polyps have a symbiotic relationship with algae that provide them nutrients using photosynthesis. Because this process requires light, coral reefs thrive in clear, relatively shallow water.

"The discovery shows that there are coral communities on the Great Barrier Reef existing at considerably greater depths than we could have ever imagined," Bongaerts said in a statement.

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Coral colonies
The 410-foot distance is surprising for the Great Barrier Reef, where scuba divers find stunning coral displays at depths down to 100 feet. But corals are known to live deep elsewhere. In the Gulf of Mexico, researchers have found the coral Lophelia pertusathriving 2,620 feet (799 m) down. Lophelia doesn't need sunlight to survive. In Puerto Rico, light-dependent corals survive as far down as 500 feet (150 m).

Bongaerts and his colleagues received funding from insurer the Catlin Group Limited to explore the Great Barrier Reef as part of an effort to understand how climate change is altering the oceans.

On the outer edge of the Ribbon Reefs, off the northern Great Barrier Reef, the researchers hit unusually calm seas and were able to deploy a remote-operated vehicle, or ROV, off the edge of the Australian continental shelf, where the ocean floor plummets hundreds of feet. It was a tough dive, said expedition member Paul Muir, a taxonomist from the Museum of Tropical Queensland. [ See Photos of the Deep Reef Corals ]

"With more than 250 meters of cable out to provide power and communications with the ROV, it was a real struggle to collect a specimen of one of these corals," Muir said in a statement.

The deep reef
The team persevered and brought one precious coral sample back to sea level. The specimen was Acropora , a type of coral that makes up the majority of most of the world's reefs. Typically, such corals peter out in the Great Barrier Reef above 330 feet (100 m), replaced by non-light-dependent sponges and sea fans.

"These discoveries show just how little we really know about the reef and how much more is yet to be discovered," Bongaerts said. "This poses lots of questions for us, but now we have specimens, we'll be able to analyze them much more closely and can expect our findings to reveal a far greater understanding of just what is going on to enable reef corals to survive at such extreme depths."

The Great Barrier Reef has been in decline, with half of it vanishing in the last 27 years, according to a study released in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences last October. Climate change is boosting the temperature of the oceans, causing some of the damage. Another reef foe is the crown-of-thorns starfish, which eats coral. The starfish populations have exploded because of nutrient runoff from agricultural fertilizers.

Follow Stephanie Pappas on Twitter @sipappas or LiveScience @livescience. We're also on Facebook and Google+.

? 2012 LiveScience.com. All rights reserved.

Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/50346746/ns/technology_and_science-science/

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Despite deal, taxes will rise for most

WASHINGTON (AP) ? While the tax package that Congress passed New Year's Day will protect 99 percent of Americans from an income tax increase, most of them will still end up paying more federal taxes in 2013.

That's because the legislation did nothing to prevent a temporary reduction in the Social Security payroll tax from expiring. In 2012, that 2-percentage-point cut in the payroll tax was worth about $1,000 to a worker making $50,000 a year.

The Tax Policy Center, a nonpartisan Washington research group, estimates that 77 percent of American households will face higher federal taxes in 2013 under the agreement negotiated between President Barack Obama and Senate Republicans. High-income families will feel the biggest tax increases, but many middle- and low-income families will pay higher taxes too.

Households making between $40,000 and $50,000 will face an average tax increase of $579 in 2013, according to the Tax Policy Center's analysis. Households making between $50,000 and $75,000 will face an average tax increase of $822.

"For most people, it's just the payroll tax," said Roberton Williams, a senior fellow at the Tax Policy Center.

The tax increases could be a lot higher. A huge package of tax cuts first enacted under President George W. Bush was scheduled to expire Tuesday as part of the "fiscal cliff." The Bush-era tax cuts lowered taxes for families at every income level, reduced investment taxes and the estate tax, and enhanced a number of tax credits, including a $1,000-per-child credit.

The package passed Tuesday by the Senate and House extends most the Bush-era tax cuts for individuals making less than $400,000 and married couples making less than $450,000.

Obama said the deal "protects 98 percent of Americans and 97 percent of small business owners from a middle-class tax hike. While neither Democrats nor Republicans got everything they wanted, this agreement is the right thing to do for our country."

The income threshold covers more than 99 percent of all households, exceeding Obama's claim, according to the Tax Policy Center. However, the increase in payroll taxes will hit nearly every wage earner.

Social Security is financed by a 12.4 percent tax on wages up to $113,700, with employers paying half and workers paying the other half. Obama and Congress reduced the share paid by workers from 6.2 percent to 4.2 percent for 2011 and 2012, saving a typical family about $1,000 a year.

Obama pushed hard to enact the payroll tax cut for 2011 and to extend it through 2012. But it was never fully embraced by either party, and this time around, there was general agreement to let it expire.

The new tax package would increase the income tax rate from 35 percent to 39.6 percent on income above $400,000 for individuals and $450,000 for married couples. Investment taxes would increase for people who fall in the new top tax bracket.

High-income families will also pay higher taxes this year as part of Obama's 2010 health care law. As part of that law, a new 3.8 percent tax is being imposed on investment income for individuals making more than $200,000 a year and couples making more than $250,000.

Together, the new tax package and Obama's health care law will produce significant tax increases for many high-income families.

For 2013, households making between $500,000 and $1 million would get an average tax increase of $14,812, according to the Tax Policy Center analysis. Households making more than $1 million would get an average tax increase of $170,341.

"If you're rich, you're almost certain to get a big tax increase," Williams said.

___

Follow Stephen Ohlemacher on Twitter: http://twitter.com/stephenatap

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/despite-deal-taxes-rise-most-americans-080605126--finance.html

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Document business realities, performance criteria that led to job ...

During tough economic times, businesses often have to cut labor budgets and eliminate positions. Smart employers make sure they document that process with facts and figures?just in case an affected employee decides to sue and tries to parlay a few stray, insensitive comments into the ?real? reason she lost her job.

With clear business reasons to counter suddenly remembered slights, those random comments won?t sink you in court.

Recent case: Kelley, who is black, was in a management training program with Otis Elevator Co. She frequently ranked near the bottom of her class in the training program and missed sales targets.

When the economy didn?t improve as fast as Otis thought it would, man??agers prepared a list of employees to cut in a reduction in force. Kelley was placed on the list because of her less-than-stellar performance and the company?s need to reduce the head count in her department.

After she was terminated, Kelley sued, alleging she had worked in a racially hostile environment.

She cited two incidents, both occurring during a training program at a hotel.

In the first, Kelley ran into her supervisor as he was entering the hotel from the pool. Kelley commented that it looked like the supervisor had gotten some sun. The supervisor observed that that was a problem black people like Kelley didn?t have to worry about.

The second incident occurred when Kelley was walking down a hall with two fellow black trainees.

A supervisor commented, ?Hey, it?s the dreamgirls,? an apparent reference to the popular movie ?Dreamgirls? about the Motown group The Supremes.

Among Kelley?s other complaints: That she had been assigned to a cubicle toward the back of the office, that a supervisor called her ?Ms. Smartypants,? and referred to her as ?slob-ola? for having a messy cubicle. She also said her supervisor hadn?t invited her to lunch on her first day in the office.

In short, Kelley cited every incident she could recall that she perceived as an indignity, claimed the underlying motivation was really racism and tried to use them to prove she had been terminated because of bias.

Otis argued that none of the incidents were overtly racist. While the hotel incidents may have been mildly insensitive, the rest were just ordinary slights that shouldn?t be grounds for a lawsuit.

None, Otis argued, trumped its otherwise legitimate termination reasons. It had plenty of solid evidence that the economy meant fewer sales and created an urgent need to cut the payroll. Plus, because Kelley was the lowest performing trainee, she was the natural and logical person to cut.

The court agreed and dismissed the case. (Benson v. Otis Elevator Com??pany, No. 10-Civ-3246, SD NY, 2012)

Final note: Otis also argued that the supervisors responsible for the insensitive comments weren?t in??volved in the RIF planning and didn?t make the final termination decision. Plus, months passed between the incidents and Kelley?s termination, and she never complained about any of the slights until after she lost her job.

The court sensibly explained that not every slight is evidence that an employer discriminated and that no federal law guarantees that a supervisor won?t sometimes offend someone.

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Some simple financial resolutions for 2013

8 hrs.

Linda Stern , Reuters

WASHINGTON - Make resolutions if you must: When you vow to track every dollar and never waste money again, you feel all clean and shiny for at least a few hours into the new year.?

But that doesn't usually last. Resolutions get broken because they are too lofty and too ill-defined. It is better to break your resolutions down into a specific to do list: here are the money moves to make now and in the coming weeks that will insure you're in a better financial place before 2013 ends.?

• Analyze your entertainment budget. Television service used to be free, except for the electricity to run it. Now you have to choose cable versus satellite dish and then add on movies from a host of services (like Amazon, Hulu and Netflix)?via a host of devices (like Roku, Apple TV and internet-enabled Blu-ray players). Monthly budgets for a family run well over $100, just for television, so it's worth figuring out what you watch and how you watch it and comparison shop for the cheapest way to do that. Often, cable and satellite providers will cut you a better deal if you say you're ready to quit their service. In today's fast-shifting environment, re-do this analysis once a year at contract renewal time.?
  
• Put one savings on auto-pilot. There is nothing new or revolutionary about this particular exercise, but it works. Choose a low-cost stock mutual fund from a direct-seller like Vanguard, Fidelity Investments or T. Rowe Price. Authorize the fund to sweep a set amount out of your checking account every month. Even $100 will make a difference over time. Just ignore this fund, except to watch it build over time.
  
• Max out your credit cards -- not with borrowing, but with rewards. After five years of tight credit, card issuers are coming back at consumers with a new waves of rewards. Look at all of the cards you already have -- if you haven't paid them off, send all of your available money to the highest rate card until you kill the balances, one at a time, as quickly as possible. Then compare the rewards they pay for travel, groceries, gas and any other categories that are important to you. Check the best offers out there now at Nerd Wallet.?
  
• Refinance your mortgage. Make your move now if you expect to be in your home for at least five years. Rates hover near historic lows, and bankers are still willing to lend money for 30 years at 3.25 percent and for 15 years at 2.5 percent. Nobody can predict when rates will rise, but they aren't likely to go down. At some point over the next 10 years, those rates are likely to look excellent. Furthermore, many people who were unable to refinance before because they didn't have enough equity in their homes may get relief from recent increases in home prices. To shop for a good rate, check the listings at MortgageMarvel.com and Bankrate.com, and compare with a couple of local mortgage lenders and your own credit union.?
  
• Buy life insurance. If you have a family that depends on you, and you don't already have six times your income in term coverage, it's time to buy. Rates have been falling for more than a decade, but now that's over and some are heading back up, says Byron Udell of Accuquote.com. Furthermore, some life insurance companies are giving up on some product lines that they believe are unprofitable in today's low interest rate environment. Shop for term life at Accuquote.com, Intelliquote.com and term4sale.com, and compare rates with independent firms like Geico and -- if you have a military connection -- USAA.?
  
• Adjust your 401(k) settings. If you just let your company auto-enroll you in the program, there's a good chance you aren't saving enough. Bump up your regular contributions at least to the level your company will match, and higher if you can afford it. Authorize the company that manages your 401(k) to rebalance your assets once a year, to keep your mix of stocks and bonds where you want it to be. That will automatically have you buying lower and selling higher.?
  
• Update your resume. Many workers have been stalled at work for five years or more. But the economy is improving, so it's a good time to brush up on needed skills, rewrite your resume and start networking via LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook and your own personal connections. Even if you want to stay where you are, it's a good career move to stay abreast of what's going on all around.?
  
• Organize your info and look at your money. All good financial planning starts here. If you have balances on your credit cards, make a list of all of your cards, with their effective interest rates and balances. Your debt-payoff strategy will become clear. If you don't know how you spend your money, embrace a program like Quicken or an online aggregator like Mvelopes or Mint. Investing for retirement or otherwise? Find a program or system that allows you to track your investment mix and your returns on a quarterly basis. Set it up now, and your investment decisions will be made easier all year long.?
  

Source: http://www.nbcnews.com/business/some-simple-financial-resolutions-2013-1C7782786

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