The right to bare arms!

Michelle Obama’s got it- but so do Sarah Palin and Madonna.  Political moxy?  Nope.  They’ve all got the right to bare arms!  Maybe they’re born with lean, strong arms.  But, the majority of women have to put forth some effort to earn their ‘gun show’.  With the start of spring and the closet swap- trading out wooly sweaters for cute T-shirts, it’s time to get serious about toning our upper bodies.Two things work in this area- diet and exercise.  While we can’t spot reduce and lose fat in specific areas of our bodies, we can change our diets to facilitate weight loss, which will aid in obtaining our gun show.  Below are some tips to improve the look and strength of your arms.

1. Eat less fat.  Fat in food contains 9 calories per gram VS 4 calories per gram in carbohydrates and protein.  Cut back on fried food, butter, gravy, full fat dairy products and desserts.  It takes time, but you can retrain your taste buds.
2. Eat lean protein.  Skip the grilled hot dogs, sausage and steak.  Go for lean fish like tilapia, red snapper or cod to provide a decent dose of protein without excess fat.  Skinless chicken and poultry are also great choices.  Adequate protein in your diet is needed to build and maintain muscle mass.  Protein needs go up as we age also.
3. Focus of fruits and vegetables.  Juicy fruits like apples, berries, citrus, kiwi and melon are more satiating (read FILLING) that canned fruit or dried fruit.  Add water-containing vegetables (salad, spinach, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, etc) to your meals to fill you up and reduce calorie intake.
4. Choose whole grains.  Bran cereal, bulgur, quinoa, whole wheat pasta and brown rice are some examples of whole grains to include in your diet daily.   Don’t skimp on carbs or you won’t be able to work out.  Which leads me to…EXERCISE!
5. Get out the weights.  Experts recommend heavier weights with low reps to build muscle.  Weights should be done every other day to prevent fatigue and allow muscles to recover.  Meet with a personal trainer or check out http://www.shapefit.com for more tips on how to build up and tone your arms this season.

Finally- give yourself some time.  Rome wasn’t built in a day and beautiful arms take some time to sculpt, too.  If you’re patient, you’ll have your own guns to show off this spring and summer!