It can be frustrating to spend long hours at the gym, eat nutritiously for weeks, and yet fail to see weight-loss changes in the mirror or on the scale. Rest assured, however, that if you keep trying to lead a healthier lifestyle and lose weight, your body will begin to take on a new shape.

Following a low-calorie diet means limiting sugar intake. This involves cutting back on sugary foods and beverages such as coffee, tea, non-diet soda, fruit juice and sports drinks. Sugar is loaded with calories, it can lead to dental problems, and it raises triglyceride levels in the blood.

Your circulatory system consists of the heart, blood and blood vessels. It's the body system responsible for delivering oxygen and nutrients to the cells and for assisting in the elimination of certain cellular waste products.

Along with heredity, hormones may influence your weight. While healthy women produce both estrogen and progesterone during the reproductive years, some women must take supplemental hormones for various reasons.

The number of calories burned by climbing stairs depends on how long it takes, the intensity of the activity and your weight. You will burn more calories by climbing seven flights of stairs in 10 minutes than in five minutes.

The National Institutes of Health report that 1 lb. of fat is equivalent to approximately 3,500 calories. As such, burning off 300 calories equates to less than one-tenth of a pound of fat. However, burning more calories than you consume daily can lead to steady weight loss.

According to American Academy of Family Physicians, the ingredients you should look for in energy boosters are Ephedra, Bitter Orange, Guarana, Country Mallow, Yerba Mate or Caffeine. Appetite suppressants should include Glucomannan, Psyllium, Hoodia or Guar Gum.

Pristiq, also known as desvenlafaxine, is an antidepressant used in treating depression and anxiety. Pristiq is in a class of medications called selective serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors. Although Pristiq is effective for treating depression for many people, the drug does have some side effects.

Just as you cannot predetermine where fat settles in your body, you cannot reduce weight only in certain areas. When you reduce your overall body fat, you might also lose weight in your hips and thighs. To achieve this, a sensible, reduced-calorie diet and regular exercise must become part of your lifestyle.

Upper belly fat has many potential causes. Your genetics, sex, diet, exercise program or lack thereof, and stress levels can all contribute to excess upper belly fat. You can, however, change many of these variables to reverse your current condition.

If you are struggling to lose weight, you might be confused by all of the diet plans and options available. No matter what plan you are following, however, you must eat fewer calories than you burn in order to lose weight.

Amino acids are the building blocks for the proteins, enzymes, hormones and neurotransmitters that your body manufactures. All amino acids share a general structure composed of four groups of molecules: a central alpha-carbon with a hydrogen atom, an amine group, a carboxyl group, and a side chain.