Setting a six-month deadline for a 60-pound weight loss is ambitious, but doable for some people. The more weight you have to lose, the easier this loss will be. Consider your current fitness level, the time you have to commit to physical activity and your eating habits.

During the first few hours of a fast, your body gets its fuel from glycogen stores in your liver and muscles; the glycogen is broken down into glucose. Once the glycogen is gone, however, your body breaks down a mix of both fat and muscle to provide it with the fuel it needs.

Counting calories is an effective and direct method of managing your weight. Your body requires a very specific number of calories in order to function. If your body receives an excess of calories, you will gain weight. Conversely, by decreasing your caloric intake you can create a calorie deficit and lose weight.

When people talk about wanting to burn belly fat, they are actually referring to two different types of fatty tissue: visceral fat (sometimes called active fat) and subcutaneous fat.

Just because they're referred to as love handles, doesn't make them lovable. The excess fat that hangs out at the sides of your waistline increases your risk of health conditions, such as stroke, high blood pressure, certain cancers and type 2 diabetes.

Edema in the legs, caused by water being stored in the muscle tissue of the body, can result from a variety of factors. Sometimes it may be as simple as some lifestyle habits that need alteration. More complicated cases are often the result of a medical condition or medicines being taken.

Almost 75 percent of men age 20 and older, or three in every four, are overweight or obese, according to the 2009-to-2010 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. If you fall into this category, it's time to reduce your weight to improve your health.

Photo retouching creates idealized images in the media, and stylists work to downplay flaws and play up assets of models and performers. Some people aren't symmetrical from one side to the other; others may seem asymmetrical when comparing the bottom half of the body to the top half.

It's entirely possible to lose weight without ever setting foot on a cardio machine. Those who dislike cardio or are physically unable to do activities such as running, biking or swimming have a variety of other options for losing weight or maintaining their current number on the scale.

The National Institutes of Health reports that if a person is more than 100 pounds over his ideal body weight, he is classified as morbidly obese. Morbid obesity increases your risk of heart attacks, diabetes, depression, joint problems and stroke.

If you’re still eating right and exercising but can’t seem to lose any more weight, you might have hit a weight loss plateau. It’s normal for weight loss to stall after a while. This is not necessarily an indication that you’re doing something wrong.

Team weight-loss challenges can provide motivation and a support system to help participants lose more weight than if they attempted to lose weight on their own. You can set up a team challenge in a variety of settings, such as workplaces and online communities.