How to Lose Weight on the Upper Arms

Your arms are a key component of your overall appearance and upper-body strength. Those muscles can sag into flab as you age, and without an overall weight loss routine, it is unlikely that you'll see results. Dieting and proper exercise focusing on the upper arms is the only way to tone the muscles that will give an over all slimmer appearance to your arms.

1. • Drink 6 to 8 glasses of water per day and avoid drinking anything that is not water based. This will help the body flush unnecessary chemicals that may be assisting your body in retaining weight. Your body will also retain "water weight" when it is not getting enough water. It holds the water in storage, similar to fat if it believes water to be scarce. Drinking plenty of water is the only way to avoid this type of weight gain.
     
   • 2
     Eat protein, carbohydrates and unsaturated fats to keep your body moving while you're losing weight. Exercise does not replace diet in the weight loss endeavor. There is no diet that can target a specific area of your body. The body will burn fat, reducing it everywhere on your body, including your arms.
     
   • 3
     Exercise to tone the muscles and focus the weight loss. Strength training and cardiovascular exercise are both important when trying to lose weight in your upper arms. The cardiovascular exercise will help you with the overall weight loss, while strength training will tone your arms, causing the slimming appearance. Exercise is unlikely to be effective if you are inconsistent. Here are two great exercises to get you started.
     1. Hold your arms outstretched creating a "T" with your body, and hold your arms in that position. This exercise will work your shoulders and upper arms, causing the muscle toning you're looking for.
     2. While standing, set your feet hips' width apart, keeping your knees slightly bent. Holding weights level with your shoulders with your palms facing one another, press the weights over your head, extending your arms straight up. Keep your palms facing each other and hold for a count of 10. Slowly lower your arms back to the starting position. Do this 12 to 15 times. As your arms become stronger, you can include more repetitions, but don't go over 25.