Are You Tired of Wearing Your Spare Tire and Want to Lose Your Belly Fat?
losing belly fat in midlife.
While you might have been proud of your toned belly and washboard abs during your 20s, things can change as the years go by. You might not be exercising as much, your hormones might be playing tricks on you, or you might just be carrying some extra weight with you — but whatever the reason may be, one thing’s for sure — you need to take action if you want to get rid of it! I’m writing this article to show how losing belly fat in midlife is possible, and what you can do to make it happen.
The cause of a spare tire:
The middle section, or belly fat, is different from other types of fat. It’s known as visceral fat because it’s found in a layer right beneath your abdominal wall, which is called your mesenteric fat (or visceral adipose tissue). Visceral fat surrounds your internal organs and stores energy, rather than having any significant metabolic function. That means you can’t spot-reduce your spare tire — you have to decrease total body fat all over. If you lose 10 pounds and your waist size doesn’t change, you might even gain excess weight around your abdomen! If you want to get rid of belly fat once and for all, it takes an extensive diet plan, along with exercise that targets visceral fat. To banish these unwanted pounds once and for all:
Follow these easy steps to banish belly fat for good:
1) Reduce your daily caloric intake:
If you consume more calories than you burn, there’s no way around it — your belly will grow. This doesn’t mean starving yourself; it just means reducing portion sizes and not overeating when you aren’t hungry.
2) Eat more fibre:
A large review study published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that a high-fibre diet significantly reduces visceral fat.
3) Drink lots of water:
Staying hydrated helps you eliminate excess sodium, which reduces water retention.
4) Get moving:
Exercise is one of your best weapons against belly fat.
5) Get enough sleep:
Sleep is crucial for weight loss and optimal overall health. Make sure you’re getting at least 7–8 hours per night, if not more.
6) Eat better fats:
Focus on monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs) like avocado, olive oil, nuts, and seeds. They may help reduce belly fat as well as decrease your risk for heart disease.
Let me guide you down your road to success.>>click here<<
Decrease body fat percentages:
While it’s tempting to track all your calories, you can’t spot-reduce fat. If you overeat on any food — protein or otherwise — you’ll likely get excess belly fat. So don’t focus on body-fat percentages when trying to lose weight.
Just avoid consuming too many empty calories from foods that have no nutritional value, such as added sugars, white bread and processed snacks. Instead, fill up with nutrient-rich choices that are less likely to sabotage your healthy diet: Choose whole grains over refined ones; fruits and vegetables rather than candy bars; low-fat dairy products over their full-fat counterparts.
Stay hydrated:
If you’re gaining weight in your midsection, it could be a sign that you’re not drinking enough H2O. And when it comes to water, higher consumption is correlated with lower levels of visceral fat.
Researchers at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center found that overhydration can reduce your body’s ability to burn fat. So stop guzzling glasses of water — unless you enjoy feeling bloated and squishy.
Embrace your curves:
Believe it or not, having some extra weight in your midsection isn’t as dangerous as it may seem. If you’re well within a healthy BMI, losing excess fat on your stomach can help improve your overall health.
The protective coating around your internal organs will thank you! Women tend to carry their extra weight in their bellies, which is why they often experience back pain when sitting for long periods.
Plus, women are more likely than men to get diabetes — and, if that’s not enough motivation for you to shed those pounds from your waistline, research shows that being overweight raises your risk of heart attack by 37 percent. It may be difficult at first, but once you take off 10 to 15 pounds through exercise and dieting, walking, and even jogging (two miles every other day), your back should feel better and cause less discomfort.
Eat whole foods:
Eating whole foods is vital for your health. Processed foods, on the other hand, will only lead to unwanted weight gain. If you are truly serious about losing belly fat in midlife, eat real food (like nuts and veggies) as much as possible.
Avoid refined carbohydrates at all costs — these include white bread, pasta, cookies, cakes, sugary cereals, or anything else made with enriched flour or too many ingredients you can’t pronounce.
Whole grains like brown rice, quinoa, and farro are excellent choices.
These can replace starchy carbs when making a stir-fry, pizza dough, or even breakfast porridge; try using steel-cut oats and sprouted grain bread instead of white loaves. Make sure you use healthier cooking techniques like roasting instead of frying whenever possible; a quick dip in olive oil if cooking something light such as zucchini works just fine!
Choose lean cuts of meat over fatty ones — trim off any visible fat before grilling/broiling/barbecuing.
Exercise regularly:
Exercise doesn’t just prevent weight gain — it helps get rid of excess body fat, according to research from Wake Forest University School of Medicine.
A study in The New England Journal of Medicine found that people who exercised every day (about one hour) didn’t have any greater reduction in belly fat than those who worked out three times per week (about 20 minutes each time). However, both groups saw improvements when it came to BMI, waist circumference and HDL (good) cholesterol levels.
Don’t let your diet discourage you from exercising; it will only help you lose more weight faster!
For best results, include two types of workouts: aerobic exercise such as running or cycling on most days and strength training at least twice a week. For example, try jogging for 30 minutes most days and then do strength-training exercises with dumbbells for about 30 minutes on other days.
Or swim laps for about 30 minutes on Monday, run for 30 to 60 minutes Tuesday through Thursday and do some upper-body lifting such as pushups or bench presses on Friday.
As long as you alternate workouts and keep them challenging enough over time, you’ll see results!
Avoid certain habits:
1) Stick with a mostly healthy diet: Studies show that at any age, women who eat nutritious foods (lots of fruits, veggies, whole grains, lean proteins and good fats like nuts) are more likely to lose weight than those who don’t.
2) Make activity part of your daily routine: Regular exercise can rev up your metabolism so you burn fat faster throughout the day.
3) Avoid fad diets — and if you do go on one, don’t last longer than two weeks! Fad diets not only won’t help you slim down, but they might also make it harder for you to shed pounds in future.
4) Drink alcohol in moderation:
Alcohol doesn’t necessarily cause belly fat, but it does lead to mindless eating (we all know how easy it is to overeat when we drink).
5) Skip sugary drinks and sodas; these pack on empty calories fast. Instead of spending money on sugary drinks or sodas each week, try making smoothies at home or picking fruit from your yard.
6) Eat breakfast: Just about every study done on weight loss shows that people who eat breakfast are less hungry later in the day than people who skip breakfast, which helps them control their caloric intake (and hopefully avoid grabbing an unhealthy snack!).
7) Don’t fight hunger: If you find yourself craving a big bowl of pasta late at night, have it! But maybe opt for angel hair instead of spaghetti and marinara sauce made with extra-virgin olive oil instead of heavy cream.
8) Don’t shop while hungry: When you head out to buy groceries after work, wait until after dinner to hit the grocery store — you may wind up buying calorie-dense packaged goods rather than healthy choices like produce and lean protein.
9) Get moving: Scientists say women tend to carry around more weight in their midsections compared with men because they usually have weaker hip muscles and higher body fat levels. That means it’s even more important for women to get lots of hip-strengthening exercises. Squats, leg presses, lunges, reverse crunches and step-ups are a few effective options. Aim for three strength training sessions per week and pick cardio activities you enjoy (like swimming or running). The key is to stay active as much as possible!
Consider supplements:
Many women, especially those over 40, are deficient in some vitamins. While many vitamins are water-soluble and naturally excreted, others remain in your body for days or weeks. This means that you may be consuming too much — or too little — of certain nutrients without even knowing it.
Ask your doctor about an appropriate vitamin regimen; most will recommend a daily multivitamin, plus individualized doses of Vitamin D3 (800–2,000 IU) and Vitamin K2 (25–50 mcg). If you’re interested in getting tested before starting a supplement regimen, ask your practitioner if they can test you on four specific conditions: Vitamin D deficiency/insufficiency/excess; Magnesium deficiency; Iron-deficiency; Methylation disorder.
Also, try reading The Natural Pharmacist’s Guide to Vitamins & Minerals by Dr Carrie Saveria Conner, which is chock full of information regarding all things natural and alternative medicine related!
Sleep well:
We know that getting a good night’s sleep is important for our physical health, but it turns out it may also be crucial to our mental health. A 2017 study published in JAMA Psychiatry found that poor sleep led to an increased risk of developing clinical depression symptoms over time. Those who reported sleeping less than six hours per night on average had twice as much risk for depression symptoms compared with people who slept seven or more hours per night. The reason, experts say, has to do with how it impacts metabolism and hormone levels. Getting too little shut-eye can disrupt levels of key growth hormones such as IGF-1 and dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), which helps regulate stress — and inflammation levels — in our body by causing cells to produce fewer cytokines (the messenger molecules responsible for carrying inflammatory signals between cells). This is why chronic inflammation can contribute to a host of chronic conditions like heart disease, diabetes, obesity and cancer. So if you think you’re all set because you get eight hours every night, don’t kid yourself: Skimping on sleep might just make your chronic inflammation worse. On top of that, not sleeping enough messes with your appetite-regulating hormone leptin, leaving you hungrier and likely to eat more throughout the day.
Conclusion:
Being over 50, you might be asking, Does it make sense for me to focus on losing my belly fat if I’m also trying to lose weight in other areas? The answer is simple: yes. Body fat distribution does change as we age, but many women find that their bellies are a stubborn holdout. And besides its physical impact, excess abdominal fat often leads to emotional overeating and food cravings — another reason why it’s good to have your tummy firmly under control when you’re striving to improve your eating habits overall.
No matter what age you are or where your excess body fat is located, adopting healthy habits can help reduce those inches around your waistline — and boost your self-confidence along with them!
Sticking with an exercise program can help you maintain a strong, healthy body well into your golden years. If you’re in good shape when you hit menopause, it will be easier for your body to adjust to shifting hormone levels and maintain strength as lean tissue diminishes. Exercising regularly also can help alleviate many of the symptoms associated with menopause — including mood swings, hot flashes, night sweats, sleep disturbances, fatigue and weight gain.
Many women find that regular physical activity helps them manage other challenges they face in midlife: treatment side effects challenges caring for ageing parents or adult children with special needs and adapting to the empty-nest syndrome as their kids move out on their own. Whatever obstacles life brings your way, staying active gives you more energy and enables you to tackle everyday challenges head-on. So get off that couch!
It’s so easy to follow that you can lose weight within your first week while still eating all of your favourite foods and enjoying your way of life. It’s time to take action and make change happen.
Let me guide you down your road to success.>>click here<<