Monday 29 December 2014

Lose that middle belly fat

When women come into the gym and I ask them what they would like to achieve they almost always say that they want to lose some weight around their waist. And I am no exception to this!! So when someone gave me Marilyn Glenville’s book ‘Fat around the middle’ I was delighted.
I’ve read through this and want to give you a few hints and tips that I found – of course, you would need to read in more detail if you want to fully follow her three month plan – but here’s a few highlights. She suggests a 4 point plan;
nutrition
supplements
exercise
lifestyle
Those of you who work closely with me will know that this is very much the stance that I take. I’ll give you some nutrition & exercise tips. Supplements? Now that’s an interesting one – she suggests a variety of additional vitamins and minerals – a little bit of research showed me that a good multivit tab contains many of her suggestions. I use meal replacements that have 25% of my Recommended Daily Allowance in each pack – so I think I’ve got that one covered.
Lifestyle – well – that’s a real challenge. Reduce stress and get more sleep is the key message – there is really good research that shows that the heightened cortisol levels associated with chronic stress and lack of sleep interferes with your insulin metabolism and therefore your blood sugar levels and encourages the storage of fat round the midriff. If you are struggling to lose that last bit of weight around your waist there is hope – learn to relax – turn off your computer, meditate, chill, learn to relax every part of your body. And get some sleep – how much are we talking about? Seven to eight hours is optimal – now, before you all say ‘in your dreams’, read the research – less is just not good for you – not good for your concentration, skin, digestion, weight, memory, sex drive – need I go on?! Again, those who work closely with me will know that this is my really weak area. I have always viewed sleep as something I squeeze in if there’s time – I am working hard to change this attitude!
As for exercise – its what we always say, a good mix of cardio and weight work throughout the week. At the very least – get your 10,000 steps in every day – we have some pedometers on the way to test – we will let you know which we like the best.
Nutrition – now that Christmas is over lets get focused again – keep the simple carbs down – take out white bread, white pasta, white rice, sugar (check the labels – lots of sugar is hidden in foods), keep the protein up. Make every calorie count – so no ‘empty calories’ – don’t eat what doesn’t nourish your body (yes, I do mean crisps!). Keep the alcohol down – give your liver a break – and lose lots of useless calories! If you want to know more – let one of us know next time you are in the gym- we can help you plan your food.
But here’s another challenge – love that fist cup of tea of the day? Has to go to lose that belly fat the caffeine burst sets off the stress levels – she even suggests that milk isn’t too good for you. And my other early morning staple? A banana – and guess what – fast release carb – should be losing that for three months.
Now, this is a real challenge for me – change lots of things in my life – shall I go for small steps or a big blast ? Watch these pages (or my waist line!)

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