Do you remember the commercial for a breakfast cereal that said if you can "pinch an inch" on your waistline or stomach you need to lose weight? Everyone can pinch an inch and many of us can pinch several, but that's still not a good rule to determine whether or not to lose weight. Look at your clothing sizes; they will tell you whether or not you need to lose weight.
Women especially have problems with being apple shaped around their midsection because that's where females store the bulk of the fat they carry. Of course, some women pack it on their thighs hips or butt, but even these women have at least a little pooch in front. Some people, men and women, have such large stomachs that the only place their clothing fits is at the waistline, and bags and sags everywhere else! They would look and feel so much better if they could lose the extra baggage!
If you're one of these people, you may be wondering where to start this marvelous transformation. Diet, diet, diet, is the answer! You don't have to starve yourself, just eat sensibly. You can cut an amazing number of calories just by trimming excess fat and skin from meat and poultry before cooking it! All fats have twice the calories of other foods and saturated fats, as in animal fats, most dairy products and shortening are rife with everything you need to have a stroke, heart attack or diabetes. In order to lose weight, which you must do to lose fat, cut your calories by at least 200 per day, and balance them so that your daily calorie intake is 50% fiber and nutrient rich carbohydrates, 30% from lean meats, poultry and fish, and 20% from the fats that are good for you.
Exercise is next. If you've led a fairly sedentary life or have a lot of weight to lose, start out slowly, especially with aerobics. In fact, you may want to start with swimming, walking and stationary cycling to get started on your aerobics routine. Many gyms and fitness clubs offer water aerobics classes that have all the benefits of regular aerobics exercises, but without all the wear and tear on your joints and muscles. Start out with 30 minutes of aerobics 3 or 4 times a week, and lengthen each session by 2 or 3 minutes until you are able to do sustained exercise for 45 minutes. Vary your exercise routine every week, and change the order of the exercises you consistently perform. This fools your body into thinking there's always a new spot in which to find fat stores for energy.
Don't wait until you've lost all your extra weight to start strengthening exercises! If you start resistance weight training or Pilates for muscle strength right from the start, you'll tone your muscles as you lose weight. And when you do any form of exercise, be sure to not try to target just one area. Your body chooses where the weight will come off, so total body workouts tell it that every muscle in your body is needed, and it will deplete fat stores rather than muscle tissue.
So what has all this to do with losing fat around the stomach? Just everything! This is the way to lose stomach fat! You have to lose weight in order to lose fat, and you have to exercise every part of your body so the fat comes off everywhere. It's as simple as that!
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