Losing Abdominal Fat – Why is it so hard?Abdominal weight loss - we all want it! A toned midsection is something that both men and women long for, but with all of the diet pills and other weight loss products out there, is there really a secret to abdominal fat loss?
Your stomach is usually the first place that fat shows up and the last place it disappears from. This can be extremely frustrating, especially if you do not have a good weight loss plan in place. All in all it takes hard work and perseverance to lose abdominal fat.
What are you eating?
Unlike fad diets and other short term fixes, the key to abdominal weight loss is that you make permanent changes to your eating. Some people will lose stomach flab immediately and for others the stomach area will be the last area to lose fat from, but unfortunately that’s just genetics. .jpg)
Now, you may decide to reduce the amount of food you eat however, this does not necessarily mean that you will lose weight. If you decrease your calories but are loading up on carbohydrates (breads, potatoes, pasta, rice etc.) and sugars (sweets, pastries, cakes etc.) you will put on weight. The best thing to do is to consult a dietician or nutritionist to get an awareness of what types of foods you should be eating and how to combine them.
You should also be aware of what foods agree or disagree with YOU. Some of them may even be healthy foods which your digestive system cannot tolerate and thereby hindering your weight loss. For example, if you have thyroid issues then you should limit the amount of cruciferous vegetables (e.g. cabbage, turnips, broccoli, brussel sprouts etc.) in your diet as they suppress thyroid function which affects your weight loss/gain.
Fruits and vegetables have high water content and thus can help speed abdominal weight loss as well. So eating the recommended 5 a-day portions of fruit and vegetables will assist in your wellness goals.
The basic rule remains the same: eat often, eat enough and eat well!
Are you exercising?
While abdominal weight loss is usually focused on crunches and sit-ups, it’s actually the total body routine and exercises that are really helping your body learn to burn the extra fat that it is storing.
Some people complain that they do over 100 sit-ups a day and can’t see the effects of it and therefore sit-ups do not work! They are working, it’s just that sit-ups are not meant to get rid of fat, but rather meant to build muscle.Add in aerobic exercise e.g. fast pace walking, jogging or even skipping, not only does it burn a lot of calories it also gets your heart pumping, getting you well on your way to losing weight. For aerobic exercise to be effective, you need to do it for at least 30 minutes. Once you are able to go for 30 minutes, you can increase the level of difficulty and maybe even add some other kinds of aerobic exercise as it will burn even more calories.
You should also undergo some weight training. You don't have to try and turn yourself into Mr. or Miss Universe, but you should try and tone yourself up and build up your lean muscle mass. Another benefit of weight training is that your metabolism will increase and your body will continue to burn calories at a higher level even after your workout is over. Whilst with just aerobic exercise you burn calories during the exercise but not after.
And finally
What matters most with abdominal weight loss is that you do something active and that you do it CONSISTENTLY! If you like to dance, dance around your house for an hour during the day. If you like to swim, you can head to the local pool a few times a week. When you find something that you like to do, it means you’ll do it more often with more vigour.
By Marta Kargbo
Focus Health Personal Training
www.focushealth.biz
Focus Health Personal Training
www.focushealth.biz
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