There are so many reasons why we gain weight around the middle. With our lean muscle mass decreasing as we get older, your metabolism slows down. You burn less calories at rest. You start to decline in oestrogen in peri-menopause. Your hormone changes bring about weight gain. You may be moving less and eating more.
Your clothes are now tight. You’re fed up, your stomach has gained a lot of weight and it’s making you unhappy.
I’m excited to tell you that with the right strategy you can get back into feeling good in your clothes again, but the first thing you need to do is to acknowledge that you need to change what you’re doing. If you keep doing the same thing over and over, you’ll keep having the same problem.
When clients come to me with a weight problem, they want to drop 7lbs or 10lbs or reduce fat on their stomach, I love it because it’s all so attainable with the right strategy and with the fabulous attitude they have, of going with the tweaks. And that’s what I love about my clients, they’re open to change, therefore open to results.
Here are my tops tips to reducing belly fat:
Do the right type of exercise for your age:
You can’t spot reduce. You can’t say to your body, ‘hey lose weight off my stomach first please’, that’s all genetics, but with the right type of training, fat will come off everywhere you have it.
What is the right type once you get past the age of 40? Interval training, strength training and core work. You want to burn fat, build lean muscle, get a high metabolism, flatten and strengthen your core and you’re doing this all the while strengthening your bones and improving your mental health. 30 minutes, 5 days per week will get you in the best shape of your life.
Have dinner at 6pm and don’t eat again until breakfast:
I gained three stone from late night snacking after I had Emily. Ladies, it doesn’t matter how good your days are, if you sit on the couch eating after dinner, you’ll gain weight. Not eating after dinner will reduce your belly fat.
Reduce starchy carbs:
Big bowls of pasta and rice and snacking on toast will not help your stomach. All that food is perfectly fine if you’re where you want to be. Cut down on it, mid-week, if you’re not where you want to be.
Two biscuits with your tea:
You need to choose. The biscuits or a flat stomach. It is dedication to the cause that gives my clients a flatter stomach, nothing else. No secret. A daily choice to lay off the sugar.
Lots of water, healthy food and fresh air:
Getting out in the fresh air and moving your body, drinking lots of water and eating fresh food all reduce belly fat. A healthy balanced diet. People are too quick not to bother with the basics and think it’s about going from eating crap to eating hardly anything. It’s not! Healthy food, tweak as you go, in accordance to your results you’re getting.
I hope this helps you!
To your success,
Jessica Cooke X