LifeStyle Fitness Solutions

Stubborn fat around the midsection is probably the most common problem among people attempting to lose weight and living a lifestyle of being somewhat fit.  With nearly 40% of the U.S. population at or nearing the obesity range that means there are plenty of people with this problem and most aren’t winning the battle.   Aside from the unsightliness of having belly fat hanging over your belt there are also the hidden health risks involved with allowing your belly to continue to bulge.  Having a large belly greatly increases the risk of heart disease and diabetes.  Getting rid of this trouble area may make you look and feel better but it will also give you enormous health benefits.  Here are 4 things you must do to begin your lifestyle fitness plan.

When your body is under stress it creates a hormone called cortisol.  When cortisol is raised your body will store fat around the midsection.  Much of the stored fat from cortisol is called VAT (visceral adipose tissue).  This is fat tissue that builds up underneath the skin and around your internal organs.  It is the most dangerous kind of fat to gain and it is what causes the belly to stick out so far.  It is also most responsible for increasing triglyceride levels and increasing your risk of heart disease and diabetes.  Some people think that by starving themselves and doing massive amounts of exercise will burn off the belly flab.  Unfortunately self starvation and overworking your body will put your cortisol levels in the stratosphere.  When this happens your body will be much more likely to burn muscle instead of that stubborn fat around your midsection.  This will cause you to become skinnier but fatter and over time your metabolism will continue to be stunted by the lack of muscle mass.  Make sure to get plenty of rest and reduce your stress levels.  This is the first big step to putting a stop to gaining the belly fat and reversing the damage done.  There are some natural nutritional supplements that can help aid in stress reduction which will ultimately lead to lower cortisol levels.

When eating a diet high in carbohydrates and simple sugars the body has a strong tendency to store those extra calories as fat.  When you become insulin resistant your body then prefers to store that fat around the midsection.  The fat around the midsection then makes you more susceptible to diabetes and metabolic syndrome.  Eat a diet low in sugar and eat carbohydrates that are slower burning and high in fiber.  Stay away from high fructose corn syrup at all costs!  Keep you blood sugar stabilized through the day by eating a proper balance of fats, proteins, carbohydrates, and fiber rich foods.  Balancing your glycemic load is the key to regulating insulin levels and burning steady levels of fat rather than storing it.  Both alpha lipoic acid and cinnamon have been found to help regulate blood sugar levels for a healthy metabolism.

Fat cells create immune system messengers called cytokines.  Cytokines can increase inflammation and high inflammation levels puts stress on the body to make it get fatter.  So the more fat cells you have the easier it is to keep getting fatter!  To put a stop to this you can add Omega-3’s to your diet everyday.  Omega-3’s are found in fish, flax seed, and walnuts.  A high potency fish oil capsule taken everyday can help reduce inflammation and communicate with your fat burning genes to turn them on and get them revving high speed.  The benefits of fish oil alone can help make immediate reductions in belly fat.  I have seen clients lose and inch off of their waistline in 1 month without changing their diet or exercise routine.  By simply adding a few grams of fish oil each day their bodies started metabolizing belly fat.

Eat whole foods that are unprocessed and eat them often.  Smaller meals eaten frequently will keep your metabolism charging strong.  Eating actually kick starts your metabolism through the process known as thermogenesis.  This is a process in your body in which it digests the food and creates heat to use it as energy.  By eating several smaller meals through the day you are literally stoking the fire so that it burns hotter and faster.  Think of when you don’t feed a fire and it starts to fade out and cool.  The same thing happens with your body.  Feeding it often will keep that fire burning hot and if you follow all of the other rules you will be burning fat tissue off of your belly.  Green tea has been found to actually help increase the metabolism by a few percentage points per day.  In the long run consistent green tea consumption may help you burn thousands of extra calories over a year. 

It also acts as a powerful antioxidant and will go after those menacing free radicals that are damaging your body.

If you start doing all of these things consistently you will notice a reduction in belly fat within a couple of weeks. In addition to these suggestions you should add two to three High Intensity Interval Training cardio sessions each week which will also speed up your results. Keeping your workouts short will allow you to keep your cortisol levels low while speeding up your overall metabolism.

Author – Rick Porter