FIGHTING AGAINST ABDOMINAL FAT
WITH THE BELLY LAB
The belly is the place where its most difficult remove stored fat. There are numerous factors that can act as powerful brakes to combat abdominal fat in women. Although it’s difficult to get rid of it, that does not mean it’s impossible. So we maintain hope with THE BELLY LAB and here are some of my tricks to apply daily to achieve a more slender and flat stomach.
What factors favor the gain of abdominal fat in women?
- Age, which is synonymous with a slower metabolism: the more you advance in age, the more difficult it is for the body to eliminate it. If we can allow ourselves to regularly deviate without consequences before the age of forty, after this age it’s a lot more difficult. So, we must minimize damage by adopting a healthy lifestyle from the youngest age possible.
- Menopause, which involves hormonal change. It is a period which begins with the pre-menopause, generally around 45 years of age, and ends on average in your fifties. During this phase the body stops producing estrogen, and this change results in the cessation of menstruation. The fat is then distributed differently in the body, focusing on the abdominal area, thighs, hips and especially in the belly!
- Lack of exercise: for many active women in the tertiary sector, sitting down is also a real issue. Practicing sports at least once a week is absolutely necessary.
- Excessively rich food: too often we choose prepared meals that sometimes contain sugars and fats.
- Alcohol: in France, it’s almost rude not to drink a glass of wine during a meal. Unfortunately, if alcohol is made from fruit, it’s mostly a drink loaded with sugar.
- Stress and lack of sleep.
BEFORE GOING FURTHER
Calculating your hip-to-waist ratio.
1. Measure the thinnest part of your waist at the level of navel.
2. Proceed in the same way at the widest part of your hips. Divide your waist measurement by your hip measurement.
Women should have a ratio of 0.8 or less, men should have a ratio of 0.9 or less.
How to fight abdominal fat in women?
- Daily life
First we try to achieve 10,000 steps a day, so we take every opportunity to put our bodies in motion.
In case of having to perform sedentary work, remember to walk and move regularly.
Why not take a quick walk at lunch break?
Leave the elevator and take the stairs?
Find time to exercise with The Belly Lab concept?
To fight against abdominal fat, you have to MOVE every day and regularly!
To motivate yourself, buy a pedometer watch. It has been an absolutely essential tool for several years and will allow you to target your objectives properly! They are increasingly equipped with sensors to calculate fat, bone and muscle mass.
- Sports
To lose your belly more effectively, we combine cardiovascular with strength training:
> Exercise in short sequences, especially if you are not athletic to avoid injury.
To burn enough fat and calories, it’s better to do an intense but short effort followed by a rapid recovery. This is more commonly known as fractional training (or HIIT – High Intensity Interval Training). Remember to warm up beforehand so as not to cause muscle strain.
> Do the right abdominal exercises that I reccommend with THE BELLY LAB to mobilize the transverse. Don’t do crunches that give more volume to the abs otherwise you will feel even more bloated.
- Food
It’s no surprise that diet plays a key role in losing abdominal fat.
Before you start, write down on a notebook everything you eat for a week.. You will be surprised and see that you can restore a certain balance.
> Eat smaller meals by changing your portions. We tend to overload the plates, so here’s a little trick: use dessert plates.
Don’t have a second helping, even if the dish is delicious.
If you are served and you consider that your portion is too large, do not hesitate to have it removed on the pretext of anti-waste or lack of hunger. This will save you from having to give explanations, which are not always well understood and accepted by those around you.
> Remember that it takes at least 20 minutes for your body to feel full. This process happens in the hypothalamus, which receives neuronal signals to stop the urge to eat. This is why it is important to chew properly and to take the time to have a proper lunch or dinner break.
> Do not have lunch or dinner in front of the computer, tablet or phone. Disconnect from all your electronic devices.
> Give your full attention to your food. Chew and eat as slowly as possible, in a calm atmosphere and be aware of what you are eating in order to send signals of satisfaction to your brain.
> Avoid soft foods! Mix hot and cold foods for a better digestion. Know how to select the foods that make you swell the least, to keep a flat stomach throughout the day.
> Try to reduce your calorie intake to 2,200 calories per day. Logically, to lose fat your caloric expenditure must be greater than your intake. Download an application on your mobile phone to find out the calories of each food, and in the long run you will get to know them by heart and will no longer need to refer to them.
> Split your meals by adding a healthy snack such as fresh fruit or nuts, for example. You should know that between 4 and 5 p.m. our body breaks down the sugars present in the organism, so this is the best opportunity to have a portion of carbohydrates without feeling guilty!
- Psychology
Finally, stress induces uneven eating behaviors and cracking leads to fat storage.
Above all, do not feel guilty if you crack, but make sure to balance your days in terms of food.
Stress makes us produce cortisol, which increases the amount of fat in the body and enlarges fat cells. Once these cells are filled, it is very difficult to empty them!
Little tips to fight stress
> Breathe with THE BELLY LAB
> Clear your mind with meditation exercises.
> Be convinced: every morning repeat mantras like: “I like my belly, I like my body and I take care of it”.
Joëlle's word
There you have it my Bellies, when abdominal fat is settled it’s difficult to dislodge it!It is key to stay mobile, practice THE BELLY LAB, obviously, but above all learn to let go! Stress is our number one enemy!