Muffin tops are one of the most dreaded forms of weight gain for women. Belly fat is perfectly natural; women are supposed to have at least some to protect growing infants. A typical amount of fat also helps keep your body temperature regulated, your hormones stable, and your energy up. When too much fat starts building up, it can often settle in unflattering places. A common complaint our weight loss experts hear is, I’m struggling to lose my belly fat. While dropping pounds around your midsection can be challenging, our trainers have chimed in with their favorite ways to help you beat the muffin top!
What Causes Muffin Top?
The term muffin top refers to a layer of subcutaneous fat that sits above your natural hipline. Your body is programmed to hold onto subcutaneous as a backup energy supply. Our bodies take energy from the food we eat in the form of calories. Eating, more calories than we can burn tells your body that it is okay, and it holds onto those extra calories in the form of fat. Women bodies tend to deposit that store fat around the midsection, resulting in squishy fat that leaks over the tops of restrictive clothes, also known as a muffin top. It resembles the top of a baked good. The bad news: once belly fat arrives, it doesn’t like to leave. The good news: our body can adapt to new, healthier habits to lose weight.
Losing a Muffin Top With a Healthy Diet
There are two main ways to drop weight: diet and exercise. The phrase ‘abs are made in the kitchen’ is a concise representation of how a healthy lifestyle is to maintain a healthy weight. If you have an excess amount of belly fat, resulting in an unsightly muffin top, chances are your eating habits are to blame. A healthy diet should naturally fall around the number of calories your body needs to maintain. A healthy weight person who exercises regularly will need quite a few more calories than an underweight, sedentary person. To find out how many you should be eating, check out our Weight Loss Calculator! A few ways to maintain a healthy diet are:
- Eat primarily whole grains, fruits, vegetables, and lean proteins
- Replace one meal a day with a nutritious meal replacement
- Cut out alcohol, soda, and other high-calorie beverages such as fruit juice
- Add nutrient-rich Fat Burner Shots to your weekly health regimen for an immune system boost
Exercises to Lose Your Muffin Top
Diet is crucial to weight loss, but exercise is still a pretty big part. Working out builds muscle but also releases endorphins. Endorphins make you feel happy! The happier you feel, the easier it is to stick to your new healthy habits. While exercise will help you lose weight, the idea of spot reducing or doing thousands of crunches to get a six-pack is a myth. You can’t choose where your body decides to pull the fat out from. You can, however, lose weight everywhere and build muscle in areas you want to appear more toned. A few incredible exercises to burn through extra calories are:
- HIIT, also known as high-intensity interval training, combines compound movements as squats and box jumps with a timed set to give you a fat-burning workout
- Power yoga blends the joint-friendly benefits of traditional yoga with a more upbeat environment and faster moves to burn lots of calories
- Strength training is an effective way to build muscle, which will over time help to increase your caloric-daily allowance
Patience Is A Virtue; Losing Weight Effectively Isn’t Always Quick
It’s not healthy to drop significant amounts of weight within a short period. The maximum recommended weight loss per week is around two pounds. It’s highly recommended you set up an appointment with a weight loss specialist to go over what’s reasonable and what’s not for your lifestyle. For diet, it can take a few weeks to see the results. You may feel the benefits of weight loss (higher energy, clearer skin, and increased stamina) before you see them. Exercise in moderation; work out about four to five times a week to see maximum results. Make sure you get plenty of rest! Sleep allows your body to recover from challenging lifestyle changes.
For more common weight loss and other related tips, please contact Advanced Medical Weight Loss.