TUMMY FAT? LETS LOSE IT!!

I swear i didn't abandon this blog or writing generally. Between pursuing a PhD, trying to lose weight and dealing with so many other things, let’s just say life has been happening! I promise to write as often as i can especially as regards weight-loss because from the number of messages i receive everyday it is loudly obvious that a lot of women are dealing with this issue called OBESITY

Today i have chosen to discuss one popular question I am asked over and over again - " HOW DID YOU LOOSE YOUR TUMMY FAT?" and "WHAT EXERCISES DID YOU DO TO MAKE YOUR TUMMY FLAT"  Since i get that question a lot, I figured I might as well do a post on it and share what has worked for me.

MY PROGRESS BETWEEN JUNE 2015- MAY 2016 : You can only make a difference if you are dedicated

First of all, it will be very misleading for me to say I have a flat stomach. No that's not true. Yes it's way better than it used to be like a year ago but It's very far from being FLAT. I still have love handles and I have some lose skin which is expected so it doesn't bother me.

That said, belly fat is usually estimated by measuring the circumference around your waist. This can easily be done at home with a simple tape measure. Anything above 40 inches (102 cm) in men and 35 inches (88 cm) in women, is known as abdominal obesity. At the start of my weight-loss journey my tummy measured around 47-48cm. Yes it was that bad. So far i have lost about 14cm and my tummy is today to 34cm.(on a good day when i am not bloated from my period)

What Did I Do?

Here are 3 major tips that worked for me:

EAT LESS SUGAR- In fact, avoid sugar like a plague especially those in beverages. Diet coke, diet sprite, diet anything is crap. it's all refined sugar and once you keep feeding your body with these refined sugar, the liver gets flooded with fructose, and is forced to turn it all into fat.  This in turn leads to belly fat and may even cause insulin resistance. Armed with this information, i made a decision to eliminate sugary drinks from my diet. i make sure i read the nutritional label of everything before buying to be sure it is not loaded with unwanted sugar.

EAT MORE PROTEIN AND VEGETABLES- I came to understand that Protein is the most important macronutrient when it comes to losing weight. It has been shown to reduce cravings by 60%, boost metabolism by 80-100 calories per day and help you eat up to 441 fewer calories per day. If reducing belly fat is your goal, then you should consider increasing your intake of this class of food. i made an effort to increase my consumption of eggs, meat, poultry, seafood and plant based dairy products. if you struggle to eat more protein then you might want to consider adding some whey protein shakes to your diet especially if you lift weight like i do. Also, eating fibre rich vegetable will help improve your metabolism and keep you fuller for long. This is why i ensure that nearly all my meals have a good portion of veggies on the side.

CUT THE CARBS OUT!-  I really wish i could drum it into people's ear that fat isn't the enemy, CARB is!  it is the number one enemy of weight-loss. Over 20 randomized controlled trials have now shown that low-carb diets lead to 2-3 times more weight loss than low-fat diets. Just avoiding the refined carbs (white breads, pastas, etc) will make a lot of difference in your body especially if you keep your protein high. However, if you need to then consider dropping your carbs down to 50 grams per day if you want to lose that tummy fat faster. This will put your body into ketosis, killing your appetite and making your body start burning primarily fats for fuel. (currently i keep my carb intake at 15-20g perday)

TRACK WHAT YOU EAT- A lot of people have no clue what they are eating and tend to either

SOURCE: www.popsugar.com

underestimate or overestimate. I think it is absolutely necessary for anyone who wants to improve his or her diet to track their foods. This doesn't necessarily mean that you have to measure or weigh food for the rest of your life but doing that every now and then helps you know areas you need to improve on. There are loads of apps online that can help with this.

DRINK ONLY WATER- yes! just water. Nothing more. No need to talk about the benefits of water. you can't drink simple water? then try drinking the carbonated one or make fruit infused water or just infuse with lemon. I aim for 3-4 litres on a very good day.

For exercise I began with simple cardio - brisk walking for an hour in the mornings 5-6 days a week. I later graduated to jogging and climbing hills. Much later I incorporated weight lifting to my routine. At the moment I am doing more of cardio to shift the stubborn fat. I need to point out that you cannot target an area of the body for weight-loss and there is no amount of sit ups or crunches that can make your tummy disappear. Especially if you continue to eat crap! I incorporate abdominal and core workouts into my routine on some days but that only helps to tighten the muscles/walls of the stomach and improve your core, not shrink it.

For me the formula for a flat tummy is less carb+ less refined sugar +more water +cardio + consistency +dedication. This is what has worked and still works for me

** This post is solely based on my personal experience. 

You can follow my journey on instagram (@ella_az) for daily motivation, meal ideas, and how i deal with my struggles.