Of all the questions that I am asked “How do I get a flat tummy?” is probably one of the most popular and for good reasons… getting rid of the fat lives in your abdominal area isn’t straight forward.
People read articles on the internet and then try a little bit of this and a little bit of that because it worked for that celebrity or for their friends… but they hardly ever have a good plan that will give them the exact steps they have to follow to get the results they want.
I explained the number one thing you have to focus on if you want to reduce belly fat once and for all in this video 👇👇
When the desire of losing your belly fat becomes so strong that you are finally inspired to take action, you need to understand 2 reasons why it’s important to do so and then simply follow the “how”.
WHY DO YOU NEED TO REDUCE BELLY FAT?
Visceral fat, i.e. the fat that grows around your organs in your abdominal area is dangerous for you because it can cause all sorts of health problems including placing you at an increased risk of developing diabetes and causing inflammation… and as we understand more how the Covid-19 works, it turns out that it’s actually the massive inflammation that’s killing people because their bodies are already inflamed through their lifestyle choices and they can’t take the extra surge of inflammation that the virus is causing.
Visceral fat also increases your chances of developing Alzheimer’s disease, and it can also increase your chances of having a stroke and develop heart issues so that’s why we ALL need to make an effort to try and reduce it. At least a little bit.
WHY DO WOMEN WANT TO REDUCE BELLY FAT?
The main reason women WANT to reduce belly fat, especially when they reach their midlife… is linked to our biology and our reptilian brain, that part of us that acts on instincts and ensures our survival.
When we look at women who naturally have a flat tummy most of the time they also have an hourglass figure and THAT tells our reptilian brain that those women are young, fertile, have great genetics, are healthy and therefore are more likely to produce an offspring that’s going to survive and contribute to the survival of the species.
As we get older our body starts to change shape and in doing so it betrays us: it gives out the signal that we are no longer healthy or fertile and therefore no longer interesting in the eyes of a potential mate.
In other words, one of the main reasons that women want to reduce their belly fat is because they want to feel more attractive in the eyes of their existing mate or appear desirable in the eyes of a potential one.
And there is absolutely nothing wrong with that.
Thankfully our brains have evolved and allow us to place value on more than just looks when choosing a partner, or not associating the size of our waist with our self worth.
How do you reduce belly fat?
The way you do that, and this is true for women of all ages but especially so for those who have reached their midlife… the number 1 thing that you need to take care of, if you want to reduce your belly fat, is managing your stress levels.
This is literally the only thing you need to focus on… every time you make a decision with regards to what you are eating, the exercise that you are going to do, your lifestyle… you need to ask yourself: is this going to add to my stress levels or is it going to reduce stress?
So, when you look at your nutrition you need to look at what foods are good for you and support your weight loss efforts, don’t cause inflammation or an allergic reaction. It goes without saying that you should avoid those foods but a lot of people ignore that a lot of the time.
You have to make sure that your macro nutrients, and that’s your protein, your carbs, your starches, your fibre and your fats, are all balanced.
When it comes to exercise you also need to make sure that you are doing just enough for you and your metabolism. You don’t need to do crazy workouts that go on for hours all the time (your body can’t really take it anymore), but whatever you are doing you need to balance it with periods of rest.
When you are managing stress you need to manage your mind first of all, and try to clear all the clutter of thoughts that are causing you to get upset and evoke bad feelings… essentially you need to get rid of all the thoughts that are winding you up and causing you stress. Let them go.
Then you need to look at your lifestyle: how do you go to work? Do you drive? Do you get stuck in traffic a lot? What can you do to make that better?
What’s your situation at work? Do you have colleagues that are a pain in your neck? Maybe you need to distance yourself from them… and right now we have a great excuse for doing that without seeming rude 😉
These are all factors that you need to take into consideration…
Also, with regards to your lifestyle what relaxing activities are you doing on a regular basis that can help you counter the stress that you inevitably accumulate in your daily life?
So… to recap… if you want to reduce belly fat you need to:
👉 Make sure your meals are balanced, so you eat protein at every meal, cut back on your starchy carbs and that’s your bread, your pasta, your pizza and all the things that are really tasty.
👉 Eat MORE carbs but of those that are fibrous in nature and that’s your salads, your greens, your veggies, anything green is good for you… apart from avocados, some people can’t tolerate it and will make them fatter… make sure that your nutrition is on point,
👉 make sure you plan your workouts in a way that includes the activities that help you lose fat and you intersperse them with activities that help you relax and recover from the more intense workouts.
Do things that are fun… but do them.
👉 Manage your mind.
👉 Manage your metabolism.
👉 And eventually, only do the things that you know work for you and discard everything else. Just focus on that.
It becomes very simple once you know how to do it.
If you want more tips on how to handle your midlife with elegance and grace whilst reducing your belly fat, my FREE guide “Fit ‘n’ Fab in Midlife” will help you paint a fuller picture of all the whys and the hows.
I strongly believe that in order to reclaim control of your body you need to understand what is happening to you and why.
Only then you will be able to find your unique way “how to go around it and bring back balance”.
Staying in control is easy!
All you need is the right guidance on how to handle “the changes” so that they don’t control you!
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Oh, such great tips for reducing belly fat! Girl, mine needs to go! lol
Thanks for sharing ??
Thank you for stopping by ? please let me know how it goes!
Great article Cristina. I’m requesting your book and looking forward to reading it.
You are welcome Cecilia, enjoy the book! ?
A well-written piece of information that has depth to it. Thanks!
Thank you so much Naomi, much appreciated!! ?
Really interesting read. Also, simple and clear too. Thank you for sharing this☺
Thank you for stopping by! 🙂