Friday, July 22, 2011

Check your girth, lose your love handles


Have you ever been mistaken for an expectant mother?

Do you know your girth? It is the circumference of your abdominal area.  That area referred to as your gut or beer belly.

The size of this area has been used for ages to determine health risks, and it is an indicator of how much body fat you have.  However, your girth is not a substitute for finding out how much fat to lean body weight you are carrying.

The reason why I like measuring girth is because you can do it yourself without fancy equipment.  All you need is a tape measure. 

The circumference of your mid-section indicates how much extra, unhealthy weight you are carrying.  Thus, those with larger bellies are at risk for diseases like diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol.

The best advice I can give for ditching your beer belly is to change your diet and add more physical activity to your life.

Unfortunately, the older you are, the harder it is to shed extra pounds and the ones in the middle seem to be most stubborn.  That's because your metabolism slows and random dieting doesn't cut it.  Also, because your metabolism slows once you reach age 30, your body stores more calories.  That's why what worked in your 20s, no longer works.

If your belly is out shinning the rest of your body, you need to cut your sugar and fat intake, eat more fresh fruits, vegetables, whole grains and drink lots of water.

I'm always amazed by the high number of people who aren't getting results, but admit to poor eating habits and no physical activity.  The only way to see results is to eat less junk, eat more whole foods and exercise.  There's no way around it.

And if you're thinking, "Oh, I need to do abs."  Forget about it.  If you don't already have a flat stomach, that's not the answer. Targeting your abdominal muscles by doing traditional abs, sit-ups and crunches will only frustrate you and it's not enough. It takes more than that to get a flat belly.  Focus on your core and you are sure to see results. Not only will you lose fat, but you will gain strength.

Core exercises are by far the best way to burn fat and increase overall body strength because you engage your entire body.

So, if you don't want your bulging mid-section to get more attention than you, you need to commit to change.  And don't expect a six pack or massive results overnight.  You may never have a six pack and it may take months or a year to burn off the residual from years of poor food choices and inactivity.