My fitness journey has been a very interesting one. I was a heavier girl growing up and I started my weight loss in journey during my sophomore year in high school. I remember feeling on top of the world when I was down 30 pounds, but, unfortunately the weight never really left me. Matter of fact, it kept coming back as if we were friends or something and I kept trying to get rid of it for years, but I got tired in college and slacked off a little. What had happened was~ I had just finished my wrestling season, I did not have to weigh in or diet. After our regional’s championship, I remember sitting in my car many times and eating about five peanut butter, jelly, and Nutella sandwiched bagels with no shame. As you probably already predicted, it did not end well. I started seeing my belly puffing over my belt every time I wore a pair of jeans and, my friends, that wasn’t pretty! I hated it and I knew it was a problem when a classmate asked if I was expecting.
Two Types of Body Fat
Weight gain is never fun, especially when gaining the weight in the wrong places. In the fitness and health world, you have two body types- the pear shaped, and the apple shaped. Additionally, body fats have been classified in two different ways- abdominal or visceral and subcutaneous fats.
Subcutaneous fat is located on the lower bottom of the body and is not considered a health risk-if the person is in a normal weight range. On the other hand, visceral fat cells accumulate on the upper abdominal area. They are considered a health risk for several reasons. One reason is that they are located near the portal vein which carries blood from the intestinal area to the liver. The liver functions to filter blood from the digestive tract to the entire body and the presence of fat cells on the abdomen can produce fatty acids, which would influence the production of blood lipids. Furthermore, scientists have been able to link visceral fats directly to high LDL (bad) cholesterol, lower HDL (good) cholesterol, and insulin resistance - which is associated with diabetes.
Studies have also shown that accumulation of fats is based on factors such as hormones and heredity, but not to worry my friends, it can be controlled- especially for visceral fats. The good news here is that you can say good bye to the belly by constantly eating healthy, watching your portions and maintaining a constant exercise regimen.
Exercise
30 minutes of exercising everyday will help keep the belly fat away. Some exercises include running, walking, and using machines such as the elliptical, a bike, and a stair master. Weight lifting is a great way to build muscle on your stomach or "abs". It is important that you combine both cardio and lifting- especially for losing the belly fat. In addition to ab exercises, explosive training such as sprints, jump rope, and plyometric exercises are other great ways to strengthen and tighten the abdomen.
What are you eating?
Most people do not realize it, but our diet is the issue when it comes to gaining weight- especially at the abdominal region. I always had a great workout, but no matter what I did, I could never take my body to the fitness level that I wanted because of my diet. After learning about my body type and what kind of foods to eat and which to avoid, I have been able to maintain a constant body weight for the most part.
Eating is everything
For your diet, you want to keep it simple and healthy while being aware of your portions. You want to consume more complex carbohydrates, such as fruits, veggies, and whole grains rather than simple carbs such as white bread, pastries, and sugary drinks. It is also advised to replace trans fats and saturated fats to poly saturated fats. (ex. avocado instead of butter) Lastly, do not forget to drink plenty of water. Water can help in cleaning your system and stay away from the fat free, calorie free and sugar free foods. They are very deceiving and can actually increase your cravings. The body needs fats, sugar, and calories to function and you should definitely use them for energy.
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