Many people complain that losing stomach fat or “the pooch” is particularly difficult, especially for those over the age of 30. Around the age of 30, hormones begin to shift, which makes it increasingly difficult to burn stomach fat and gain the coveted six-pack. Contrary to popular belief, crunches and other abdominal exercises will NOT give you the flat stomach you desire, nor will lengthy cardio sessions. If you want to unearth those abdominal muscles, you need to implement a holistic approach that integrates proper nutrition, exercise, and lifestyle choices.
NUTRITION:
The most impactful contributor to our body’s aesthetics and overall health is what we put in our mouths. The excessive consumption of carbohydrates, coupled with inadequate high-quality protein and fats is the norm in today’s society, which is why we see so many struggle with weight issues. By making some wise changes to our diets, we can overcome this epidemic of bloated bellies.
CARBOHYDRATES
When eaten in too large of portions, carbohydrates (yes, even “healthy” ones) increase blood glucose levels, which prompts your body to store body fat. Additionally, the rapid rise and fall in blood glucose that results makes us even hungrier in only two hours or less after eating this type of meal.
That not so fun bloat that you typically see after eating a carb-heavy meal is a result of water retention. For every gram of carbohydrate you consume, your body holds onto about 3 grams of water.
This doesn’t mean you have to completely avoid carbohydrates, but we need to learn to eat them in moderation and view carbs as treats, not the most significant part of the meal. Eat an abundance of green, leafy, and cruciferous vegetables and enjoy SMALL portions of fruit, starchy vegetables, rice, and the infrequent treat for special occasions. If you are looking to lose weight rapidly or struggle with a slow metabolism, focus only on non-starchy vegetables as your source of carbohydrates. For athletes and hard-core exercisers, consume 1 – 2 servings of starchy veggies (sweet potatoes, beets, acorn squash, butternut squash) and 1 – 2 servings of fruit on your intense exercise days.
PROTEIN
Eating high-quality and enough protein is essential to build muscle and burn fat. Protein is made up of amino acids, which are required to build muscle. Muscle tissue burns three to five times more calories than fat tissue. By increasing your muscle mass, you will be increasing your metabolism, thereby burning more calories throughout the day. The best sources of complete proteins (proteins that contain all nine essential amino acids) are meat, poultry, fish, and eggs. 3 ounces of chicken or 3 eggs, for example, each have about 21 grams of protein. Aim to consume about 20 – 45 grams of protein with each meal, depending on your goals, body type, activity level, and sex. If you eat snacks, these should each contain 10 – 30 grams of protein.
FAT
DIETARY FAT WILL NOT MAKE YOU FAT. This is the one myth that seems the most difficult for people to wrap their heads around. Yes, per gram, fat contains 9 calories, whereas carbs and protein contain only 4. High-quality fats happen to be incredibly satiating, however, and will keep your blood glucose levels stable, which means your body will burn its own fat as fuel. For more info on fat, see my blogs: Eat Fat to Lose Weight and Eat Fat to Lose Weight – The Specifics.
EXERCISE:
ABDOMINAL EXERCISES AND LONG DURATION CARDIO
No amount of crunches, planks or any other variation of an abs exercise will help you uncover those muscles hidden under a layer of fat. Regularly running or engaging in other steady state, long duration cardio activities only wastes that precious muscle you have been working so hard to build and increases your body’s production of cortisol. Excess cortisol suppresses the production of growth hormone and testosterone and increases blood glucose levels. All of these factors lead to weight gain, particularly around the abdominal region. This is why you see so many “skinny fat” chronic cardio exercisers. These are people that often look relatively thin with their clothes on, but have a high percentage of body fat. When a client tells me they want to focus on their abs, that means we will work on HIIT and strength training, particularly exercises for the legs. I’ll explain below.
HIIT
High-intensity interval training (HIIT) describes any workout that alternates short, very high intensity intervals with longer, slower intervals to recover. This type of exercise can be applied to any type of traditional cardio exercise, plyometrics (jump training), or even intense strength training exercises. For example, after warming up for about 5 minutes, run (or cycle, etc.) as fast as you can for 30 to 90 seconds and then walk (or reduce your cycling speed, etc.) for approximately 1 to 2 minutes. You want to stay in the recovery phase for as long as it takes to be able to safely exert maximal effort again. You would repeat this 4 – 10 times, depending on fitness level and goals.
As with all types of exercise, it is important to listen to your body. Just because you were able to perform 9 intervals during your last HIIT workout, doesn’t mean you need to complete 9 intervals every time you train this way. Each workout will be different, depending on how much you slept the previous night, how recovered you are, stress levels, etc.
The best part of HIIT is that it typically takes around 15 – 30 minutes total (including warm-up and cool-down) and studies show that it is the most effective way to burn fat and increase your metabolic rate. You should perform this type of exercise 2 to 3 days per week.
Side note: As an admitted exercise addict, this is the part I find the most challenging. For those that know me well, they can attest to the fact that nothing makes me happier than my daily sweat drenched workouts. It is great to exercise daily. I am a firm believer that EVERYONE should do some sort of physical activity every day. Whether you are injured or feel that your life is just too busy, there are always ways to work around whatever ails you or your tight schedule. It’s like brushing your teeth. It should become part of your daily routine that is imperative for properly taking care of yourself. The key is to not overdo it. If you only have 15 minutes, great! Some workouts can include moderate exercise such as a Pilates, gentle yoga, a leisurely bike ride or a quick walk in your neighborhood. I passionately feel that if we all made physical activity an essential part of our day, we would be a happier society that doesn’t so often rely on antidepressants, alcohol and junk food in the attempt to combat anxiety and depression.
STRENGTH TRAINING
As described above, the more muscle you have, the more efficient your metabolism will be. Compound moves such as squats, lunges, rows, pull-ups, and tricep dips increase strength the fastest and burn the most calories by using more than one joint and one muscle group per exercise. Working the bigger muscle groups in multi-joint exercises gives you the most bang for your buck as these muscles expend the most energy.
As any athlete can attest to, your body’s power source is derived from the legs. Your glutes and legs are your largest muscle groups, so making them a considerable part of your workout is essential for fat loss. Skip the machines and do body weight training with free weights (if you need more resistance) to engage your core and stabilizer muscles for maximum results. Strength train 2 – 3 days per week for about twenty minutes to an hour. Proper form is imperative so hire a Personal Trainer for at least a few sessions, if you think you may need some guidance. Incorporate foam rolling and stretching to keep your muscles and fascia pliable and to avoid (or heal) injuries.
OTHER FACTORS:
HORMONES
Adrenal glands and cortisol: The adrenal glands enable your body to deal with stress, balance blood glucose, and manage your energy ebbs and flows by secreting hormones in response to stress and food consumption (or the lack thereof). When you are on constant stress overload, however, your glands continually produce too much cortisol and eventually are no longer able to respond appropriately. Everything from too little sleep, unhappy relationships, a stressful work environment, food sensitivities, unhealthy food choices, and chronic health problems can impair your adrenal’s production of proper hormone levels. When your adrenal glands are overworked, you will often crave sugar, suffer from low energy, and gain weight. Excess belly fat happens to be one of the first symptoms of adrenal dysfunction.
Thyroid hormones: All of the hormones that your body produces require a fine balance as each hormonal gland impacts another hormonal gland. For example, exhausted adrenal glands can suppress the production of thyroid hormones. One of the many important jobs of the thyroid is to regulate your metabolism. Hypothyroidism is a condition where your body is no longer able to produce sufficient thyroid hormones. In addition to weight gain, other symptoms of hypothyroidism include fatigue, dry skin, food cravings and depression.
If you suspect you may suffer from hypothyroidism or any other hormonal imbalance, see your Doctor for a proper evaluation of the thyroid, adrenals, and sex hormones.
Toxic estrogen: In both men and women, estrogen balance is crucial to maintain a healthy, lean body. Excess estrogen causes bloating, weight gain (particularly in the abdominal region) and decreases levels of other essential, fat burning sex hormones, such as testosterone and progesterone. Accumulating too much estrogen is typically the result of consuming estrogenic foods (soy products and vegetable oils), exposure to pesticides (all of them mimic estrogen), taking certain prescription medications (particularly birth control pills), using plastic, Styrofoam or aluminum food and water storage containers, and parabens, which are found in over 70% of skin and hair care products.
If this list seems daunting and overwhelming, well…. it is. When it comes to our health, we have to become hyperviligant in certain areas. In this blog post, I am focusing on how these factors impact our waistlines, but the implications for many of these issues are far more serious than excess belly fat. So how do you possibly avoid xenoestrogens (man-made compounds that mimic estrogen and wreak havoc on the endocrine system)?
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- Avoid soy and vegetable oils: Soy and vegetable oils are contained in about every processed food. Since you are taking control of your health, processed foods should not be a regular part of your diet anyway. If you drink soy milk, switch to unsweetened almond or coconut milk. If you currently use canola or other type of vegetable oil, switch to organic butter or unrefined organic coconut oil.
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- Go organic: Whenever possible, purchase organic foods. Fruits and veggies with thin, edible skins will absorb the pesticides and, therefore, choosing organic is imperative. Produce with a thick, removable skin, such as bananas, avocados, and pineapple pose less of a risk so conventional is fine. When buying dairy or other animal products, make sure they are hormone-free, if organic isn’t an option.
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- Food containers: Use glass or steel for food and beverage storage.
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- Prescriptions: If you are on the birth control pill, speak with your Doctor about non-hormonal alternatives.
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- Personal care and hygiene products: Use products free of parabens, glycol and sulfates.
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- Cleaning products: Use chemical free, biodegradable laundry and household cleaning products.
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- Cruciferous veggies: Eat more cruciferous veggies! Diets high in cruciferous vegetables, such as broccoli, cauliflower, brussels sprouts, and kale contain indole-3-carbinol. This naturally occurring substance breaks down and eliminates excess estrogen from the body.
FOOD INTOLERANCES
Unlike food allergies, food intolerances are often insidious and, therefore, more difficult to identify. Common reactions to eating a food that you may be intolerant to are abdominal bloating, skin issues, headaches, fatigue and weight gain. The most common foods that people are often intolerant to are dairy, gluten, eggs, soy, yeast, legumes and nuts.
The easiest and most efficient way to identify a food intolerance is the elimination diet. To follow an elimination diet, you would eliminate any food that you suspect you may be intolerant to for 2 – 4 weeks. If you’re not sure which foods may be problematic, removing dairy, gluten, eggs, soy, yeast, legumes and nuts is a safe bet. Once you start to feel better (usually after a 2 – 4 week period of strictly avoiding certain foods), reintroduce one of the questionable foods at a time to see if you have any type of adverse reaction. Allow at least three days between adding back an additional food into your diet.
CONCLUSION
Achieving the body (and abs) of your dreams really is attainable as long as you follow these guidelines and, most importantly, listen to your body and adjust accordingly. We are all unique and react to stimuli differently. It’s necessary to learn to be adaptable and understand that what may have worked for you when you were 22 is not necessarily what will work for you at 35 or 55. Above all, find a way to make the process enjoyable and incorporate play and gratitude into your daily life. Being happy benefits the hormones greatly, which will ultimately assist you in obtaining that six-pack.