The excess fat around the waist, often referred to as the muffin top, is located in one of the most difficult areas of the body to shape. Diet, exercise, sleep and stress can promote the formation of abdominal fat and make the process of disposal particularly complicated. While it can be tiring, by constantly exercising, changing your diet and adopting healthier habits you can decrease your body fat percentage and get rid of the hateful muffin top.
Steps
Method 1 of 3: Practice Exercise to Get Rid of the Muffin Top
Step 1. Train at least 3 times a week
Consistency is key when you want to get rid of the muffin top and dispose of excess fat. Whatever your training schedule, make sure you are able to exercise at least 3 days a week, so that you move enough to beat the fat accumulated in the abdominal area.
While the duration of your workout will vary based on your body size and personal goals, you will almost certainly need to consider 30-60 minutes of gymnastics for each session
Step 2. Modify your workout to avoid stalling
Abdominal fat is stubborn and difficult to shed, so you need to diversify your physical activity to avoid stalling. As your muscles get used to a particular exercise, it will no longer be effective over time. By making a few changes you will ensure that a wide variety of muscle groups continue to work and, in the end, you will burn more fat.
- By modifying your training you will also avoid getting bored and losing motivation.
- For example, if you do yoga one day and do HIIT (high intensity interval training) the next, try to change that by incorporating muscle strengthening in the gym into your next workout. While you can certainly do the same exercises twice in a row, try modifying them at least 2 days a week.
Step 3. Consider high intensity interval cardio training
To get the most out of your physical activity, try taking a few bursts of around 20 seconds or 1 minute each, as part of a high-intensity cardio workout. While constant moderate or high intensity exercise, such as walking and running, can definitely help you reduce your fat percentage, shorter, high-intensity cardio can help you shed abdominal fat more effectively.
- Both Sprint Interval Training and HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) are great for burning fat and calories in no time.
- You can create your own high-intensity cardio workout by practicing jumps on the treadmill interspersed with short recovery breaks.
Step 4. Incorporate muscle strengthening into your training program
To get rid of the hateful muffin top, you'll need to decrease the percentage of total body fat, not just that deposited on the abdomen. It is therefore essential to introduce the strengthening of all muscle groups in your training plan. By working with the whole body, you will be able to increase lean mass and, consequently, you can burn more calories during the day, reducing the fat located on the abdomen.
- Try doing squats with dumbbells on your shoulders and push up of the load with rotation, if you want an exercise that works almost all the abdominal muscles, but also the legs and arms.
- The torso rotation medicine ball throw is another great strengthening exercise that helps you burn fat and shape your core (coxo-lumbo-pelvic muscle complex).
- Dumbbell deadlifts are another great whole-body toning exercise that allows you to burn fat and strengthen your core.
Step 5. Practice core strengthening exercises to shape your abdomen
Simple exercises for the abdominals are not enough to eliminate the muffin top, so you should train these muscles in a targeted way and at the same time follow a cardiovascular workout that affects all muscle groups. You could add specific ab exercises, such as oblique abdominals, to total body exercises to melt the fat and have a sculpted belly.
- For example, plank variations work your entire core and help you sculpt your waistline. Plank jumping jacks, side plank (side plank), leg pull-ins (hip-to-chest push-ups), and mountain climbers (alternating knee-to-chest push-ups) are all great exercises. for the abdominals which have the additional benefit of triggering mild cardiovascular activity.
- Standing twists and side bends are aimed at toning the oblique abdominals and decreasing the amount of localized fat that creates the muffin top effect (i.e. excess fat overflowing from the waistband).
Step 6. Try to walk more
In addition to cardiovascular training and muscle strengthening, walking is also a great way to shed abdominal fat. While it probably doesn't offer immediate results or isn't as effective as high-intensity exercise, an increase in this activity can greatly affect fat loss over time.
- Try going for a walk when you wake up in the morning. This way you won't have time to think about it too much and change your mind.
- To encourage yourself to walk more, try walking around the places you would normally reach by car or park farther from the entrance to the buildings you usually go to. Every day you will take more steps without even realizing it.
Step 7. Practice yoga to reduce total body fat
Although yoga is considered gentle exercise, it is known to be quite effective in reducing total body fat, including that deposited on the abdomen. It is also an excellent stress reliever able to lower cortisol levels and eliminate the muffin top.
- If you're looking to get rid of your muffin top, vinyasa yoga and power yoga are two excellent variations. They always keep you moving, helping you burn more calories and reduce total body fat.
- Yoga also helps relieve stress and sleep better. These two effects in turn favor the reduction of body fat that is more difficult to dispose of.
Method 2 of 3: Lower Abdominal Fat by Eating Healthy
Step 1. Fill up on lean protein sources
Lean protein sources, such as chicken and fish, are essential if you are trying to shed fat located on the abdomen. Protein from high-quality lean sources helps stabilize blood sugar and promote satiety by inhibiting the urge to snack on unhealthy foods.
- A good intake of lean proteins also helps to regulate insulin and cortisol levels, affecting the reduction of abdominal fat.
- Salmon caught (therefore not farmed) is an excellent source of lean protein also containing omega-3 fatty acids, which help reduce the fat deposited on the belly.
- Eggs are also an excellent source of low-calorie lean protein. They are also cheap, so they are a great choice for fighting abdominal fat while on a budget.
Step 2. Get more healthy fiber into your diet
Like lean protein, increased fiber is also essential for getting rid of the muffin top. Fiber-based foods keep you full longer, inhibit hunger between meals, and decrease calorie intake.
- Apples, bananas, raspberries, pears and strawberries are all high-fiber fruits that can help you stay full and fight belly fat.
- Broccoli, Brussels sprouts, turnip greens, and peas contain many grams of fiber in one serving.
Step 3. Consume plenty of sources rich in antioxidants
Foods rich in antioxidants, such as kale and spinach, help relieve the inflammatory processes that favor the localization of fat on the belly. They also contain most of the vitamins that the body needs to stay healthy and follow a fat-burning regimen.
Green tea also contains a lot of antioxidants, so it's a great choice for melting fat
Step 4. Increase healthy lipids in your diet
While it may seem contraindicated to increase fat intake, unsaturated fat can actually fight abdominal fat instead of increasing it. Avocado, olive oil, nuts and fish are all excellent sources of monounsaturated fats that promote satiety and give you more energy without increasing unwanted fat tissue.
Contrary to unsaturated fats that help fight fat, saturated and trans fats, such as those found in cheeses subjected to industrial processes, favor the accumulation of fat on the belly and easily compromise your progress
Step 5. Avoid consuming too much refined sugar
Sugar is probably one of the biggest contributors to muffin top development. Foods high in refined sugars tend to be high in calories and therefore difficult to burn. They can also create addiction and compulsive eating behaviors in order to satisfy abstinence, consequently increasing the accumulation of abdominal fat. Therefore, to get rid of the muffin top you must avoid consuming too much sugar, instead getting satiated by choosing healthier foods.
- While it's important to cut back on sugar, you don't have to give it up completely to get rid of the muffin top. Try to take it occasionally and check your portions when you happen to eat something sweet.
- When you have a sweet tooth, opt for fruit instead of a sucrose-based dish. Although it is rich in fructose, it is a natural sugar that tends not to favor the accumulation of fat on the belly.
Step 6. Avoid refined carbohydrates
To get rid of the muffin top, do not take industrially processed carbohydrates, including white bread and rice, pastries, cookies, cakes, and potato products. While healthy carbohydrates nourish the body and provide it with the energy it needs to train, refined carbohydrates raise insulin levels and thus increase or maintain localized fat on the abdomen.
- Insulin keeps the fat where it has accumulated. Therefore, if you have excess fat overflowing from your belt, a systemic increase of this substance leaves it intact where it is located.
- Instead of refined carbs, opt for healthier whole-grain ones, like quinoa and oats.
Step 7. Eat healthily and regularly to speed up your metabolism
Skipping meals can promote cortisol spikes and, consequently, promote abdominal fat. Therefore, make an effort to eat regularly to manage the production of stress hormones.
- Healthy snacks and regular meals also keep you from overeating or looking for something to bite into late at night.
- Also, eating regularly prevents your metabolism from slowing down, which is very important if you want to get rid of the muffin top.
Method 3 of 3: Establish Healthier Habits
Step 1. Engage in activities that relieve stress
Stress greatly promotes the storage of abdominal fat. When you are stressed, cortisol levels can skyrocket, leading to more fat accumulation around the waist. To avoid this, make time for activities that reduce stress.
Reading, playing a musical instrument, or playing tennis are all excellent anti-stress activities
Step 2. Get enough sleep to keep yourself motivated and keep track of your goals
Sleep has a huge impact on the ability to fight abdominal fat. If you don't get enough rest, you have a harder time controlling your appetite, uncontrollable food cravings, mood and motivation. By getting enough sleep, you will have the energy to continue following your diet and exercise program and ultimately get rid of your muffin top.
- Sleep also prevents a rise in cortisol levels so, by helping the body to manage stress, it helps to dispose of abdominal fat.
- Sleeping also prevents you from eating late at night, a habit that can compromise your progress and encourage the formation of fatty tissue accumulations on the belly.
Step 3. Don't rely on the scale to gauge your progress
As you add muscle mass and lose belly fat, the weight shown on the scale can stay the same or even increase. Instead of using this tool to track your progress, try to understand how you feel and consider how your clothes fit. This method will show you much more accurately if your waistline is getting slimmer.
Step 4. See your doctor to establish a healthier lifestyle
While abdominal fat loss helps you feel better and have a better relationship with your wardrobe, it also plays an important role in your health. Excess abdominal fat can increase the risk of diabetes and heart disease. Therefore, if you have accumulated a lot of fat on your stomach and are concerned about your health, contact your family doctor or nutritionist to establish a diet and training program tailored to your needs, your clinical history and your own. lifestyle.
