Fighting the Beast – The War with Belly Fat – Part 2

Since posting my first blog on this topic, I have addressed a couple of other issues that are very helpful in this battle against belly fat:

• How to Track Calories in and Calories Out to Lost Weight:  http://midlifefrenzy.com/2014/05/01/how-to-track-calories-in-and-calories-out-to-lose-weight/
• Quick and Simple Ideas to keep you moving and burning calories:  http://midlifefrenzy.com/2014/04/29/quickies-get-moving-and-burn-calories/
• Using Runkeeper to Track Activity and Calories:  http://midlifefrenzy.com/2014/04/27/try-runkeeper-to-track-mileage-and-calories-burned/

All of these topics are things that I think are important and are factors that I try to focus on every day.  No one is trying harder than I am to lose this belly, so you can bet that I have a lot to share and hope that you can benefit from my thoughts and ideas.

I am just going to say it…I hate this belly.  I am miserable most of the time.  Yes, I run and walk, but taking the stairs, doing situps and crunches, anything out of the ordinary, and I am winded.  It’s the belly!  It is slowing me down and taking all of my energy just to carry it around.  It’s a huge belly, it is an uncomfortable belly.  My clothes no longer fit.  When I sit, I can feel that extra fat pushing up into my upper body.  When I did the belly fat (measurement) test last week, that is when I said “Enough is enough!”

Let’s just say this about belly fat:  I trained most of last summer for my first 5K.  I ran a lot.  I walked a lot.  The belly fat went nowhere.  I thought that running was going to do the trick but it didn’t.  I have learned that it takes MORE than just running or walking or swimming to beat this beast.  I am bound and determined to beat it.

Here are some things that you might want to consider:

1. You need to work longer and harder to beat belly fat.  Increase the length of time of your workout and the intensity of your workout (step it up a notch!) as you get stronger.

2.  Mix it up!  Don’t do the same exercises every day.  If you run or walk every day, add in some other exercises.  Exercises that help with belly fat are:  weight/strength training, abdominal work (situps. crunches, leg lifts, etc.), yoga, cycling, elliptical training, zumba, and so many more.  Look for new exercises to do.

Here are some very basic examples of how to mix it up:

Day 1:  Walk/run and work with weights                                                                                                             (*there are many ways to do weights even if you don’t go to the gym.  See my Pinterest                   Page on at Exercise:  Home Workouts)

Day 2:  Elliptical Trainer/Run and ab work (at home!).                                                                                        (*there are oodles of ab workouts on the internet, YouTube, Pinterest; see my Pinterest                    page on Exercise: Abs.)

Day 3:   Walk/run and weights

Day 4:  Yoga (lots of free workouts online, YouTube, Pinterest)

and don’t forget cycling, stairs, dancing….the list goes on.  Bottom line:  try to exercise at least 4-5 days a week for at least 45 minutes each time.  AND…MIX IT UP!

3.  I recommend ab work at least 3 days a week (skip days in between) and the same with weights.

4.  15 minutes on a bad day is better than nothing!  Some days, all I have time for is 15 minutes up and down my stairs or 15 intense minutes of stomach crunches!  That’s over a hundred calories in 15 minutes!

5.  ENGAGE YOUR CORE!  Basically, whenever you workout, whatever you do, try to focus on and involve your core/center/abdominals.  It feels good!  After all, isn’t that what we are working the hardest on?

6.  BE PATIENT!  This belly fat is one of the hardest things to get rid of.   It won’t happen overnight, or in a month, but with patience and persistence, you will feel your clothes getting less and less tight, you will be able do more without panting, and you will get stronger and exercise more.

7.  Eat MORE FIBER AND PROTEIN and less fat/carbs/sugar.  Fresh fruit and veggies are always good choices.

8.   Don’t let one bad day slow you down.  Get up the next day and start fresh!

9.  Avoid the “gimmicks”!  Hard work is the only thing that will give you the results that you want and change your lifestyle to make it last!

Refer to my last blog on calories in and calories out…to help you understand what it takes to burn a pound.  Today was an good day for me on the treadmill but a fairly inactive day at work yet I still burned over 2000 calories (thanks, FitBit). That means that I burned about 800 calories more than I took in.  You need to burn about 3,500 calories to lose a pound, so that  means that I could lose pound in 3-4 days at this rate.  That is NOT impossible nor is it that difficult if you put your mind to it.

YOU CAN DO IT!  You have to want it and you have to be dedicated!  And, while you are at it, make it a lifestyle change.