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.

 

 

 

Fighting the Beast – The War with Belly Fat, Part 1

It’s hard to know where to start but, after reading quite a few medically sound articles on menopause and belly fat, I realized one thing:  I need to keep it simple.  Fewer words, just facts.  Here goes…

Where did it come from?

Before, during and after menopause, your ability to produce estrogen begins to dramatically decrease, unless you are taking an estrogen supplement (which I did for ten years and had no problem with belly fat). The result is that your metabolism also gradually begins to slow down.  In fact, one source says that after the age of 30 (that’s early!) your metabolism rate can decrease by 1% each year.  Wow! That means mine has decreased by 22%! Ouch!  So, where does it all go? (The fat that we are having more trouble losing, that is).  You got it…your midsection.  And, the problem is not only that it is uncomfortable and your clothes don’t fit like they used to, but it is also very unhealthy!

The interesting thing that I have found is that often it takes us a while to figure it out.  Our clothes begin getting tighter and tighter and we don’t realize that it is no longer a matter of “I ate too much last week, so I will do more situps this week and it will go away” type of thing.  It is an unfortunate, sneaky, life changing beast.  Another problem is that it does not always come with a noticeable change in weight, the fat just “redistributes” and/or you just flat out gain a few pounds around the waist.  Then, one day, you wake up and OMG! you have this terribly uncomfortable and inconvenient doughnut around your waist.

Mine began to appear two years ago when I went off of the estrogen supplement, Premarin, after being on it for ten years following a total hysterectomy at age 40.  Suddenly, everything began to change! Unfortunately, by the time that I realized that it was not just a little weight gain but a major life change, it was too late and I am now in so deep that I MUST take action.

Possible Health Risk Factors:  an increased risk of

• heart disease
• diabetes
• some cancers (colorectal is a major one)
• even, early death

The Bottom Line:

We have to work harder and longer to prevent this spare tire or, for most of us, to make it go away.  You just have to ask yourself, “Am I worth it?”  Of course you are.  It is now time to invest in yourself!

Motivation:

• self worth
• feeling good
• being able to climb the stairs without thinking you are going to pass out
• seeing your children finish college, get married, and give you grandchildren
• enjoying your empty nest and retirement years with your spouse

These are the things that I think about.  I want them ALL.  Just yesterday, I was baffled at the fact that I can jog/walk a 5K fairly comfortably but it almost killed me to bring the groceries up the stairs.  Just little things like that.  When I sit, I feel so much discomfort in my midsection.  I hate it.  I really do.

The First Test:

Exactly how “round” is your midsection?  The easiest test is to measure your “doughnut”.  If it measures more than 35 inches (and 40 for a man), then Houston, you have a problem.  How do I make sure that I am measuring the right place?  Take a measuring tape (or a string, if you do not have a measuring tape*, see the tip at the bottom), and wrap it around your abdomen so that it is level with your belly button.  Do not tighten the measuring tape so that it even slightly cuts into your skin.

I exercise fairly regularly, but when I did this “test” last night, I was horrified.  I am a few inches over the 35 inch mark.  I can’t say that I am surprised, but I was jolted into reality.

THE PLAN:

Every day or every other day, I will post the next part of this series.  In the meantime, until we get further along in this series and I can give you more facts, here are some simple suggestions to get you started:

• Do SOMETHING for exercise at least 5 times a week.  Some of the best to begin with are: walking, swimming, bicycling, sit-ups, and jogging.  Try to exercise for at least 45 minutes each time. If you are just beginning, work your way up to it. You will be surprised how quickly you can comfortably increase your time.
• Become more conscious of what you eat.  Watch your portions.  For controlling portion sizes in general and as a quick start, I recommend Smart Ones meals, Lean Cuisines, etc. OR, if you are one of those wonderful women who cook, cut your portion sizes on your own.  Also, cut back on sugar, breads, and fats.  Try using Extra Virgin Olive Oil instead of butter or other oils in your cooking.
• Try not to eat after 5:00 or 6:00 pm.
• Do not sink into your favorite chair every evening and let the fat have a party!  Keep moving.  If you must sit, get up and move around from time to time.  Take a few trips up the stairs, walk to the mailbox and back, get up and dance (and hope no one is watching. lol).
• DRINK LOTS OF WATER.  You will understand, even more than the obvious, why this is important in my later posts.
• Eat more fruits and vegetables.
• Stay vertical!  Don’t sit around all day.  Get up and move.  Dance.  Walk in place while you are on the phone or watching TV.  Do sit-ups while you are watching TV.  BE CREATIVE but keep moving!
• Sign up for http://www.myfitnesspal.com online, on your phone, on your tablet, or on all three.  It is free and I have found that, once you learn to use it, it is one of the best  weight loss tools out there!!  I swear by it! It rquires a little exploration but is well worth it.  Also, see my earlier post,  http://midlifefrenzy.com/2014/04/24/how-to-maximize-the-use-of-myfitnesspal/.
• Check out my Pinterest Pages on Fitness:  http://midlifefrenzy.com/my-fitness-pins/

COMING SOON:

• Special workouts (including videos)
• Eating healthy
• How to know the right amount of calories to take in and how many to burn in order to lose weight.
• MOTIVATION
• websites

*if you used a string to measure your waste, use a ruler or yard stick to find the length of the string.  If you don’t have a ruler, you are in luck!  Did you know that a dollar bill (or a 10 or a 20) is right at 6 inches long?  Use the dollar to measure the string in 6 inch increments.