That little black dress that you used to wear when you were “thin” no longer fits you now because you’re overburdened with responsibilities, making it difficult for you to focus on yourself. I’ve been there and I know what it feels like to suck in your guts to a point of explosion just to zip that favourite jeans! Being a stay-at-home mother, I felt my options were limited when it came to fitness. I couldn’t dare to show my bulgy self in gyms and other fitness classes because I was too afraid of the reaction – you know, like a pod among peas!
I began losing interest in everything because as soon as I wear anything special, I turn to look at myself in the mirror and there it was….watching me back. The only thing I wished then was, “Can I just magically make it disappear, just for tonight?” but I’m no Cinderella and this isn’t a fairy tale, so after wishing for the impossible, I’d head out to the front porch to drink a cup of coffee – just a way to get my mind of it. I’d see many women on the road, jogging, walking, talking, showing off…heck even yoga’ing! That’s when it hit me. The change of a lifetime will only begin…after I finish my tasty coffee! Hey, I’m a woman and I need some coffee!
The Longer the Belt the Shorter the Life
We all know that the more you eat, the bigger you get, and the bigger you get the weirder you feel about yourself. I knew I wasn’t alone, but I desperately needed to get the flabs off. At a recent health fair, I saw and heard this really fit woman explaining the dangers of extra flab. My heart wanted to hear it, but my brain, which was guilty, began jumping around. It happens, and it’s not just a coincidence. When you know you’re wrong about something, you just want to get away from it as far as possible so you don’t feel guiltier than you already are! So I stood there listening and I realized that the longer the belt, the shorter the life.
The flabs that we’ve got are called visceral fat; they produce more stress hormones in our bodies that in turn affect our insulin levels. The worst part is that not only would we be overweight, we would also be looking at an increased risk of type 2 diabetes and heart diseases. No way did I want to die with heart diseases and being a coffee addict, I had to do something about my weight so I don’t have to say bye-bye to my coffee rounds. Now I’m an impatient one…I like my details like I like my man – straight and to the point! So I made my way in and asked the lady, “I’ve been trying for months, this flab is stubborn. It just won’t go away. What do you have to say about this? Can I get it off?”
Never Stop Moving
Wait, what? Yes, that’s what she said – never stop moving! So these days I’m grooving to music while I do my chores and I find it fun actually! I’ve been doing it for a few months now and I can definitely see the difference. The back-pain is gone, my migraines have reduced and I feel more flexible. You can pick any kind of music you like and just groove with it while you cook, wash, or dust!
Eat Proteins like a Boss
Proteins are necessary, especially if you want to lose weight. So these days my menu has more protein than that of a restaurant! And guess what, we know how we cook, so I add very less oil to whatever I cook to speed up the fat loss process.
Say No to Saturated and Yes to Polyunsaturated Stuff
Well this is a surprise! For as long as I remember, my pesky neighbour told me not to eat nuts, seeds and fish because they’ll make me gain more weight. The lady in the health fair told me exactly the opposite. So here’s the deal, a handful of nuts or seeds are healthy and will make your fats go away.
A Dose of Vinegar
Now here’s the deal. Add 15 – 30 ml of vinegar to a litre of water and drink it the whole day. Remember to brush your teeth or gargle soon after because vinegar can weaken the teeth. Studies have shown that those who drink vinegar induced water lose stubborn belly fat. I tried and it worked!
Yoga, Aerobics, Broga Exercise
Don’t do all this together! Choose something you’re comfortable with and do it regularly for at least 60 minutes. Walking also helps, so brisk walk every day for 30 minutes in addition to any form of exercise you’re most comfortable with. I do the yoga and I walk daily, results? MIND BLOWING!
Sleep for Weight Loss Even on Weekends!
Ah, this is my favourite part! You’ve got to sleep at least 8 hours a day to decrease the production of excess insulin. Studies have revealed that those who sleep for 5 hours or less every night will have flabs. So what’s the plan? Sleep on time, even on weekends and tell the rest of your family to give you some peace!
Fibre and Green Tea, Please!
Pack up on these! The more fibre you eat the faster your weight loss and the more green tea you have the better chances that stubborn fat will leave you forever! Now I have an early coffee after which I have the green tea and of course it doesn’t taste as good, but hey, if it’s going to shed the fat, so be it!
My Results 8 Months Later…
I know you want to read this part, everyone does here’s what I experienced in the first 8 months of this routine. First, the back-pain disappeared, then the migraine followed by less hair fall and some hair growth! My belly fat, I can’t say I’ve got 4 or 6-packs, but at least the flab has gone down significantly. I know this because I no longer have to suck my guts to zip my jeans! I’ve been following this and will keep following until I reach my ideal weight. Now that’s how you keep that stubborn fat away!
Photo Credit: skinny-rules.com
