Body beautiful: You can banish your wobbly bits if you understand why you have them...
Hello Friends!
My Thoughts: I know these truths are sure helpful...I do practice most of them*wink*...
Every woman has stubborn fat she just can’t shift — whether it’s love handles, plump knees or chunky thighs. Some of us obsess over our bingo wings, while others know their stomachs will never be flat, however many diets they try.
Until recently, it was thought our body shapes and fat deposits were largely genetic, but this is only part of the story.
According to new research, the way fat accumulates around our body reveals far more about our health and diet than we thought — and the key to banishing these wobbly bits forever is to understand why we pile on the pounds in certain places.
‘The wrong foods, hormonal imbalances, stress and toxins can determine where we store fat,’ says James Duigan, author of the Clean & Lean Diet and trainer to Elle Macpherson and Rosie Huntington-Whiteley.
‘I’m always being asked: “Why do I gain weight on my stomach or my legs?” I ask a series of lifestyle and diet questions to determine why. Weight doesn't go on evenly all over. Some women are fatter in their face, thighs, stomach or arms and while it’s largely genetic there are certain lifestyle factors that determine where fat is deposited.’
James also says it’s a myth that you can’t reduce fat in problem areas: ‘You can enhance the body’s ability to reduce fat from a targeted area with the right diet and exercise,’ he says. This will have many women breathing a sigh of relief — especially just before Christmas.
We spoke to the experts to identify the fat trigger spots and find out what you can do to get the best possible body...
WOBBLY TUMMY
Relax: If you want a flat stomach, you need to stress less...
THE PROBLEM
Your stomach looks fat and/or bloated most of the time.
You've never had a flat stomach — even when you lose weight you have a belly.
Any extra weight gain goes straight to your stomach.
THE CAUSE: You're stressed
‘Stomach fat has been linked to stress levels,’ says nutritionist Vicki Edgson. ‘When we’re stressed cortisol is released from our adrenal glands and this causes the body to lay down fat around the stomach.’
A recent study by Yale University in the U.S. found that even slim women are more likely to have excess abdominal fat if they regularly feel stressed.
Professor Elissa Epel from Yale says: ‘We found women with greater abdominal fat had more negative moods and higher levels of life stress. Greater exposure to stress may explain their enhanced cortisol reactivity. In turn, their cortisol exposure may have led them to accumulate abdominal fat.’
That’s because abdominal — or visceral — fat has more cortisol receptors than fat elsewhere in your body. ‘That’s why stressed people, from City bankers to busy mums, store fat around their stomachs,’ says Vicki Edgson. ‘They think it’s because they’re eating too much, but it’s not — it’s due to stress.’
THE CURE
The good news is you don’t have to pound the treadmill for hours to get rid of your belly.
In fact, nutritionist Jason Camm says that’s the last thing you should do. Too much cardiovascular exercise, such as running, can create excess cortisol, so you should include some weights, yoga or Pilates in your exercise regime to help flatten your stomach.
‘Stomach fat can also be caused by imbalanced gut bacteria,’ says Camm. ‘Sugar and grains — such as bread and pasta — feed gut bacteria, so avoid them. Try cutting out citrus fruits, too, to see if it makes a difference, as they can sometimes cause bloating.
‘Sweets, coffee, alcohol, salt and junk food stress out your system, so they’re best avoided, too.
‘Foods that restore cortisol balance — and so can help flatten your stomach — include lean protein, such as chicken and fish, green vegetables, sweet potatoes, beetroot, olives and avocadoes.’
Camm also recommends a good quality fish oil or omega oil: ‘They’ve been shown to slow the absorption of sugar through the gut.’ Try Solgar Omega 3-6-9 softgels, solgaronline.co.uk.
‘Another good supplement for tackling stomach fat is liquorice drops in the morning.
‘They’ll give you a coffee-like energy boost,’ says Camm. Try Good N Natural Liquorice Root Capsule, hollandandbarrett.com.
CHUNKY CALVES
Rest up: Get more sleep if you want slim pins
THE PROBLEM
Your lower legs are big and you have difficulty zipping up knee-high boots.
You have trouble sleeping.
Your legs often feel heavy and uncomfortable.
