All too often my new female clients tend to grab their belly or gawk at me with despair and a “please fix this” kinda look.
As we age it’s almost an accepted part of life that gravity takes hold and perkiness or tightness in the body decreases, while looseness and sagging prevail, namely boobs, tummy and ass!
As a trainer and a mum of four (having had four C-sections), I understand the struggle with lower tummy fat and trying to maintain that enviable flat tummy.
After C-sections you can’t tighten a muscle that has been cut but you can focus on losing body fat from all over your body, including the tummy.
Let me set you straight on the reality of losing that Mummy Tummy or Pot Belly that protrudes over your jeans and sticks out when wearing your favourite frocks.
Here are my top tummy tips:
Create a calorie deficit
High protein, low carb, paleo, ketogenic diets. They all provide one thing: a calorie deficit.
Figuring out your maintenance calories and creating a safe calorie deficit will get you leaner by reducing body fat.
I’m not a big fan of tracking calories, however, the My fitness pal app is handy to start tracking your calories until you can eyeball your portion sizes and figure out what takes you to your body goals.
Eat more protein
Prioritise a good quality protein with every meal in your diet. It creates a thermic effect and helps increase your metabolism.
Furthermore, it’s an essential macronutrient which will leave us feeling fuller for longer. My online 6 Week Better Bodies clients comment at how their appetite is naturally reduced by eating more protein.
It can help build muscle more easily and the more muscle you have the more calories you burn at rest, helping reduce that tummy fat.
Train your entire body, prioritising legs
Aside from eating too many calories the less muscle you have in your lower body is an indicator of an increase in tummy fat.
As you lose muscle through incorrect training or low calorie dieting you can gain more belly fat.
A recent study found that putting the focus on legs training early on in your workout increases growth hormone which leads to fat loss around the tummy. Obese subjects lost more fat on their belly following intense workouts due to the high release rate of growth hormone.
Do smarter cardio
Interval training or Hiit training can be completed in as little as 10-20 minutes and wins hands down over long, slow, steady state cardio when it comes to calorie burn.
The mass population seems to think intervals are for “fit’ people. My online programs have only 3-4 workouts per week for 12-20 minutes and produce super results on body composition.
Interval training has been tested on kids, the obese, people with metabolic disorders, the list goes on.
So stop making excuses and start NOW! The type of training with intermittent bursts releases growth hormone which is a fat burning, muscle burning hormone, all of which will torch that belly fat fast!
Get some Zzz’s
Bad sleeping habits lead to a disruption in your circadian rhythms and this affects your hormone levels.
Your all important growth hormone is of paramount importance in avoiding belly fat and this is released at night when you sleep.
So, a lack of growth hormone and an increase in your stress hormone called cortisol produces a double whammy, both preventing you from getting that flat tummy.
Our yummy mummy Siobhan, was having the same problems with ‘Mummy Tummy’ until she tried my online program. These are her before and after pictures.
Siobhan said:
“I’m so glad I did Tara’s online program. After having a caesarian section 13 months ago-and one natural birth 3 years previous, my lower tummy had a little apron and flap of fat that hung over my scar that I couldn’t get rid of. I had already lost one stone by myself but my caesarian section tummy still hung there.
Now for the first time in years I can look down and see my scar as it’s not covered with a layer of fat. When I contacted Tara about the program she assured me that if I stuck with her training program (which I did in my living room) and followed the simple nutrition guidelines I would get the results. She didn’t lie.
After the first 6 weeks I lost 10 lbs and Tara told me to keep on the program for as long as I needed. I started at the end of January and am now on the 3rd round of her online program. The private Facebook group with Tara’s live Q & A’s really helps with motivation. She responds really quickly with answers to questions. She gave me loads of recipes that we all eat as a family, so no having to cook different meals. My husband has also lost 10lbs too. Tara has now devised a maintenance plan for me which I am following online as I live in Wicklow.
I am so grateful I took the step to start this program when I did. I would recommend it to anyone.”