Belly Fat

“Belly Fat!

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A common question I get is “How can I lose the fat around my stomach”. Belly fat is a common place for fat to be stored and it’s typically the hardest to get rid of. If you are struggling to lose fat in this area, your hormones may be off. Our hormones play key roles in our metabolism, cravings and our appetite.

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Holding excess fat in our stomach area may be due to high estrogen, insulin and cortisol levels and lower testosterone levels.

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High estrogen – causes more fat to accumulate around the belly. Try adding in some green tea, turmeric, ground flax & chia seeds to help decrease levels of estrogen.

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High cortisol – Stress is correlated to belly fat. When we are stressed & there are higher than normal cortisol levels, our cravings and appetite levels increase & our muscle mass levels decrease. To avoid this, ensure you are getting in at least 7 hours of sleep to help normalize hormone levels.

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High insulin – Insulin has the role of taking sugar into the bloodstream to either store it as fat or use it. To avoid having our insulin levels spike to high, limit processed foods, eat enough protein, fiber & healthy fats. Protein helps to regulate our appetite and keeps blood sugar levels stable and both fat & fiber help to slow the release of insulin (to avoid spikes).” )

HOW TO BREAK A BULKING PLATEAU

❗️Everyone who has ever worked out has been through a plateau. It can be stressful and it’s one of the things that makes people think they aren’t capable of more, which then leads them to stop trying.

✅To help you avoid this problem, we put together a small & simple list that will help you break that plateau so you can get back on track with consistently gaining muscle!

1)Increase your calories slightly (100-200 calories): increasing your calories is a MUST if you want to gain weight so it’s important to raise them whenever your weight is stalling. Why not eat all the food in the world to break the plateau? It’s proven that when eating in too big of a surplus, your body packs on more fat than muscle because you aren’t used to the excess calories. By slowly increasing your caloric intake, you give your body a chance to utilize what you’re ingesting. We realize that some people have extremely high metabolisms and you probably won’t put on too much fat from a huge surplus. However, we still recommend increasing in small increments for overall health so you aren’t feeling bloated, fatigued, etc.

2)Track your calories and macros: if you aren’t tracking, there’s no way for you to know what’s working and what’s not working!

3)Weight yourself routinely: This relates to the point above. If you don’t know your numbers then you’re most likely not going to know what you need to adjust

4)Stay patient: too many people get discouraged too quickly and actually give up right before they are about to see huge results. Your body won’t change overnight! So stay consistent, and watch all the results you’ll receive over time

This can be really tough sometimes, but relax! Enjoy the process and use this as an opportunity to learn more about your body

Tag a friend who needs to gain some size!

5 Reasons You’re Not Getting Results

Weight loss is often a frustrating pursuit, eluding even those who eat healthy and exercise. So what gives? Why won’t the scale budge even as you put out tremendous effort?

Read on for the 5 reasons that most fitness and health food lovers don’t lose the pounds that they want to…

1. Not Enough Sleep

The body needs adequate sleep to support weight loss because of hormone levels. While you sleep your cortisol levels decline while your growth hormone levels increase. This balance is essential for fat loss to occur.

Skipping on Zzzz’s will throw your hormones into fat storing mode, while simultaneously causing you to feel hungrier and encouraging you to eat more calories.

2. Eating TOO MUCH Healthy Food

Yes, my friend, there is such a thing as TOO MUCH healthy food. Calories are Calories, eat more than your body burns and the extra pounds will add up.

Control your portions, even of healthy foods, in order to make strides in your body transformation journey.

3. Not Enough Water

Dehydration is perilous for fat loss. Not only does water serve as an appetite suppressant to fill your stomach and prevent you from overeating, thirst is often mistaken for hunger pains, leading to extra calories consumed and stored as fat.

4. Eating Out Too Much

Restaurant food is created with consumer satisfaction in mind, and this means adding fats and sugars and salt to many of the menu items in order to produce the tastiest food possible. There is simply no way around it, that’s why Mona and I never eat out.

5. Not Enough Protein or Fiber

Protein and fiber are the golden tickets to fat loss. Consciously plan your meals around a base of protein and fiber, and then add in just enough complex carbs and healthy fats to keep it well rounded. Save the bulk of sugar and fat consumption for cheat meals.