HOW TO LOSE STOMACH FAT AFTER A QUARANTINE

STOMACH FAT…THE TERROR WITHIN

It is estimated that 46% of adults in the US have a poor diet along with 56% of children. When you combine these poor diets with inactivity, what do you get? Obesity, of course! And where do most of this excess weight show up? You guessed it, in our stomach. The worse place to carry excess fat.

There are two types of stomach fat: Subcutaneous and Visceral

Subcutaneous fat is the noticeable layer of fat that lies just below the skin. You can pinch or grab your subcutaneous fat. There was a saying back in the day, that went like this, “if you can pinch more than an inch…” It’s the type of body fat that makes us look softer in appearance.

As bad as subcutaneous fat appears to be, visceral fat is worst. It is located beneath the muscles and typically surrounds your vital organs. It’s also referred to as intra-abdominal fat. Visceral fat is metabolized by the liver, which turns it into blood cholesterol and can lead to significant health risks. If you have visceral fat you are at greater risk for heart disease, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, various types of cancer, and other chronic illnesses. According to the National Institute of Health (NIH), a man with a waist circumference of 40 or above and a female with a waist circumference of 35 or above are more likely to have visceral fat. Have you checked your waistline lately?

If you fall into this category I cannot stress how important it is for you to take the necessary steps to decrease your waist size. By doing this, you immediately increase your quality of life and longevity. You’ll look better, feel better, have considerably more energy, and be much healthier after dropping a few pants sizes. Even if you don’t fall into this category, I can tell you that the smaller your waist, the healthier you will be in general.

Pre-COVID Waistline

Prior to the outbreak of COVID-19, the gyms were open. Most of us traveled from home to work, school, church, etc. There was always someplace and someone to do it with. Enter COVID-19 and the world has drastically changed. The world was on lockdown. The gyms closed along with businesses, schools, and churches. The only places that remained open were liquor stores and supermarkets. In addition to toilet paper, most of us stocked up on our favorite comfort foods.

Fast Forward 4 Months Later

Some churches, gyms, and businesses are slowly reopening. Unfortunately, the damage has already been done. Most of us don’t look or feel the same way as we did pre-COVID. The pants and dresses we wore, just don’t feel the same. It’s tight in all the wrong places.

Poor Diet plus Inactivity

This is mostly due to our poor diets and inactive lifestyle for the past 4 months. The lockdown was a recipe for disaster. Whether you agree with the reasons for the lockdown or not, it could not have happened at a worse time for most of us. You see, two-thirds of adults in the U.S. were either overweight or obese prior to COVID. Obesity can lead to Type 2 Diabetes, Heart Disease, and Cancer. Obesity is also a risk factor for COVID-19. Doesn’t it make sense to lessen your risk for COVID by reducing your waistline?

Do It Now

The key to losing weight around the midsection is to “Do It Now!” Don’t put it off any longer. Try to fit these four small but powerful steps into your schedule:

Start a walking program. If you can’t do 30 minutes of walking 4 to 5 days per week, try walking for 10 min 3 times a day to get your 30 minutes. Most people who have lost weight and kept it off, attribute their ability to walk on most days of the week;
incorporate more fruits and vegetables into your meal plan; you may not be able to get the recommended amount of fruits and vegetables by adding them to your meals, but you can make a smoothie and add the necessary amount of fruit to ensure you’re getting the recommended daily allowance;
eat smaller portions; smaller portions will help you to digest your foods much better and you won’t have that bloated feeling after walking away from the dinner table;
whatever you do, don’t eat before going to bed; try and allow at least 3 hours to pass after eating your last meal for the day. This will allow your body to digest the food properly before going to bed. You will be surprised how effective this is in helping to reduce the excess fat in your body. You will also wake up more alert and rejuvenated.

Don’t put it off until tomorrow. There is no time like the present to start living a healthier lifestyle. Each day you put it off adds to your weight gain. Losing fat, especially stomach fat will add years to your life so why not start today?