When it comes to shredding belly fat and losing the ol’ muffin top, thankfully there are things you can do to reduce the overhang and get the lean look you desire.
While I believe health, strength and fitness should be our primary goal rather than looks (we weren’t born to look perfect), I completely understand that looks are important to most of us when it comes to how we feel.
For many of us, muffin tops aren’t as cute as they sound. Luckily, those low waisted jeans are no longer a thing, which means many muffin-top-hating women can breathe a collective sigh of relief.
Aside from high-waisted pants, here are my 6 tips to effectively eliminate belly fat.
1. Don’t skip the cardio
We all know that you can’t spot-reduce fat from your body, you have to burn it all over. Cardio and HIIT are the best ways to get your heart rate up and to burn any excess fat. Here are a couple of my most effective fat burning workouts.
NO REPEATS CARDIO + ABS HIIT – No Equipment Fat Burner Workout🔥
30 MINUTE CARDIO & ABS WORKOUT – No Equipment Home Workout Full Body🔥
2. Continue your strength training
Muscle burns more calories than fat, so growing lean muscle is important. If you combine strength training into your routine, you’ll burn more calories than cardio alone. You’ll feel stronger, too, and once you lose any excess fat, the muscle you’ve gained will give you that ‘toned’ look.
I recommend focusing on strength training the entire body, not just your mid-section (both are important!). You will find that as you build more defined shoulders, a strong back and a ‘peachier’ booty, your muffin top will appear smaller, too. Here are some workouts I love for full body and core strength.
60 Minute Full Body Strength Circuit (No jumping)💪
50 Minute Legs and Abs Strength Workout💪
3. Eat clean
You don’t need to be perfect, but if losing the muffin top is a goal you may need to be a bit more mindful about what’s going onto your plate. Stay aware of what you’re snacking on and don’t demonise carbs, but reduce them between meals. You might still have some sweet potato with dinner, but avoid the 3pm muesli bar and instead have a handful of nuts if you’re hungry.
4. Avoid sugar!
Yes, this is covered by my previous point, since sugar is a carb. But it’s so important that it’s worth stating on its own. If you want to get rid of the muffin top, now is the time to cut down significantly on anything with added sugar. This isn’t limited to the obvious things, like chocolate bars and cake. A lot of sauces have added sugar, even some tins of tomato have added sugar! Check the labels and make foods from scratch when you can.
Fruit juices and dried fruit should be limited, too. While they have nutrients that make them a much better choice than a bag of lollies, they contain a significant amount of natural sugar that will still spike your insulin levels (the fat storage hormone) and work against you when you’re trying to lose those last few kilos.
5. Stay super-hydrated.
Aim for 2-3 litres a day so that you won’t confuse those thirst-pangs with hunger pains. I’ve bought myself a giant drink bottle (it looks a bit like an outdoor water tank) so that I can get 2 litres a day without having to keep track of how many cups of water I’ve had. We’re all busy, so it’s good to make it easy – the less brain power, the better.
6. Join my fitness challenge!
If you’re feeling a little low on energy and want to exercise but don’t know where to start, or you are already exercising but want to kick it up a notch to really get results, my 6-week Fit Lean and Strong challenge is for you!
Beginner, intermediate and advanced fitness levels will all get a lot out of this challenge, and it’s free! It begins on the 4th of January 2021 and finishes on Valentine’s Day (how’s that for great timing!). Just make sure you’re subscribed to my YouTube channel and signed up to my newsletter before 31 December so that you receive the challenge booklet, and you’re ready to go.
Give yourself time and don’t lose sight of the other gains you’ve made, such as strength and fitness gains, while you’re working to get rid of excess belly fat. Stay on track with your food and be consistent with your training. You’ll soon be noticing the results!
