Listen to my podcast episode here
We all want a flat tummy, especially us petite girls because it doesn’t take much for us to be as round as we are tall. Well, the truth is there’s no way to target belly fat. Your genetics get to decide where the fat settles in your body, but here are a 5 things I have found particularly helpful for my me and my petite clients
- MANAGE STRESS
When you’re stressed out, you body wants to protect you. Your most prized organs are in your midsection and not your limbs and that’s why we seem to store body fat there first. On a deeper level it has everything to do with the release of cortisol. You’ll never completely eliminate belly fat until that stress calms down. That’s one of the reasons why self-care is such a popular thing these days. Unfortunately, we live in a time where every little thing as simple as an alert on our phones, can release that coritsol so that leads me into my next tip:
2. SUPPLEMENT with Vitamin C & Magnesium
Supplementing with vitamin C regularly has been shown to keep cortisol levels more relative – and not making harsh spikes. Also, every time your body releases that stress hormone, it depletes its magnesium stores. Some of our foods have magnesium like leafy greens and salmon but its not enough to make up for how much is lost so it’s wise to supplement with magnesium. I noticed so many benefits from supplementing with magnesium such as better sleep, regular bowel movements, and less peanut butter cravings – all of which helped me get rid of that unwanted lower belly pooch.
NUTRITION
Have you ever heard that saying ‘abs are made in the kitchen? Well, it’s so true. Of course, this goes without saying: eating a whole foods diet and eliminating processed foods will help decrease belly fat. But futhermore, You’ll want to eliminate foods that typically cause bloating. This includes Dairy, cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, sugar (yes even fruit sugar). Towards the end of my clients programs when they really want to push their results to the limit, I suggest removing dairy and they are always surprised by how good they feel. Of course, it’s hard to live life without cheese and ice cream so they eventually introduce it back in smaller quantities and seem to have less of a reaction to it. But I personally always eliminate it a couple weeks leading up to my modeling events because it just makes me feel a tad bit tighter.
EXERCISE
There is no particular exercise that targets belly fat – but there’s proof that consistent exercise- no matter what, will not only aid digestion, but also help manage stress. So exercising is a big piece of the puzzle. My reccomnedation is lifting weights because by building muscle, your body will eat away at the fat. Also don’t be afraid to use resistance on your abs. I think people fear getting a blocky midsection but your abdominals are muscles just like the rest of your body and you’d benefit from using some resistance. For females under 5’3”, You only need 3-10lbs of resistance.
Wear a SWEAT WRAP belt when doing cardio
An abdominal sweatband will help you sweat more. Does it really work? Well, it’s hard to tell. There are studies saying no, there are studies saying yes. The way I see it is that it really can hurt right? And if anything, it’s a placebo type thing. If seeing the extra sweat makes you FEEL like you’re burning the fat, that feeling and belief in yourself will transfer in the long run. Call me woo-woo but I truly believe in the power of the mind. Only use this during cardio and don’t use during lifting workouts it can hinders the use of your abdominal muscles.
***IMPORTANT*** None of these things are going to work overnight. It takes consistency. It takes months to sometimes even years. And you don’t want to do these things ALL at once. You don’t want to through all your tools into the bucket.
My funsized formula includes ALL of these aspects
If you’re not sure exactly what you should be doing, I encourage you to check out my one-on-one signature coaching program where I customize EVERYTHING for you – from macros and food choices, strength training, cardio, supplements and anything else I feel would benefit you the most.
If you’d like to hear more about this topic and personal stories, check out my podcast episode: 13. How to get a Flatter Belly
