Want to know the truth about “stubborn belly fat” and how you can get rid of it?
It’s not really stubborn fat at all, you just haven’t committed to the right approach for long enough to get rid of it.
I have heard many clients talk about it over the years, and the conversation often continues like this…
Client: “I just want to get rid of this fat around here (points around his belly and mid section). It doesn’t matter what I try; it just won’t go down enough. Maybe it’s my metabolism or I eat too late?”
Me: “What exactly have you tried and for how long?”
Client: “Well, I’ve done Slimming World, Weight Watchers, Herbalife, Atkins, keto, intermittent fasting, juice cleanses – it worked and then I put the weight back on”.
Me: “Have you tried getting into a consistent small calorie deficit, eating good food and staying with that long term”?
Client: “Well, I don’t know, I guess so?”
The sad truth is that the client has likely done all the wrong things. Or even if they have been doing the right things, I can say with 100% certainty that they haven’t been doing those things consistently for long enough for them to work.
If you are reading this nodding your head a little and grabbing that little “stubborn” pouch of fat on your belly, then you’ve probably fallen into the same trap as everyone else. It is easily done – celebrity-endorsed diets and workout plans, the latest fad or miracle plan or another special workout.
Eventually, after trying a few things and after some temporary success you come to a trainer only to have them tell you what you already know deep down, but you didn’t really want to do because it takes time, effort and consistency.
Eat a calorie-controlled diet, comprising nutrient-rich real foods, and exercise regularly.
Unsurprisingly, it’s the thing you knew you should do (but chose not to really put enough effort and time in) that is most likely to be the solution you need.
So, how can you put that into action after reading this long enough so you can see lasting results?
Well here’s a good place to start…
What?
1. Eat 3-5 meals/ snacks per day depending on appetite
2. Eat a handful of lean protein from varied sources at each meal
3. Add half a plate of green veg, splashed with some colour
4. Add a handful of carbs after training (rice, potato, couscous)
5. Add a little fat especially if your energy is dropping (nuts, oils, avocados)
When?
Whenever you like and fits with your schedule, try not to overeat in single sittings and do your best to spread the meals out. This and a training structure is what we help our clients with a Lean Body Training.
Why?
The problem with everything many tried before is that they have tried to take “the easy way out”. But, unfortunately, there are no easy routes through this.
Quite often this route promises some form of lightning-fast result and to do that it’s usually a case of malnourishment and bringing calories down so low that both body fat and muscle are lost to give the illusion of progress.
But this is likely to affect you physically, mentally and emotionally, and eventually, you will crash and burn and just relapse back to your old habits again.
When you pile up a plate full of nutrients, your body will feel safe and healthy, your muscles will be fueled, your systems will be optimised and your metabolism will fire up.
Once this happens, you will begin to lose fast quickly, perform brilliantly and feel great while doing it.
This brings me to my last point; you must do something for long enough to allow it to work. This means consistently doing the right thing even if you think it’s not working to begin with.
The body needs to reach a point of relative health and stability before it loses fat, and that takes time.
If you jump from diet to diet, never really laying a consistent baseline, you will always fail.
Get things organised, create a routine, build new habits and your body will thank you for it.
This is what our 28 Day Kick Start Programme is about, and why it is so effective is in its simplicity.
We create good habits, consistency and optimal health – the rest falls into place in time.
Coach Paul,
Lean Body Coaching, personal training Finchley
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