When the feeling of self-worth creeps in while you are dressing up and happen to have increased weight recently, you start wondering how to get rid of muffin top.
The word muffin may spin your mind to the sweet, bakes cakes in your store, but it is now close to this.
According to Wikipedia, a muffin top is a slang word that refers to excess abdominal body fat, usually extending horizontally just above your waistline and protrudes over the edges.
It is visible when you wear tight trousers or skirts. When your shirt or blouse leaves a gap between the trousers or skirt, you can see it.
The minute you see the muffin top, it is likely and in human nature to feel bad. This is where you start asking yourself many questions on how to get rid of muffin top.
WHAT CAUSES A MUFFIN TOP?
The excess abdominal fat mostly referred to as a muffin top or love handles, comes from various factors.
One of them is genetics. If you are struggling with muffin tops, they may be there as a result of genetics.
This is albeit that your body will always store fats around your waistline, but genetics determine how much they are being stored.
Secondly, poor diet is a factor that contributes to muffin tops. If you consume lots of sugars from sodas, foods high in sodium, and artificial additives which cause bloating, you will definitely struggle with muffin tops.
When you stressed, your body will tend to have more visceral fat stored around the abdominal cavity. Just call it belly fat. This is also a major contributor to muffin tops.
For women in the perimenopause or menopause stage, they tend to have more fat around the waistline due to a change in hormones. Women who are estrogen dominant tend to have more belly fat stored, which eventually forms the muffin tops.
WHAT EXERCISES GET RID OF MUFFIN TOP?
There are a variety of exercises which takes you through on how to get rid of muffin top. The minute you spot the roll of purge hanging over your garments, make a plan to hit the gym soonest.
The most basic exercise you can embark on to rid of the flabs of fat above your waistline is cardio exercises.
Running, cycling, and swimming are all great when it comes to burning calories all over the body.
Liz Josefberg, CPT and the author of Target 100: The World’s Simplest Weight-Loss Program in 6 Easy Steps (BenBella Books, December 19, 2017), she recommends running for the active people.
For those who find it daunting, she recommends walking faster to hasten the burning of more and more calories in the body.
She adds that kickboxing is also a good exercise as it accelerates fat burning around the core area.
When it comes to getting rid of muffin top, there are more exercises that you should consider.
TWISTING MOUNTAIN CLIMBERS
Twisting mountain climbers top the list. They burn a lot of calories and get rid of the fat in the midsection very fast. Three sets of twisting mountain climbers for 20 seconds each does the trick.
SUPERMAN EXERCISES
Superman exercises tighten the lower back and the abdomen. You lie face down on a mat with the arms extended and legs straight back on this one. Lift your hands and legs to assume “superman” flight position. Do three sets for 20 seconds each.
HIP BRIDGE
Michele Sotak, a Chicago-based trainer, explains that hip bridge exercises strengthen the glutes, hamstrings and lower back, accelerating the burning of calories.
You lie on the floor and with the face-up, feet flat, knees bent with the palms of the hand facing down. You gently lift your hips and let the body assume a straight line from the shoulders to the knees.
BUTT LIFT
Butt lifts tones the abs and gets rid of muffin tops quite fast. You lie down on the floor on your back with the feet flat, and the knees bent.
Gently, you lift your butt until you make a straight line from the knees to the shoulders. Repeat this 10-20 times.
LATERAL SHUFFLE
While standing with slightly bent hip, take a knee bend, bring both hands to the front of the chest and take a boxing position.
Move your right foot to the right and the left to the right. In this rhythm, make four right-left shuffles and left-right steps for like 10 minutes.
SPLIT JUMPS
Split jumps have the feet and hips a distance apart with the hands in front of the chest. On this one, take a big step forward while one foot bends to the floor at an angle of 90 degrees.
Lower the back knee and jump to switch the foot to bend.
HOW TO GET RID OF MUFFIN TOP EFFORTLESSLY
The first step on how to get rid of muffin top is to do a diet overhaul. Yes, time for a change in what you put on your plate is now.
One of the reasons which accelerate muffin tops is an unhealthy diet with lots of sugars and refined carbs. This translates to more calories.
Researchers published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine said that excess sugar and physical inactivity were a recipe for obesity.
A calorie deficit diet is a perfect answer for all this. You can track the daily intake and burning of calories otherwise known as the Total Daily Energy Expenditure. You should take between 300-500 calories a day.
Take more whole foods, those with high fibre content, fruits, lean meat and healthy fats you can get from fish and plants.
For breakfast, try foods high in protein and low in calories to control binge-eating. Besides making you full for longer, proteins will ensure you do not lose muscles as you exercise.
Getting enough sleep is a crucial step on how to get rid of muffin tops.
Stress plays a major role in the build of visceral fat due to drastic weight gain. Deprivation of sleep leads to the production of excess insulin of which leads to the build-up of fat.
Research shows that good sleep of between 7-9 hours regulates the body processes, especially metabolism and helps them stay healthy.
CONCLUSION
A clean diet and exercises are the only known ways on how to get rid of muffin top. It is not as taxing to achieve it, but it is not easy as well. Exercising require s a lot of dedication while the diet calls for discipline. The good news is that both are doable.
