How to finally flatten your tummy

Do you have trouble getting rid of that stubborn layer of fat around the midsection? 

Now summer is nearly here in Bermuda, most of us are feeling more conscious about how our body looks in beachwear and in particular, the abdominal area.

We all want a flat stomach. It is our biological divine right!

So what should you do? Eat less? Perform endless crunches? 

Let’s just look at the reasons why the human body stores fat around the stomach area so we can follow the right path to that six pack.

When people store fat around the abdomen area it’s because they have toxins in their system. 

Toxic

When you have toxins in your system, you have fat laid down around the viscera and around the abdomen region to take the toxins away from the organs. This is a protective mechanism from the body.

Fat can accumulate around different areas of the abdominal wall, depending on what particular organ is under the most stress.

For example, if the liver is unhealthy and under high physiological load, you will put on fat around the top of the abdominal region, just below the rib cage and the area of the mid back.

If this is the case, then the liver is having a hard time synthesizing all the medications, processed food and alcoholic, caffeinated and carbonated drinks you are taking on board.

So cut back!

Spare tyre

If you have fat around the mid abdominal region, commonly known as the ‘spare tyre’, then it’s is a result of a chronic release of cortisol, which is telling the body to store fat. 

Cortisol is normally released when food is scarce so the body wants to hold on to the fat cells to provide energy for a ‘fight or flight’ situation. 

Whether you’re under physical, emotional or nutritional stress, or you just have bad sleeping habits, it doesn’t matter as any stress that comes into the body releases cortisol.

So you need to look at the overall stressors in the body.

Legs, bums and tums

Some of you may put on fat around the hips, pelvis and lower abdominal region. This is typically due to estrogen dominance.  

This is also a stress response from the body as when cortisol is released, progesterone levels drop so you become estrogen dominant. Estrogen makes the body store fat around the hips, pelvis and lower abs.

So this is also caused by stress. You have to remember that stress is cumulative. The bottom line is that any stress has the exact same physiological response from the body.

Some of the typical stressors in the body are the following:

• Exercise — Too much or too little. Choosing the wrong type of exercises.

• Nutrition — Eating too much or too little. Not eating for your Metabolic Type.

• Electromagnetic — Alarm clocks, laptops, TV, cellphones to name a few.

• Chemical — Pesticides, fungicides and artificial flavourings in food.

• Psychic — ‘Stinking Thinking’ and negative thought processes.

• Thermal — Living in a hot or cold climate.

So, have a look at where you store your abdominal fat and act accordingly. 

Beach Body Countdown

If you want to learn the specific exercises that will work in balance with your body and find out how to eat for your nutritional needs to burn fat around the midsection then check out my latest course at www.BeachBodyCountdown.Net 

Colin Ayliffe is a certified personal trainer and holistic lifestyle coach with over 10 years’ experience in training clients. 

He graduated from the University of Surrey with a Bachelor’s Degree in Sport Science and is also a CHEK practitioner, golf biomechanic and is accredited by the National Academy of Sports Medicine. 

Colin blogs at www.CoconutFitness.com. Visit his website to read more articles like this.