Every morning my little dog Gizmo wakes me up by bouncing here and there announcing that it is time to go out side to do his business.  He knows he has to wait for me to literally roll out of bed.  He tries to be patient because he knows I have a hard time getting out of my bed.  He then runs around my feet all the way to the back door excited to go outside to check out his kingdom. 

I then wander into my bathroom to do my business. I stop and look at myself in the mirror and there it is my jelly belly.  I learn to accept a lot of things in my life but my belly is something that always makes me cry.  Why is it there?  Why won’t it go away?  Where did it come from?  It makes my clothes hang wrong on my body.  It makes it hard to move around, to get up after sitting down and even harder to get out of bed in the morning. 

What causes Belly Fat?

• Improper Eating and Lack of Exercise
• Menopause:  When women approach the age of menopause fat begins storing itself in different places, but focuses around the belly area.
• Stress:  This is a huge factor in belly fat!  Stress doesn’t just make your belly bigger; it can make everything bigger if you’re not careful.  When you are stressed your body releases a hormone called cortisol.  This hormone causes your liver to make excess sugar that your body doesn’t need.  As a result you begin to feel hungry and snack more.  And as a result the calories go straight to your….belly!
• Improper digestion:  This is also caused by stress.  Improper digestion due to stress may cause gas problems leaving you gassy and bloated.  Many people who complain about persistent belly fat often times have gas which causes the bloating effect.
• Poor Posture:  Ok not even I thought of this one until I did some researching!  If you have poor posture, it can give you that “pot belly” appearance.  Look at your self in the mirror all hunched over and notice how your belly pokes out.  Now look at yourself while standing up straight.  Big difference isn’t there.    Your posture can make a huge difference on how your appearance looks.
• Eating late at night:  If you want a flatter stomach, you should quit eating about 3 hours before bedtime which for most people would be around or 8:00p.m.  This gives your food a chance to digest before going to bed.  Going to bed on a full stomach puts you at greater risk for belly fat.  If you are have the munchies late at night, eat something healthy like a banana or a handful of almonds not the usual chips and ice cream.

How do we lose belly fat?
This is no secret, the best way to get rid of belly fat is to reduce stress, decrease your fat and sugar intake and do some cardio. The good news is that belly fat is the easiest fat to lose.  The most common mistake people make when trying to lose belly fat is thinking that starving themselves will work.  This is not only unhealthy it simply doesn’t work!

Medical Hoopla
Belly fat is a key indicator of "metabolic syndrome," a cluster of abnormalities that include high levels of blood sugar, blood pressure, and triglycerides, as well as low levels of "good" HDL cholesterol.  Belly fat is more dangerous than general weight gain, because abdominal and visceral fat (found surrounding the internal organs) is more clearly and strongly linked with disease than general body fat.  Extra belly fat is a risk factor for numerous health problems, making adults more likely to get obesity-related diseases even if you're thin elsewhere and your Body Mass Index is in a normal range. 

To summarize this all up:  It is important to eat properly and exercise.  We need to reduce our stressors in our life.  You cannot eliminate all the stress around us but we can learn how to deal properly with the stress that does surrounds us.  If you have to munch during the night then make it healthy but the best solution is to stop eating 3 hours before bedtime.   I don’t know about you but I am ready to lose weight and get started on a healthier lifestyle.  Come and join me my travels to a healthier lifestyle. I choose thin, what do you choose.

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