How To Finally Get Rid Of Your Muffin Top – Start Today
We all know what I am talking about when I say “muffin top,” right? It’s that stubborn area around your belly that seems to hang over your jeans like the top of a muffin. It’s a common problem area for many women and even men, and today I want to address some myths as well as give you some tools to help you get rid of the muffin top for good. I have 3 things to mention here and they are listed in the order of importance.
You have to take control of your diet!
What you consume can be your best ally, or your worst enemy when it comes to that belly fat and getting rid of the muffin top. You want to think unprocessed, whole, natural foods that don’t have ingredients you have never heard of, or can’t pronounce. While this may mean saying good-bye to sugar filled pastries for breakfast everyday and fast-food for lunch, there are so many delicious and healthy recipes out there than can replace your guilty pleasures. You can try these 5 Desserts with Less Than 200 Calories, this nutrient packed green smoothie, or this low-carb zucchini lasagna that the whole family will love. Start searching for what you can have instead of focusing on what you can’t have.
Intensity over duration!
Pedalling away on the elliptical machine, or bike at the gym while reading a magazine and texting your friends is not intense! You are better off doing a shorter workout (up to 30 minutes) that is targeting the entire body and is intense for you than wasting your time doing intentionless cardio. When you are working out you should be too focused on your workout to read or text – got it? Grab some weights and try this 12-Minute Total Body Workout, or use your own bodyweight for this 15-Minute Total Body Workout and you’ll understand what I mean by intensity being more important than duration. Not only will you be training your muscles, but you will be getting your heart rate up and getting in some cardio at the same time – more bang for your buck. You want to think out of your comfort zone and really push yourself. This doesn’t mean you need to be as strong and workout as intense as somebody else – just focus on you!
Think core, not abs
Once you have gotten control of your eating habits and started working out your entire body with intensity, then you can think about target training your problem area. Remember: you cannot only spot-treat this area without thinking about the other two points I mentioned. Planks and plank-based exercises are my absolute favorite and most effective when it comes to getting a strong core and the abs of your dreams. Crunches are overrated and oftentimes performed incorrectly and can actually hurt you rather than benefit you. Try these 10 Moves to Strengthen Your Core.
Let’s hear your tips! Do you have any tools and ways that have helped you maintain a strong core and get rid of the muffin top? Tell me about it in the comments below.
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