What’s a muffin top? It’s the excess fat that proudly exposes itself by spilling over the waistband of skirts, shorts, jeans, and bikini bottoms. It resembles a muffin spilling itself over its paper casing. It’s so annoying because everyone’s attention is directed to the bulge on your stomach;
they fail to notice how pretty you look in the outfit your wearing.
Now that we’ve defined what a muffin top is, let’s move to the next question: do you want to get rid of it? If your answer is yes, keep reading because we have tips on how to lose it. If your answer is no because you don’t have it, well…why are you so lucky?
Anyway, the muffin top is a common issue for a lot of women. It’s located at the part of the body that takes a great deal of commitment, effort, and determination to banish fat. Lift weights and you can tone your arms, run for miles and you’ll have stronger legs but the muffin top? It’ll take months of doing cardio and ab workouts for it to disappear.
It will take some time but that doesn’t mean it can’t be done.
When you eat the right food and when you exercise regularly, you’ll lose the muffin top in no time. The right formula can blast that fat from your midsection immediately. See below:
1. Four letters: D-i-e-t
We’re talking about cutting down on unhealthy food. Skipping meals so you can enjoy a big fat slice of pizza doesn’t count. Dieting remains a better option compared to exercise when you’re trying to lose weight that’s why it’s important that your body is backed up with proper diet.
2. The Right Diet
Cutting down on unhealthy food is just one part of the equation. It’s also important that you eat the right food at the right time.
Go Green–Your plate should contain green leafy vegetables during meals. It should comprise 75% of your plate. Blast the Fat with
Lean Protein–When you’re trying to lose weight, lean proteins such as lean chicken breast, low-carb protein shakes, and egg
whites are your friend. Eating these will improve your body’s metabolism and leave you feeling full.
Stay Away From–Sweets. It does not matter if those brownies, cakes, cookies, chocolates, and cupcakes came from the love of your life. Keep a safe distance from sweets if you really want to lose the muffin top.
3. Blame it on the Alcohol
“But it was a fun night and everyone was drinking and I wanted to chill…”
Yeah, yeah. We heard it all before and although we agree that
alcohol can give you a great time, we both know that alcohol won’
t help remove that annoying bulge on your midsection. As a matter of fact, alcohol is an adhesive that holds the fat together. Until you lose the muffin top and achieve your desired weight, you must say no to alcohol. No buts, no ifs.
4. Manage Stress
When your body is stressed, it releases high levels of cortisol (stress hormone) making it even more difficult to lose stubborn fat.
Stress is inevitable and beyond our control. How we react to the things around us, however, are manageable. The next time you sense stress or anxiety, try to do one of the following:
Meditate. Close your eyes, think of positive thoughts, and ward off the negative juju. Meditation is one of the known methods to remove stress.
Load up on magnesium supplements or drinks. This will decrease your anxiety and stress levels immediately.
Now, for the best part: the top six exercises to get rid of the muffin top! These were designed to target the obliques and blast the fat in the midsection:
5. Side Plank Hip-Ups
When it comes to oblique exercises, side planks hip-ups or hip raises are the most effective. Make sure that you keep your chest up (no slouching) while raising your hips. It doesn’t matter if you start on your left or right side for as long as you switch sides after each seat. For best results, do three sets with twenty repetitions per set.
6. Cable Twists
The real secret is to keep your midsection still as your arms move the weights. Choose lighter sets so you can execute this exercise properly and finish each set. Do three sets with fifteen repetitions on both sides.
7. Russian Twists
It’s not about how fast you can finish. It’s about proper execution of the movement so it’s okay if you need to this slowly. Do three sets with thirty repetitions on both sides.
8. Side Plank Holds
Of all oblique exercises, this is the easiest. It may bore you at some point but side plank holds are reliable, consistent, and effective. Hold the side planks for forty seconds on both sides. Do three sets.
9. Cross Body Mountain Climbers
Lie down on your belly then position your hands and feet like you’re about to do a pushup. Drive your left knee towards your right shoulder, and then drive your right knee towards your left shoulder. Think of It as writing the letter ‘x’ across your body using your knees. Do four sets with ten repetitions on both legs.
10. Side Mountain Climbers
This is similar to cross body mountain climbers except that instead of forming an ‘x’ with your knees, you raise your legs to the side. Do three sets with thirty repetitions on both sides.
