My belly fat has always been a total embarrassment to me. People tell me it’s “not that bad” but I know it is. It’s all I focus on when I look in the mirror.
At work, I’m constantly pulling the waistband of my pants up over that roll of fat. A stylist introduced me to some amazing stretchy pants that don’t dig into my stomach as much when I sit down. (Now, of course, I feel like wearing stretchy pants all the time may have given me ‘permission’ to get a bit bigger over the past 15 months. And, now that I think about, that IS when the weight started to pile on…hmmm. Don’t wear stretchy pants all the time!)
But, things aren’t as bad as they once were.
I Couldn’t Look in The Mirror
A couple of weeks ago, I sent out a very hard email to my tribe. It was hard because I hate to share that I once looked so huge and so unhealthy. I’m ashamed at how unhealthy I let myself get all those years ago. Mainly, I’m ashamed that I actually thought I wasn’t sick and fat!
Now I know better. And I also know that it takes a lot of dedication and focus to get and stay healthy.
When I decided to lose weight, I had no idea that my hormones controlled how much fat my body held onto. I simply followed some advice given in a couple of health magazines. It wasn’t easy to commit to counting calories and running almost every single day until I hit my goal weight. It wasn’t easy saying “no” to dinner with friends and colleagues who invited me out for drinks after work.
But, I did it. I lose 40 pounds in 6 months and I was pretty proud of myself. I was finally able to find clothes that fit within minutes rather than spend hours painstakingly trying on clothes that fit in one area of my body but not another…
I no longer had to avoid the bathing suit section (or just simply wear large T-shirts every time I went to the beach). I felt pretty good in my own skin for the first time in my life.
Down 40 Pounds but Still Fat
But…that belly fat never entirely went away. It got smaller, of course, but it didn’t disappear. I didn’t get a flat stomach that showed off my abs after losing 40 pounds. I just had smaller sized pants that still dug into my gut that had to be strategically worn so as not to emphasize my muffin top.
Ever heard the term ‘skinny fat’? Yeah, that’s how I felt. Of course, skinny fat actually means a person who has a healthy BMI and is fit who also has blood sugar issues…
Actually, now that I think about it…
After I lost weight, I struggled to stick to my new daily caloric budget. I was hungry ALL the time, and fought with afternoon cravings for carbs and sugar daily. I would plan healthy meals for dinner and go home to stuff myself with pasta and chips because I couldn’t control my hunger.
And, this scared me! I didn’t want to gain back all the weight I’d lost, but I wasn’t happy with my appetite struggles. I tried drinking diet pop to fill up on air, chewing gum, and pretty much all the ‘tricks’ I could find online to curb my cravings. Nothing worked.
It wasn’t until I finished my holistic nutrition certificate and started researching weight loss that I discovered something very, very interesting.
Blood Sugar’s Role in Belly Fat
There are 3 main problems that every woman likely has if they’re struggling to lose weight, especially belly fat. And, if these 3 problems aren’t addressed properly and naturally, weight and fat loss is not likely to occur.
That ‘skinny fat’ I talked about earlier? Yeah, it turns out I wasn’t that far off base! One of the main reasons for stubborn belly fat is a blood sugar imbalance. And, the most obvious signs and symptoms of a blood sugar imbalance are sugar cravings and the inability to stop eating carbs later in the day.
This was mind-blowing! Knowing that I had a blood sugar imbalance actually made things so much easier for me to start to lose that stubborn belly fat that had plagued me for years. Because now I could use my knowledge about holistic nutrition to choose the right foods to balance blood sugar all day long!
This would mean not feeling guilty for giving into a craving ever again. Or feeling bad for ‘cheating’ on a diet!
And, you know what? It actually worked!
Bye-Bye Sugar Cravings! For Real!
Within weeks, I no longer had afternoon sugar cravings. I no longer wanted to eat everything in sight when I got home from work. And pasta and carb-heavy dinners became the occasional treat rather than an everyday occurrence. (And, now, to be honest, I don’t even want normal pasta because low-carb options make me feel so much better afterwards.)
Knowing that it was my blood sugar that was making my life unpleasant actually made it easier for me to fix my problems. Because now I knew exactly what foods to focus on and what self-care activities helped keep my blood sugar stable throughout the day.
This is the premise for my fat loss challenges and programs. I have been blown away by the positive results that balancing blood has shown that I developed my system to help YOU achieve this too! And, balanced blood sugar isn’t just for stubborn belly fat. It’s important for total body fat loss and all-day energy!
Stubborn belly fat isn’t just a nuisance. It’s a real symptom of an underlying health issue, namely unbalanced blood sugar and inflammation. And, to reduce stubborn belly fat, it’s important to eat the right foods to get rid of these issues and ensure that the body is set up for healthy fat loss.
