Minimize Your Muffin Top

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You work out and have toned thighs and butt … however you have an annoying little (or big) roll of fat that hangs over your skin tight Seven jeans. Not a welcome sight for a city girl. This fat is informally known as a muffin top. I heard this term for the first time several years ago when the really low rise pants came out. My girlfriend A.C. (full name not to be posted) was complaining about her muffin top. I had no idea what she was talking about. She educated me on this term. While A.C. certainly doesn’t have a muffin top, I can see the resemblance of fat spilling over pants to the top of a muffin.

Why does fat get stored in this manner? The location of fat storage is often due to genetics. Some women store excess body fat in their legs or hips while others store it in the abdominal area. Does your mother, grandmother, aunts or sisters have fat in this area? If so, it is likely that you will too. Other causes of abdominal fat can be due to stress (which causes an increase in cortisol levels) or high insulin levels (found in medical conditions such as PCOS and type 2 diabetes).

Dangers of fat in the abdominal area Women tend to carry their excess body fat in their hips, thighs, butts, legs and maybe arms (wings!), while men usually gather fat in the abdominal area. That being said, there are women who hold onto fat in the abdominal area.The most dangerous abdominal fat is the kind you can’t see – the fat inside the abdominal cavity that surrounds your internal organs. Chances are that if you can see abdominal fat on the outside, you also have it on the inside surrounding your organs. Here are some of the dangers associated with excess abdominal fat:

- Increased risk of diabetes - Increased risk of heart disease - Psychological distress (not a “medical” risk – but upsetting!)

Tips to minimize your muffin top

1. Studies have shown that aerobic exercise can help get rid of overall body fat, including fat in the abdominal area. I would recommend aerobic exercise (biking, spinning, running, speed walking, eliptical machine, stairmaster, swimming, etc.) at least 4 times a week for 45 minutes. In addition, try to walk as much as possible during the day.

2. Spot reducing doesn’t work. While doing abdominal exercises can help to tighten muscles under your fat, it will not get rid of the fat.

3. Newer studies, including one by Kathryn Schmitz of the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, have shown that strength training may prevent you from building belly fat. Check out this link for more details on the study.

Highlights of the study: - She assigned 164 overweight or obese women aged 25-44 to one of two groups. One group did strength training sessions for one hour twice a week for the first year and for 45 minutes twice a week for the second year. The second group was simply given a brochure that recommended aerobic exercise. - After two years the strength training group lost more body fat (3.7 percent) than the control group (0.1 percent) and gained less deep abdominal fat (7 percent) that the control group (21 percent)

4. Of course, you will also need to be careful with your diet. If you are consuming more calories than you burn off, you will continue to store body fat. I would recommend food records to keep tabs on your caloric intake. Check out my previous post on food records.

5. Eat a healthy diet that is low in refined sugars and processed grains. These foods can raise insulin levels which can contribute towards belly fat in some people. Focus on vegetables, lean protein, moderate amounts of heart healthy fats, fruits and whole grains. More about your caloric needs in a later post.

Bottom line: Weight training is important to help lower your body fat, especially fat in the abdominal area. I see a lot of city girls at my gym spending tons of time on the eliptical machine (which seems to be a favorite) without getting great results. You would be better off adding in some weight training along with the cardio.