Well the weekend has come and gone. Hope it was a good one for everyone. We finally had a beautiful day in Central New York, and Monday is going to be another one. My Sunday outfit is one I love in every way. I think this dress is amazing from top to bottom. The style, the colors, the pattern, everything. I’m naming this one, “Twisted Blues”. The jewelry set, which I made couldn’t compliment it any better. And my shoes are a perfect match. I find I have more things to wear them with than I realized.

See how perfectly the jewelry complements the dress. And this ring is amazing.

The FitBit combo is also a match made in heaven for this outfit.

Tonight we’re going to be using material from Health.com. It comes from the Stay Fit , Stay Well section and a article titled,” 11 Reasons You Aren’t Losing Belly Fat”.

Belly Fat Won’t Budge? Genetics, hormones,or easy-to fix mistakes could be to blame.

BELLY FAT BLUES

Getting rid of your belly (Bulge) is important for more than just vanity’s sake. Excess abdominal fat,-particularly visceral fat, the kind that surrounds your organs and puffs your stomach into a “beer gut” -is a predictor of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, insulin resistance, and some cancers. If diet and exercise haven’t done much to reduce your pooch, then your hormones, your age, and other genetic factors may be the reason why. Following you will find 11 possible reasons why your belly fat won’t budge.

YOU’RE GETTING OLDER

As you get older your body changes how it gains and loses weight. Both men and women experience a declining metabolic rate, or the number of calories the body needs, to function normally. On top of that, women have to deal with menopause. A professor at the Mayo Clinic’s endocrinology division,says that if women gain weight after menopause, they are more apt to gain it in the belly. In menopause, production of the hormones estrogen and progesteron slows down. Meanwhile, testosterone levels, also start to drop, but at a slower rate. This shift in hormones, causes women to hold onto weight in their bellies. The good news is you can fight this process: Keep on reading.

YOU’RE DOING THE WRONG WORKOUT

A daily run or spin class will do wonders for your heart, but cardio workouts alone, won’t do much for your waist. You need to do a combination of weights and cardiovascular training. Strength training increases muscle mass, which sets your body up to burn more fat. Muscle burns more calories than fat, so if you have more muscle you will burn more calories during the day. It is recommended to have 250 minutes of moderate- intensity or 125 minutes of high-intensity exercise per week.

YOU’RE EATING TOO MANY PROCESSED FOODS

Refined grains like white bread, crackers, and chips, as well as refined sugars in sweetened drinks and desserts increase inflammation in our bodies. Belly fat is associated with inflammation, so eating too many processed foods, will hinder your ability to lose belly fat. Natural foods like fruits, vegetables, and whole grains are full of antioxidants, which have anti-inflammatory properties, and therefore may actually prevent belly fat.

YOU’RE EATING THE WRONG FATS

The body does not react to all fats in the same way. Research correlates high intake of saturated fats( those found in meat and dairy), to increased visceral fat. On the other hand, mono saturated fats( the kind in olive oil and avocados) and specific types of polyunsaturated fats(mainly omega-3’s found in walnuts, sunflower seeds, and fatty fish like salmon) have anti-inflammatory effects in the body, and if eaten in the proper proportions, may do your body good. But because eating too many fats of any kind, increases your calorie intake and can lead to weight gain, they need to be enjoyed in moderation.

YOUR WORKOUT ISN’T CHALLENGING ENOUGH

To banish stubborn belly fat you must ramp up your workouts. One study showed that people who completed a high-intensity regemin, lost more belly fat than those who followed a low-intensity plan. In fact those who followed only a low intensity plan , experienced no significant changes at all. You need to exercise at full intensity because the end goal is to burn more calories and high intensity does just that. High intensity workouts mean that you’re going all out for as long as you can. If the sound of that intimidates you, think of it this way; you’ll burn more calories in half the time.

YOU’RE DOING THE WRONG EXERCISES

Doing crunches forever is not what’s going to reduce your belly fat. When you get down to your final inches of belly fat, crunches and target toning are not what is needed . You need functional exercise that use the muscles in your core –abdominal,back, pelvis, obliques, as well as other body parts. Who does this sound like? Can anyone say Leslie? These exercises use more muscle, so there is a higher rate of calorie burn while doing them. Planks are a good example of functional exercise because it not only activates your core muscles, but also uses your arm, leg, and butt muscles. Gues I’m going to have to see if there is any way my body will allow me to do a modified plank.

YOU’RE STRESSED

Whatever you’re source of stress, having too much of it, may make it harder for you to drop unwanted pounds, especially around the middle. And it’s not just because you tend to reach for high-fat, high-calorie fare when you’re stressed, although that is part of it. It’s also due to the stress hormone cortisol, which may increase the amount of fat your body clings to and enlarge your fat cells. Higher levels of cortisol have been linked to more visceral fat.

YOU’RE SKIMPING ON SLEEP

If you’re one of 30% of Americans who sleep less than 6 hours a night, here’s one simple way to whittle your waistline: catch more Zs. A 16-year study of almost 70,000 women found that those who slept 5 hrs or less a night, were 30% more likely to gain 30 or more pounds than those who slept 7 hrs. The National Institutes Of Health suggest adults sleep 7-8 hrs a night.

YOU’RE APPLE SHAPED

If you tend to pack the pounds around the middle rather than your hips or thighs, you’re apple shaped. This genetic predisposition means ridding yourself of belly fat will be harder, but not impossible.

YOU’RE SICK

If your testosterone levels are high–something that can occur with polysystic ovary syndrome ( PCOS)– you might have trouble losing weight. If you’re an apple shape it might be a good idea to see a doctor, since there is a chance you might be pre-diabetic or diabetic.

I am going to provide a link to the very first section “Belly Fat Blues”. Here and each page following, there is related information you might wish to pursue. http://www.health.com/health/gallery/0,,20807507,00.html

I hope you have found something useful here as relates to your own individual journey. As I keep repeating, knowledge is power. On this journey , you can’t have too much. Also as I have requested before, I would appreciate any feedback you can offer, either positive or negative . It helps me determine if I am doing everything I can to help you my loyal readers, navigate the sometimes treacherous pathway we find ourselves on in this journey. Any blog topic requests are very helpful in keeping this blog fresh and current. So here we are at the start of a brand new week, with new opportunities before us to be successful at whatever stage each of you might find yourself in. I leave you with this. Till next time, God Bless.