How to get rid of the overhang
Are you fed up of the overhang you see over your jeans while looking in the mirror?
At The Healthy Mummy, we’re EXPERTS at helping mums to lose tummy fat from mums using our Healthy Mummy 28 Day Weight Loss Challenges.
We have helped tens of thousands of mums to lose tummy fat and we know how to help mums make it achievable.
Here are a few results from mums who we have helped – scroll below to learn all about the OVERHANG and how to get rid of it.
Understanding the Overhang
One of the most frustrating parts about losing weight, losing stomach fat and achieving the body your dreams is looking into the mirror and seeing what is commonly termed ‘the overhang’, ‘the pouch’ or most affectionately of all, ‘the mothers apron’.
No matter how much weight you lose or how much the needle on the scales falls, when you look in the mirror you still see what can only be described as a deflated balloon looking back at you.
What can be done about this most frustrating of fat deposits?
Well, the good news is that you can leap over this final weight loss hurdle – the bad news is that you’re going to have to work pretty hard for it.
To beat the ‘overhang’ it will first help to understand it.
The most important thing to understand is that belly fat is made up of not one, but two types of fat – which is why losing belly fat is tougher than losing fat off our arms or legs (which is made up of only one layer of fat).
The top layer is called the subcutaneous fat and this sits on top and is the soft, cushy fat that you can touch, feel and see staring back at you in the mirror.
Underlying fat is what’s called visceral fat and this surrounds our vital organs which can cause health implications such as diabetes, high blood pressure and heart disease.
Subcutaneous fat simply stores unused calories around our waistline in the event that one day you will be threatened with starvation and your will body will need an excess calorie supply to survive.
Basically, to lose the ‘overhang’ you need to overcome thousands of years of human evolution dating back to caveman times when the threat of overeating was less prevalent.
Visceral fat however is much more active below the surface which plays havoc with your insulin resistance levels and can lead to more complicated health issues, which is yet another very good reason to work at losing “overhang” stomach fat.
How to lose ‘the overhang’?
The key to ridding your body of both Visceral fat and Subcutaneous fat and, ultimately, the dreaded overhang is very simple:
You need to move – A LOT AND OFTEN!
This does not mean doing endless crunches, sit-ups and planks – although these are great exercises when included in a well-rounded diet & exercise routine, you cannot use them to isolate weight loss or target areas.
To help bust this myth a little further, it will help to learn that when you perform a crunch or sit-up exercise, you’re, in fact, only working the abdominal muscles which lie beneath the fat on your stomach – the fat on top, however, is doing little to no work at all and has the intention of going nowhere fast!
As such isolating only the abdominals will have absolutely no bearing on the removal of the fat above it as the abdominal muscle and the fat above it are not directly related, other than by being closely positioned anatomically.
The simple fact is that fat is stored energy (calories) just waiting to be burned whether it is located on your stomach, legs, bum or arms, and in 99% of cases when you exercise the last fat to get burned is from your bum and stomach (blame evolution again).
Many people still believe in the concept of spot reduction i.e. Asking your body to only remove fat from one area of your body e.g. removing fat from your legs when you perform a squat or removing fat from your stomach when you perform a crunch but unfortunately, this is not yet possible.
For now, we have to play by mother natures rules.
What we do know is that when we exercise or perform physical activity, our body burns energy (calories/excess fat) from all over our body without bias.
The areas that it will first start to burn is often genetically predetermined, but for most people and especially women the bum and stomach areas are the last places to see the fat burning take place.
This is why abdominal muscles are often the last muscles to make an appearance on your new lighter body as they’ve been hiding under both your subcutaneous and visceral belly fat even though you’ve performed a thousand crunches!
You also need to work on your diet – the combination of the right diet and exercise is the best thing you can do and the 28 Day Weight Loss Challenges are perfect for reaching this balance in a sensible way – all specifically created for busy and tired mums. You can choose the Healthy Mummy Smoothies or the 28 Day Weight Loss Challenges – or combine the two.
So, where does this leave my overhang?
If you’ve read up to this point you’ve probably realised there is no ONE miracle exercise that will remove excess overhang.
However, the great news is that if you combine multiple exercises such as walking, jogging, squats, push-ups, crunches and any of the hundreds and hundreds of different movements that your body can perform I guarantee that your stubborn, seemingly immovable ‘overhang’ will be on borrowed time.
The key point to remember is that it will take time but if you keep going, it will be worth it!
Remember, small amounts of progress is still progress so don’t ever ever give up and remember to take measurements too and don’t just live by the scales.
How these mums banished their overhang
Tawhai Duffy has lost 50kg
“Like everybody I have had my ups and down but what I love about the 28 Day Challenges they are so easy to get back on track. I recommend them to every single mum.”
Alana Muller has lost 10.5kg
“I started the 28 Day Weight Loss Challenges and Healthy Mummy Smoothies on 13/10/15 at 103.1kgs, 10 weeks later and I have lost 10.5kgs and I am currently at 92.6kgs. – I love them and they are so easy to do.”
Lauren lost 46kg
“I really wouldn’t be here without the recipes and tips that The Healthy Mummy offer on their website, and without the daily tools I learnt from doing the 28 Day Weight Loss Challenges.”
“If you’re just starting out on your journey, I’d highly recommend starting with a 28 Day Weight Loss Challenge. It’s such a great way to learn about healthy eating and exercise.”
“The Challenges are perfect as they run for 28 days, with so many different customisable options for every meal. There is no better time to start your journey than today!”
Elle lost 23kg
“The challenge was exactly what I needed, new recipes to keep me satisfied and never get bored of eating the same thing. My self-confidence is at the highest it’s ever been and I feel great!”
You can find out more and join the next 28 Day Weight Loss Challenge here
5 Tips For Losing Stomach Fat
Em Nicolson has totally transformed her body on our Healthy Mummy weight loss plans and here are 5 tips for you to do the same
- Fresh is best – cut out as much processed food as possible (anything in a packet, basically) and opt for plenty of fresh fruit, vegetables, nuts, seeds, meat and low fat dairy.
- Try our Stomach Fat Busting Healthy Mummy Smoothie. A healthy breakfast means you are less likely to reach for fatty or sugary snacks for morning tea.
- Cut down on sugar and alcohol – these are two key areas to focus on if you want to reduce stomach fat as they can cause bloating.
- Get moving regularly – daily exercise is a great way to shift tummy fat. A regular walk or jog, a segment or two from our 28 Day Weight Loss Challenge workout videos are all great options.
Are you ready to become a Healthy Mummy?
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