Summer activities may still have some question marks

but that’s no reason for us to cancel preparing that body for the sun and sand.

You’ve been ‘bussing’ a sweat three or four times a

week, keeping hydrated and have stopped going to your favourite cook shop with

the oxtail gravy to end all oxtail gravies.

You’ve put in the work and, except for the occasional

diet cheat, been working to make better lifestyle decisions but for the life of

you, that small area below your navel refuses to budge. Talk about stubborn!

You sometimes find that when you start losing weight

your bottom gets smaller, your arms get those bat wings and you may get back

into some clothes you haven’t worn for a while…but the tape measure tells you

that your waist is not shrinking.

All the crunches and pilates seem to have no effect and

your mirror is a constant reminder that no matter how you suck in your stomach,

that bodycon dress will forever hang in your closet.

Well, a steady stream of box lunches plus eating heavy

foods late at night certainly does not help. All that saturated fat loves to

settle around your mid-section and act like squatters on government land. If

you do not stop to eat breakfast, eat late in the afternoon or eat a lot of

fatty or starchy foods at night, then you know the possible results.

Lack of sleep will only make matters worse. Added to

that, stress may contribute to your storing fat and not giving your all to

workouts.

It may seem like your body is working against you but

in truth it may be rebelling against the ways you have treated it.

If you are serious about beating the battle of the

bulge, become a fan of protein as it builds and maintains muscle which you need

in your fight against belly fat. Forget fatty foods like pizza and overnight

fried chicken and instead look at healthy fats like omega fats, fish and nuts.

Not all fats are bad, you just need to learn the different kinds and keep

malice with the ones that do not love you back. When you have that down, you

can look to letting go of refined sugars. Yup, sodas and sweet drinks are not

your friends. And while you are at it social distance yourself from the

plethora of processed or canned foods that are packed full of sodium and

artificial ingredients.