Want to know how to get rid of muffin top and look better in your clothes?
Muffin tops are not your friend!
They’re something that you encounter when you wear a waistband that is too low for your liking. Muffin top harmonies are a terrible thing to witness, and they make us feel icky inside.
I know how annoying it is and how it makes you look in your clothes.
Although the name sounds sweet, you’ll agree that it’s neither sweet nor cute having this excess flap.
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Getting rid of my muffin top was one of my main weight loss goals when I had to lose weight a few years ago.
But thanks to these simple tips I’m about to share with you, I finally buried it for good.
If you want to lose stomach fat fast, this is the article for you. I’m going to explain a few different ways that you can shed those pesky love handles and lose that muffin top in no time.
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What Exactly Is The Muffin Top?
For years, women have been trying various fitness and diet programs to get rid of their muffin top. I know that as a woman you are probably trying these same exercises and diets.
You may have even spent hundreds of dollars on yoga classes, and protein pills to help your metabolism burn fat faster.
Unfortunately, using these regular exercise routines can only part of the solution.
There is no quick fix when it comes to getting rid of your muffin top!
As women, our body has this tendency to preserve our excess fat around our stomach and that’s the reason our top body part looks like a muffin after gaining a few extra pounds there.
The muffin top usually forms itself around our upper tummy and expands just above our waistline.
It’s this fatty part of our waist that spills over our pants or skirt and man it’s not pleasing to the eyes.
Fortunately, this not-so-beautiful fatty design that our body creates due to excess fats, can be eliminated with an enhanced diet only.
But if you want to get rid of it faster, adding in some workouts will do the job.
What Causes Muffin Top?
If you’re one of those who are suffering from a muffin top, there are many different stresses on the body.
One of the main reasons that someone may be experiencing muffin top symptoms is due to lack of exercise and or a sedentary lifestyle.
For those who do not exercise, it is very difficult to combat the muffin top. If you are a full time student, and have a stressful job, it may be overwhelming to find time to exercise.
In addition to this, the lack of exercise can cause stress in itself which can lead to weight gain.
Some people may find that they are several pounds heavier than they were in college or high school, but it is not just from eating more; it is because they are not burning off the calories they consume.
Genetics play a large role in our body’s shape. As we age, we tend to develop more fat around our midsection rather than losing it.
This is a natural process, and does not mean that you are unhealthy. In fact, a little bit of extra weight around the abdomen can actually be beneficial.
However, if the muffin top is more than just some extra padding in the middle of your midsection, there are some ways to get rid of it for good.
It’s pretty much impossible to define what is the real cause of you having a muffin top because there are various factors behind it.
All these together will definitely contribute to weight gain and obviously, a muffin top.
Let’s talk about those culprits behind your muffin top
❎ Poor Diet
Eating the wrong foods on a daily basis will surely add to your waistline which, as a result, will develop a muffin top.
Processed foods are rich in calories and deprived of all healthy nutrients our body needs to stay in shape.
When foods don’t have the necessary nutritious properties, things like blood sugar level takes a spike and consequently, weight gain happens.
So, to reverse this process and get rid of your muffin top, a healthy and clean diet is the solution.
❎ Lack of Physical Activity
Staying active is an essential part of our daily lives. Depending on your life routine, it’s true that you won’t have time to work out every day.
But I urge you to spare some time for a few light workouts, such as walking, jogging, or swimming.
Getting yourself active will have a positive effect on both your general health and weight loss. For instance, your body won’t have time to offer you its muffin top for display 😉
❎ Lack of Sleep
Did you know that having enough sleep hours can contribute to weight loss?
In fact, studies have shown that a poor sleep pattern has the ability to promote weight gain.
So, this is to say that going to bed very late and waking up early is what will make you gain weight.
Again, a muffin top will, therefore, be unavoidable.
❎ Stress
Stress has always been linked to all sorts of health issues.
And almost every person struggling with obesity can tell you that they are also struggling with stress.
According to medical studies, it is proven that chronic stress is one of the root causes of weight gain.
Why is that? When your body feels pressure, for whatever reason, it releases hormones that make you crave foods that are usually rich in both fats and sugar.
One of these hormones is cortisol.
When your body releases an excess of it, it’s basically passing a signal to your liver to increase its glucose level.
As a result, this spike will add to your waistline and belly.
❎ Aging Effects
Although this is not the case for everyone, it is proven that people that have an unhealthy eating lifestyle and are entering their 50s have the tendency to develop more fat around the waistline.
In fact, for women dealing with menopause, the way their body works won’t be the same.
And this is why some women deal with muffin top as they enter their 40s or 50s.
What I understood, while doing some research was that when women are into their menopause phase, their estrogen level decreases.
This will, in turn, create a spike in their cortisol. And as we’ve seen a few lines before, cortisol is behind the building up of belly fat and muffin top.
Ok. Now that we’ve seen the causes of muffin top, it’s time that you examine yourself.
Ready to learn how to get rid of your muffin top for good?? Let’s dive in!
How to Lose Muffin Top Fast – 10 Practical Steps
1. Clean Eating
Clean eating is a dietary regime that aims to reduce the intake of toxins in food.
It uses ingredients that are natural and unprocessed, and keeps the diet free from refined sugar, processed foods, hydrogenated oils, and artificial colors.
A proper diet is one of the most important things when it comes to weight loss and of course losing a muffin top.
Therefore, changing your diet is a fundamental key to finally losing your muffin top.
Of course, eating the right foods will help you burn fat and lose weight all over your body.
Therefore the first step in this quest of how to get rid of muffin top is to:
- Eat healthy fats
- Add the good carbs to your plate
- Drink healthy smoothies,
- Good detox teas
2. Increase Your Protein Intake
The second thing you want to change in your diet is to fill up on protein-rich foods.
Protein rich foods are great for not just maintaining muscle, but also losing weight + building muscle.
If you are out to lose fat, this is another thing you need to get more of. A great way to do this is by eating foods like chicken, fish (preferably ocean-grown fish), and egg whites.
I can’t stress enough on the importance of high protein consumption.
Protein is so beneficial for many reasons and increasing your protein intake will be a game-changer, believe me!
As a matter of fact, taking protein and lots of it will reverse the system.
Protein does not directly burn fat but as you take a breakfast rich in protein, you won’t feel any cravings whatsoever until lunchtime.
It’s the same for lunch!
Increasing your protein intake will keep you full for longer periods and will help you fight cravings and hunger pangs.
As a result, you start regulating your eating habits and in turn, this will help you lose weight.
3. Start Doing Cardio
In fact, the purpose of cardio is to raise our heart rate, which has the power to make weight loss happen faster.
Cardio is usually short-length exercises but done regularly, like 5-6 days per week.
Again, staying active is one of the best ways to get rid of your muffin top.
When you combine exercising/cardio with a good healthy diet, you start getting in shape and that’s when muffin top starts to vanish.
4. Reduce Caloric Drinks & Lose Your Muffin Top
High caloric drinks are most of the time, the culprits behind weight gain, especially abdominal fats.
It’s also believed that even diet drinks should be banned from a healthy diet.
Many weight loss programs often suggest taking diet soft drinks but in reality, they can also alter your weight loss.
Simply because of the presence of artificial sweeteners in those so-called low-calorie drinks.
It’s important to note that it’s not soft drinks only that are classified under caloric drinks.
But the list of caloric drinks also consists of energy drinks, sports drinks, and white wine.
Replace caloric drinks with non-caloric drinks like sugar free iced tea or sugar free lemonade.
Sugary sweetened drinks are packed with calories which will contribute to those muffin tops on your waist.
5. Drink More Water
A good consumption of water helps to flush out excess fluids, which can help reduce the appearance of muffin top.
Also, drinking water is amazing for your skin and health too!
The benefits of water in the body are endless.
Since I started my weight loss journey in 2015 and even after I reached my desired weight until now, I can’t get enough of my daily 3L water bottle.
I won’t say I make it a must to have lots of water but it’s more of a lifestyle now.
After learning about the contribution and the role of water in the body, you wouldn’t want to live one day without it.
When I did my water fasting diet, I obviously lived on water only for a week but the feeling after this was just amazing.
I really felt like my system was rebooted. I was more energetic and healthier than before.
With that said, know that muffin top can be destroyed with daily hydration, together with all those tips I’ve mentioned above.
6. Eat Healthier Fats
Fatty acids are the basis of all hormones in your body.
Recent research has shown that it’s healthy for women to eat a good amount of fat because this prevents their bodies from storing excess fat on their hips and thighs due to sensitivity or stress causing hormone imbalance.
That being said, I also believe that eating better fats is one of the best ways to reduce muffin top and love handles.
My favorite sources of healthy fats are avocados, coconut oil, olive oil and nuts (the kind of fat that’s in your nuts, not the deep-fried sugary kind!).
Note: whether you’re a woman or a man, you want to avoid trans fats and hydrogenated oils at all costs! If you think about it, it makes sense because our bodies were built from plants and vegetables and have no idea how to process these man made processed foods and lack the enzymes required for digestion.
7. Say No To Alcohol
Alcohol is definitely a high caloric drink.
Consuming alcohol on a regular basis will surely increase your calorie level.
One thing that alcohol does in the body that will automatically promote weight gain is that it opens the gut.
By this I mean, it increases appetite!
Do you think it’s just for fun that people who are around their Chivasregal bottles are always snacking?
Nope! They are not just snacking but it’s because they are actually hungry (all the time).
Besides being a high caloric drink with lots of sugar, alcohol actually promotes weight gain by inciting appetite.
8. Get Enough Sleep
In a study, women who got more sleep saw a 45% reduction in the appearance of the muffin top and love handles.
Sleeping is an excellent weight loss tool. The average person requires between 7-9 hours a night to feel fully rested.
If you’re not sleeping well then you probably know how it feels like after a few days of trying to sleep. You feel tired, exhausted and even achey in places that you don’t usually feel.
However, this is because your body is getting the rest it needs to begin burning fat at a healthy rate.
So what can you do about this? I always tell people to read up on the ins and outs of sleep.
Here’s what I do: every night before going to bed, I put myself under “sleep mode”. This basically consists of going to sleep and then waking up five minutes before my alarm is set to go off. When I do this, I usually fall asleep within one minute and wake feeling refreshed.
Sleep should never be underrated! It has to be one of the most important activities of the body.
When you rest, your body doesn’t go dormant or inactive as some people think.
It’s pure myth IMO!
In reality, it’s backed by science that our body burns more fat when we’re actually resting.
So, if you want to know how to get rid of your muffin top, go to sleep! ????
9. Start Being Active
I’m a big advocate of exercise and I believe that for the average person, 30 minutes of moderate intensity exercise per day will help shed fat from your midsection.
As long as you have a healthy metabolism and aren’t an extreme over-achiever in the gym or other activities (you know who you are!) then you shouldn’t have any problems losing weight and looking leaner in your midsection.
On the other hand, if you’ve ever followed the “30 minute” rule and found yourself feeling fatigued, nauseated or sore after your workout, then it may be a sign that you’re working too much.
Start gradually, may be only 2 times per week and then you can begin to add up a little more minutes to your workout sessions and 1 more day.
10. Fix Your Gut
Did you know that a healthy digestive system is a key to losing stubborn fat, especially around the belly? It’s true.
We’ve always known that the gut initiates the process of absorbing nutrients and wastes and providing clearance for elimination, but researchers in Japan have just discovered that the stomach is also a primary regulator of body weight.
A smaller stomach leads to more fat around the gut, which then translates into more belly fat on the scale.
Dr. Steven Maisley made this amazing discovery of how a healthy gut is the fat loss switch that needs to be turned on.
The gut is essentially home to the good and bad bacteria in our digestive system.
Every food you eat passes through your gut and this is the place where foods are broken down and the nutrients are then distributed to your bloodstreams.
And it’s actually the good bacteria in our gut that helps burn fat and also prevents fat from being stored.
So, this means that the healthier your gut is, the more good bacteria it has.
And the more good bacteria your gut can retain, the more fat it can burn.
What does all this mean then? It simply means that fixing your gut is the path to destroy fats, stubborn fats like your muffin top!
If you want to know more about how you can fix your gut, learn how by reading this.
11. Do Targeted Exercises
Are you still here to learn how to lose your muffin top in 3 days? If yes, let’s get to the less exciting part: excercising!
For instance, doing exercises for the belly alone won’t help.
If you think that doing abs workout only will help you get rid of your muffin top, you’re wrong.
By doing this you will only work at toning your lower part of the body.
But for the purpose of muffin top destruction, you should instead target a few other parts of the body, that will contribute to waistline reduction.
12. Try A Detox Plan
Detoxification has always been linked to weight loss.
One of the ways you actually lose weight is by getting rid of toxins.
When you go on a detox, you will allow your body to flush out excess water that contains toxins.
If you really want to lose that muffin top fast and easily, a detox plan is a must.
Detox plans exist in different forms such as water fasting or drinking detox teas or juices.
There are various detox teas or shakes that can really help combat belly fat and reduce your waistline.
Therefore, if you choose to do a one-week detox, you will really see how your body will crush this annoying muffin top.
13. Eat Enough Fruits
A study was conducted on women and the results were eye-opening.
Women who had trouble with their love handles ate more fruits and vegetables than those that didn’t.
I took another look at my own diet and realized that I wasn’t eating anywhere near enough fruits and vegetables!
If you’re not eating substantial fruit portions then I’d highly recommend getting at least 5-6 pieces every day.
14. Remove Stressors
Stress can be the cause of that muffin top or love handles we’re all looking to thin down.
Stress hormones like cortisol can block natural fat-burning mechanisms in your body which causes you to store more fat than normal.
I always tell my clients that worry leads to stress which leads to fat gain around the midsection.
However, stress management can be quite simple: try meditating, exercising, or doing a Hula Hoop class!
15. How To Get Rid Of Muffin Top – Best Exercises for Women
The final step is to make sure you’re exercising on a regular basis. If you don’t have anything specific to do exercise with your cat, dog or even your vacuum cleaner (is that weird?).
Any type of exercise will help and if your schedule just doesn’t allow for the amount of time you need, then try working out in short bursts.
Want to give a boost to your weight loss and get rid of your muffin top quickly?
Try to incorporate these simple workouts along with your clean diet. You’ll thank me later!
Side Plank
Side planks are exercises that target the obliques.
Since the muffin top, spills over to the sides, it’s good to do exercises that will crush those excess fats on the sides.
Doing side planks will not help destroy the muffin but they will also give more strength to your obliques.
It’s good to note that the parts engaged in this type of exercise are the chest, shoulders and hips.
I use this yoga mat below when working out at home:
Doing the side planks on a daily basis will definitely speed up your muffin top reduction.
You can hold yourself up for two mins while side planking. If you’re a beginner you might want to start for 30 seconds and gradually up your game, until 2-3 minutes.
The longer, the better!
If you’re not used to working out, you might shake while doing the side plank. Don’t panic though.
It’s just a sign of muscle weakness. All you have to do try other exercises that will strengthen your muscles, especially your back muscle.
As things progress, you will notice that the shaking will decrease and the planks will get easier.
Bicycle Crunches
This is one of the best exercises that target both the sides and the abdomen.
While doing bicycle crunches won’t directly burn your muffin top, it’s the best exercise to target the deeper abs and obliques.
Because it’s not intensively working on the obliques as much as on the abs, doing this will burn very little fat.
For this reason, you might want to pair it with another workout for the best results.
Hanging Knee Raise Twist
The hanging knee raise twist is one that’s not so easy for beginners but you need to try it.
Actually, it’s one of the most effective workouts that can burn those stubborn abdominal fats, contributing to your muffin top.
If you are a beginner, start by doing a 30-sec session. As you do it daily, you’ll get the hang of it and you’ll be able to do it 2 mins max.
If you want to get rid of the muffin top obsession in a few weeks, the hanging knees raise twists is the ideal exercise.
Russian Twists
The Russian Twist is an exercise where you perform rotational movements of your hips.
They work great at destroying muffin tops and is highly recommended.
In fact, it’s so easy that even as a beginner you will be able to do it for a few minutes non-stop.
Note that you can do the Russian Twist on a daily basis.
It’s famous for its ability to burn calories fast, improve your posture and balance and of course, crush your belly fat.
Reverse Crunch
Last but not least. The reverse crunch is one of the most powerful and effective workouts for losing the muffin top.
Reverses crunch is a better version of the regular crunches I can say.
It not only helps you burn calories but it pours out a huge amount of energy into your lower part of the abdomen for resistance.
When you do reverse crunches, the body deploys more energy to the lower part of the abdomen so it can support your upper body part.
That’s when you burn a lot more calories!
And yes it’s super authoritative when it comes to burning muffin tops.
Final Thoughts on How To Get Rid of Muffin Top
Remember that weight loss doesn’t happen overnight, so take it slow and don’t get discouraged if it’s taking longer than you want to see results.
Applying those simple tips above will surely help you slim down your waistline and get rid of your muffin top.
Try them!
