Have you ever heard anyone say: 🙄 I would like my BELLY TO BE THE ROUND PROTRUDING KIND?” I was watching the program “The CheckUP” TVone Monday’s 8pm‬ & they mentioned measuring your waist - women less than 88cm & men less than 104cm. What does this mean? They were talking about visceral fat; the fat that surrounds your organs. If your measurements are greater than those above then you will have a higher than healthy level of internal fat. This fat is linked to risks of Alzheimer's, dementia, heart disease, type 2 diabetes, cancer, and the likelihood of having a stroke.

It isn’t the fat you can feel just under your skin, it’s the fat around & between your organs. It affects how our hormones function & can block insulin & can also send your blood pressure out of whack & also interfere with blood clotting process. Here’s a link to find out more. https://metro.co.uk/2018/03/12/visceral-fat-measure-7380692/

If this is you, then acting on: ✅reducing processed foods ✅being more active 30 minutes a day ✅reducing alcohol ✅getting enough sleep as your body regulates your hormones at this time Is something you need to start doing sooner rather than later!

I’m not saying we are all aiming for a ☺️6 PACK, & remember we all have ABs some are just covered by a cushion of fat, a duvet of fat, a small blanket. But we should be aiming for less visceral fat, and flatter stomach. Ab exercises don’t reduce visceral fat, they strengthen the ab’s so don’t spend hours doing crunches, spend time working on the above list of things in your life to improve.

❌Also remember just because your waist measurement is lower than the measurements above if your not eating nutritious foods, doing no exercise, drinking a lot of alcohol & fizzy then you could also be carrying excess visceral fat! The numbers mostly tell the story but not always! ‼️‼️

💕My quote this weeks sums up “THE TEMPTATION TO QUIT WILL BE GREATEST JUST BEFORE YOU ARE ABOUT TO SUCCEED” - often people give up as they want the easy fix. But it’s not easy & it’s not short term. It’s a lifestyle - so it’s for life. Keep eating nutritious choices, with exercise & then don’t give up but keep going. It’s so much easier to keep going than to stop & start. The more you do it (exercise) the more you enjoy how it makes you feel, and the energy you have!

💕I’ve been knocked about this week with vertigo & all I can think about is how I want to get back outside & run. I miss it so much. The view of the outdoors, the mental space to think, & the energy I feel when I run. When I started it would have been so easy to give up & I did consider it, but a part of me also was determined to keep trying. Focus on that voice not the give up voice!

💕Enjoy your weekend! I’m going to get outdoors (weather dependant)! So succeed & try to CHANGE YOUR LIFE TO ONE WITH LESS RISKS… make one change to make that happen this weekend!