Don't get me wrong, the ultimate goal is still to slim down but her focus is making sure the dangerous visceral belly fat is targeted and that the weight loss and health consciousness is maintained in the long run. To that end, Belly Fat Diet for Dummies includes plenty of information on the difference between subcutaneous and visceral fat, along with how they affect your overall health. Palinski-Wade offers diagrams and formulas for determining your body type and BMI index. She also acknowledges that human beings are prone to slipping up and that you need to recognize your personal cravings and find healthier substitutions to nip them in the bud.
Realizing that stress hormones can cause your body to store more abdominal fat gives a lot of credence to the idea that your diet and exercise plans are only part of a holistic lifestyle. Sleep patterns, even. I know that's a hard one for most people but getting enough sleep is important for mood, metabolism and just about everything. Everything is connected! There are breathing exercises for stress reduction along with lists of belly fat-fighting foods and appropriate serving sizes.
One of the things that I thought was really different about the Flat Belly Diet approach is that the meal plans are flexible. You can go whole hog with the Turbo-Charged plan, take the middle ground with the Moderate plan, or choose to change your eating over time with the Gradual-Change plan. Since I'm a mom and cook for my husband and two kids, following strict diets is pretty problematic for me. It's easier for me to try to integrate little changes that might fly under the radar, so I don't ruffle too many feathers with a sudden influx of healthier food! We already try to eat more whole foods but I've been dialing down our carbs and it seems to help a lot. The recipes are very simply laid out and easy to execute, using ingredients you probably already buy.
The exercise component of the Flat Belly Diet gives you guidance from choosing the right shoes to keeping motivated. All of the exercises can be done at home, using your own body weight, although you will eventually want to get some hand or ankle weights for more resistance as you gain strength. My very least favorite is the Spider Walk, although I have to admit it's effective.
Overall, the Flat Belly Diet for Dummies is a great read, with tons of practical advice.
In accordance to the FTC Guidelines and the WOMMA Code of Ethics, I am disclosing that I received a copy of the book to facilitate this review . As usual, all opinions are my own.
I didn't realize there was a connection to stress and belly fat. Interesting!
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