Battle of the KILLER fat!!

All body fat is not created equal.

Got a little extra padding on your bottom? Couple dimples on your thighs? Gloriously flabby arms? Me too. Sure I've seen some improvement in those areas since making healthier choices but I still have a decent measure of each.

I've learned not to be too worried about it because like I said, all body fat is NOT created equal. A measure of fat in these areas are part of being a normal, and even healthy woman. (Sorry for any men reading. I'm not sure about manly/healthy fat pockets though I know there is a healthy level for men too).

So what's with my battle cry against killer fat? Well aside from fat in those places, I've got more than a healthy dose of the most dangerous fat on the human body and I pack it mostly like a jello mold on my gut. That's right, I'm talking about belly fat.

Let me share a quote with you from a book I just finished and let me forewarn you, it haunts me in the night.

"Belly fat--the fat that pushes your waist out--is the most dangerous fat on your body. And it's one of the reasons why the Abs Diet(name of the book) emphasizes losing belly fat--because doing so means you'll live longer.

"Belly fat is classified as visceral fat; that means it is located behind your abdominal wall and surrounds your internal organs. Because it carries an express-lane pass to your heart and other important organs, visceral fat is the fat that can kill you...the amount of visceral fat the subjects carried(in a study being sited) was the single best predictor of heart disease risk."

*From the Abs Diet by David Zinczenko - and he doesn't use the word diet like the four letter word it has been made out to be. He uses it to refer to how to eat for the rest of your life.

Why does that haunt me? Because it didn't take long for me to gain weight in 2010. Junk, sweets, and fried fast food were a common part of my diet in those days and it didn't take long before I was busting out of my pants. I wasn't really overeating either or even eating more calories in a day than I should(most the time). It was the types of food that I was eating that resulted in my hard earned belly fat.

Here is the scary part: not only is belly fat dangerous to my other organs and health but it has been KILLER to shed. Last I weighed myself a few weeks ago I had lost over 20 pounds since January 1st. I feel great about that but guess what...hardly any of that came off my belly.

In fact, it took 3 months for me to notice any difference at all in my gut. Sure I had lost weight on my arms, thighs, and boobs but I learned that as fast as I can put on belly fat, it is the hardest to send packing!! No wonder many people become frustrated when trying to lose weight.

We don't get to choose how our body will lose fat and with the risk that belly fat poses to my longterm health I am declaring, "THIS IS WAR!"

This war that I am engaging in is with the fiercest of enemies; JELLO BELLY!

Countless studies show the same thing: people with the largest waist sizes have the most risk of developing life-threatening diseases. So this isn't about looking good in a bikini. I've never wore one and never plan to no matter how much my body changes. This is about standing up for my health and declaring that while my belly fat may have won a few battles, it will not win the war.

Still not sure it's worth it to battle the belly fat?? Keep reading.

A fat cell that has grown and is about to divide.

"The average American has about 30 billion fat cells; each of them is filled with greasy substances called lipids. When you pump doughnuts, corn chips, and fried Snickers bars into your system, those fat cells can expand -- up to 1,000 times their original size. But a fat cell can get only so big, once it reaches its physical limits...it creates spin-offs, leaving you with 2 or more fat cells for the price of one...Once you have a fat cell, you're stuck with it. So as you grow fatter and double the number of fat cells in your body, you also double the difficulty you'll have losing the lipids inside them.

"...Abdominal fat doesn't just sit there and do nothing; it's active. It functions like a separate organ, releasing substances that can be harmful to your body. For instance, it releases free fatty acids that impair your ability to break down the hormone insulin(leading to diabetes). Fat also secretes substances that increase your risk of heart attacks and strokes, as well as the stress hormone cortisol...[It] bears the blame for many health problems because it resides within striking distance of your heart, liver, and other organs--pressing on them, feeding them poisens, and messing with their daily function."

I hope anyone reading this does not have the struggle with belly fat that I do; but if you do, I understand your battle. You can decide it is time to put in the work and send those fat cells packing by making healthy choices every day.

Sure you will look better but I say it is worth it just FOR THE HEALTH OF IT!


PS- What healthy habits have you guys found that battle belly fat???