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It has been quite a week around here! William keeps waffling back and forth between sleeping through the night and waking up multiple times to eat or party. He is definitely a growing boy and loves his food, but man are we tired parents this week. Zoey had a tough week sleeping as well as her active little brain woke her up with some vivid dreams. She seems to go through phases as well and the last few days just seemed to be hard on her. Hopefully we get back into a peacefully sleeping few weeks in the next few days.

In the world of weight loss goals, belly fat seems to be the most common area that women want to lose weight. Just in conversations with friends and coworkers, I am constantly hearing self-degrading remarks about stomach sizes, weight, and how diets will start on Monday, or how she should not eat this because it will ruin her diet.

While losing weight should not be the whole story, there are good reasons to cut down on straight belly fat apart from wanting to feel more confident in your skin and be able to keep up with your kids. For instance, higher levels of belly fat lead to high blood pressure, respiratory issues, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, dementia, and some cancers like breast and colon.

Women have a particularly hard time losing belly fat because we store 6-11% more body fat than men. We are just really efficient at storing fat because of the estrogen and making babies factor. It is also important to note that the same type of diet that works for your husband, may not work for you. Men have higher levels of visceral fat (fat around the organs), whereas women have subcutaneous fat, or fat between the skin and muscle. This all does not mean it is impossible for women to lose their belly fat, just that it takes some focused effort.

Besides how you feel overall, how do you know if you have too much belly fat? You can measure. Grab a measuring tape, stand up, and measure around your belly button. In general, women should be at about 35 inches around and men, 40 inches.

So, what can you do to lower your belly fat? This is going to be the part you do not want to hear. Belly fat is created in the kitchen. Meaning, no matter how much you workout, if you are not eating well for your body, then you are not going to out exercise the belly fat issue. You need to get serious about how you are eating and be honest with yourself about the areas of your eating habits you can start to change.

To get started on those changes, get your free 5 Day Health Challenge here and put those healthier habits in place right away.

Please keep in mind that I am not sharing these tips because I think you should be focused on the scale, or being skinny, or taking up less space in the world. I am sharing these tips because I do not want you to be in poor health as a result of something you could fix. I want you to live a long and happy life being able to do the things you want to do without your weight getting in your way.

Before we get into what you can do to lower your belly fat, we need to address bloating. If you follow me on Instagram you know that I talk a lot about how Rob and I started eating less meat, a ton more vegetables, and eliminated a whole slew of processed foods. We feel so much better, have less bloating, and have both been able to keep our weight at normal (and lower) levels even with two kids and working out three times a week if we can.

I bring that up because one of the main causes of bloating is poor digestion. With our reduction in meat and processed food consumption, my bloating has disappeared. Another way to improve your digestion is to use a probiotic, which is the good bacteria that helps with digestion and the absorption of nutrients. You can do a supplement, or opt for some natural foods like:

• Apple Cider Vinegar
• Fermented Vegetables
• Greek Yogurt
• Kombucha
• Chia Seeds (Try some Chia Seed Pudding!)
• Fruits and Vegetables (think high fiber)

What kills the good bacteria in your stomach that helps with all this digestion? The same things that can lead to increased belly fat:

• Antibiotics
• Sugar
• Gluten (for some)
• Stress
• Alcohol
• Lack of Exercise
• Poor Sleep
• Smoking

Now that you have your bloating down, how can you start to specifically lower your belly fat?

Stop The Fad Diets. There is a reason they are called fad diets as they are only good for short term weight loss and will not help you keep the weight off. Opt for habit changes over time and stop dieting so you can lose the weight for good. Yes, it is a slower process, but you will make lasting changes to your health so you do not have to end up back here again.

Drink a Lot of Water. The general rule of thumb is half your body weight in ounces of water each day. This might seem like a lot at first, but your body will regulate after a week or two and your bathroom trips will not be as frequent as when you started. Water is incredible as it helps your body process what you eat, makes your organs work more efficiently, and improves your energy levels.

Get Moving. While belly fat mostly comes from what you eat, incorporating at least 30 minutes a day of some kind of movement can help make your weight loss faster in addition to a ton of other benefits like strength building, bone strength building, stability training (think not falling down and having more balance), and increased confidence.

Even if you just move in 5-10 spurts throughout your day, the less time you can spend sitting the better. Easy ways to move more:

• Walking lunch breaks
• Stand up at your desk instead of sitting
• Actively play with your kids
• Go for an after dinner walk
• Do a quick workout

Lift Weights. Lifting burns more calories for longer post-workout than steady state cardio, meaning you will get a bigger bang for your workout buck if you pick up heavy things and put them down. A few lifting workouts to get you started:

• 7-7 Arms Workout 
• Thigh Burner Workout 
• Boots & Leggings Workout 
• Full Body 12 Workout

Lower Your Sugar Intake. Start paying attention to how much added sugar you have in the food you eat. The obvious things like sugar in coffee or tea, sodas, and candy can be cut down rather easily. The sneaky places like salad dressings, pre-made soups, pasta sauces, and boxed foods will take more focus and work to lower. The general rule of thumb is that women should only eat 25 grams of added sugars per day.

Eat More Fruits and Vegetables. If you pack your day with 5-7 servings of these high fiber foods, not only will you not have room for the boxed stuff, but you will be getting all the benefits of eating more plants – lower cholesterol, regular bathroom trips, sustained energy, less crashes – the list goes on. Try replacing some of your packaged snacks for a fruit or vegetable one. Check a list of healthy on the go snacks here.

Limit Alcohol. Boasting both high sugar and calorie contents, alcohol can be a major detriment to your weight loss goals. I am not saying you have to cut it out completely, but you should be conscious of how much you are drinking and work towards saving your adult beverages for special occasions.

Slow the Boxed Items. If you are eating more fruits and vegetables, you are not going to have time to eat a ton of boxed and processed foods, which means you can stop buying it, or at least as much of it. These items are usually nutritionally weak, and high in sugar, sodium, and fat. They do not do anything positive for your weight loss goals.

Eat Consistently. Since you are trying to lose weight, you might have the mentality that skipping meals will help you move the scale faster. However, this can have the opposite effect. Instead of skipping meals, eat consistently throughout your day (every 3-4 hours). This will ensure that you are getting enough quality calories without letting yourself get so hungry that you eat whatever is in sight.

Check In With Yourself. Eating can turn into such a habit that sometimes you do not even pay attention to what you are eating, if you are enjoying what you are eating, and if you are actually hungry or already full. Before you reach for a snack, or while you are eating something from your “normal” diet, check in with yourself. Ask yourself: Does this taste good? Am I actually hungry? If the answer is no, then move on.

There is a whole chapter that gives you the tools to check in with yourself in the Realistic Weight Loss Reset.

I would love to know which aspect of weight loss has been the toughest for you and which way listed above you might try this week. Leave a comment below and let me know!

Ready to put these items into action? Get started with the free 5 Day Health Challenge. In this challenge, you will receive a daily email directly to your inbox helping you stay on track to with moving more, drinking enough water, eating more fruits and vegetables, and checking in with your hunger and fullness cues. Take the challenge here.