STRATEGIES TO LOSE STUBBORN FAT

FOOD:

Eat animal protein. Lysine, an amino acid that is abundant in animal proteins, synthesises to L-carnitine in our bodies via chemical reactions. L-carnitine is key to the process that occurs when the body metabolises fatty acids.

Reduce carbohydrate intake. A low-carb diet inhibits the alpha receptors (the ones that slow down fat loss), reduces insulin and, as a result, improves fatty acid mobilisation and circulation.

Mix up your low-carb diet a little. Experiment with a carb ‘re-feed’ day occasionally to replenish glycogen stores and restore leptin levels. Leptin drops when you restrict your intake. With lower leptin comes poor energy, increased hunger, and cravings so your ability to stick to your eating plan can start to wane.

• Eat more fibrous, cruciferous vegetables (especially if oestrogen dominance is an issue for you). Fibre binds with used oestrogen and helps it to be excreted from the body.

• Keep your food and home ‘clean’ – free from chemicals, hormones, pesticides and antibiotics – to reduce the external sources of oestrogen that your body has to deal with.

• Drink less alcohol. Excessive alcohol compromises your liver’s ability to break down and detoxify oestrogens. When not broken down and detoxified these oestrogenic toxins can cause stubborn-fat gain.

EXERCISE:

Exercise regularly Regular exercise increases blood flow around the body, which is important for transporting the fatty acids to the muscle tissue where they can be used to fuel the body.

Include interval training in your workouts • Mix up your cardio sessions with a bit of interval training once or twice a week during your workout sessions. Doing the intervals helps to mobilise and circulate the fatty acids through the body and the cardio causes the fatty acids to be used up by various systems in the body. • Do your best to do 45 minutes to 1 hour of cardio exercise on low-carb days.

Timing • It’s best to exercise in the morning while your body is in a fasted state. • If that’s a tall order then exercise at least three hours after a meal. However, If exercising fasted doesn’t work for you then don’t do it.

Lift heavy weights Lifting heavy weights increases your muscle mass and reshapes your body. It is also important for keeping a high functioning metabolism and for a toned physique. It is almost impossible to reshape your body with cardio alone. For this reason you should incorporate heavy weight training, which gets all the muscles involved, into your exercise routine.