6:00am
“Dude! You’ve got a paunch!”
Rudely woken up from my peaceful slumber, I look across to
my roommate who’s all geared up in his track suit.
“Great observation Sherlock,” I whimper as I pull the sheets
closer to get back to sleep.
“Dude! All you need to do is join me on a run for half an
hour every day and you’ll get rid of all that flab.”
“From tomorrow bro, tomorrow. You carry on!”
“Never leave for tomorrow what you can begin today,” he
says, misquoting Benjamin Franklin before slamming the door on the way out.
Thank goodness he left before I threw my pillow on him!
When I was finally up, I followed my usual routine of
stretching in front of my mirror. And lo! Mr. Philosopher was right! I had a big
belly. It used to be smaller though. But now I look like I've swallowed a
football!
All that uncontrolled eating over the past few weeks...
Add to that, laziness with a capital L...
Well, as you know, it’s definitely easier to get a pot
belly, than lose it. It not only spoils your posture and looks, but is bad for
health as well. If you already have a paunch, then daily exercise and dietary
controls should be your goals!
Let’s start with the simplest form of exercise: the morning
run. My roomie is right. Running triggers our metabolism early in the morning,
making sure our body burns calories all through the day at a quick pace. And
obviously reduction in calories is equal to faster weight loss. Brisk walking,
jogging, swimming and similar cardio and aerobic exercises go a long way in taking
care of flabs.
Anaerobic exercises are also what flat and fit abs will need.
Exercises like crunches and sit ups take care of the lower abdominal area. But
it is recommended by experts to go for a full body work out to strengthen your
muscles. This in-turn helps burn more calories, ultimately reducing belly fat.
Nope, I didn’t forget about managing food habits. Yes, you
must say no to all that junk food and potato chips. Get back to the basics by
keeping a balanced diet. Stress is a common reason for eating lots of unhealthy,
weight inducing foods. The hormone cortisol is what kick starts these
uncontrollable cravings during times of stress. This hormone causes fat to seep
into the abdomen. Chill out with some
yoga, meditation and good sleep to get rid of such stressful situations.
Eating right and a healthy lifestyle can definitely tackle
the problem before it even begins. And, don’t worry, I’m starting my routine
from tomo..er..I mean today, yes!
