How to Get Rid of Muffin Top: Tips and Tricks

A muffin top can seriously diminish your wardrobe choices as well as your self-confidence. But worse than that, it can also be incredibly bad for your health.

Excess belly fat puts you at an increased risk of heart disease, diabetes, and liver problems.

In this article, we’re going to be looking at a few simple tricks for losing weight and belly fat, as well as what a muffin top is, what causes it, and which exercises you can do to lose belly fat.

Keep reading to learn more now.

What Is a Muffin Top?

A muffin top is defined as extra fat which extends out past the waistline. It is sometimes referred to as love handles.

Belly fat is notoriously stubborn and comes in two kinds: subcutaneous fat and visceral fat. Subcutaneous fat is the fat that is visible under the skin, whereas visceral fat wraps around abdominal organs.

Subcutaneous fat is considered harmless, but visceral fat can be dangerous because it puts you at higher risk of type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and high cholesterol.

What Causes a Muffin Top?

A muffin top can be caused by many factors, including stress, hormones, diet, and your genetics.

Stress, as mentioned above, can lead to overeating. This means consuming too many calories per day, which leads to weight gain, particularly around your middle section.

Hormones, particularly estrogen, can contribute to where fat is stored in the body. Women tend to have more fat stored on the hips, thighs, and chest because of the increased levels of estrogen in their bodies.

Eating a healthy lifestyle is a simple way to begin losing weight, as a diet high in unhealthy foods like processed food, junk foods, and sugary snacks can lead to extra fat on the stomach.

Genetics plays a part in where fat is stored in their bodies. This means that some people are just more likely to have stubborn fat around their chest or stomach.

Why Do I Have a Muffin Top if I’m Skinny?

Being naturally slim doesn’t actually protect you from developing a muffin top, even if you have very little fat across the rest of your body.

You may still have a muffin top due to a bad diet. If you are eating too many unhealthy foods like junk food or sugary snacks, you can still retain fat in this area, even with a fast metabolism. You may also simply have genetics that causes you to store fat in this area.

6 Simple Tips to Get Rid of Muffin Top

When it comes to reducing body fat, there are a few things that you can easily do to help you to start shedding the pounds. 

#1 Eat more fiber

Eating more fiber is a really easy way to reduce abdominal fat.

Fiber contributes to a healthy digestive system and balances gut bacteria. It is also thought to reduce belly fat. Indeed, studies have shown that a 10g increase in soluble fiber in your diet can lower your risk of gaining belly fat.

Taking a fiber supplement, like ColonBroom, can boost your fiber intake.

ColonBroom is a fiber supplement made from psyllium husk that can boost your gut health, increase your metabolism, and cleanse your gut.

It ensures to get the fiber you need each day and can prevent constipation, bloating, and other digestive issues.

#2 Get enough sleep

It is recommended that adults get 7 or more hours of sleep each night. This is to let your body rest and repair overnight.

Lack of sleep has been linked to overeating and craving sugary snacks and other junk foods. It has also been proven that sleep deprivation can increase the number of calories you eat.

Getting enough sleep each night can prevent overeating and weight gain, promoting a reduction in belly fat.

#3 Avoid processed foods

Processed foods tend to have lots of added sugars, preservatives, and unhealthy fats, which can all contribute to increased weight, especially in the form of excess fat in the stomach area.

Try eating more whole foods like fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and healthy fats. These foods are filling, nutritious, and don’t contain any hidden calories.

#4 Engage in self-relaxation

Stress is a huge contributor to gaining weight. Practicing stress reduction techniques can prevent you from overeating and reduce your overall calorie intake each day.

You could try relaxation techniques like practicing mindfulness or meditation. You could also add yoga into your workout routine.

#5 Drink more water

Drinking more water, especially in the hour leading up to a meal, can make you feel fuller, meaning you will eat less.

You should also ensure you choose water over sugary drinks, like fizzy drinks and fruit juice, to ensure you’re not inadvertently drinking your calories.

Drinking water also keeps you hydrated, which can contribute to a healthy lifestyle and ensure you feel good throughout the day.

#6 Stay active

Staying active is integral to weight loss. The aim of every diet is to create a calorie deficit, which means you are taking in fewer calories than you are burning.

Burning more calories means the body mobilizes fat to be burned too, burning away your muffin top.

Getting active increases the number of calories you’re burning each day, creating a larger calorie deficit.

Best Exercises to Lose a Muffin Top

Exercise is used to burn calories and reduce body fat. Exercises that target your muffin top can promote weight loss in this area and help you get the flat stomach you want.

If you struggle to know the right kinds of exercises to do, you could try a product like Beyond Body which can curate workout routines that meet your needs.

Below, we have summarized some of the particular exercise styles that can promote weight loss around your stomach.

If you’re new to working out, you could also consider getting a personal trainer who can help you with each of these exercises and introduce you to other ab exercises to get rid of a muffin top.

#1 Side plank

A side plank is a great choice for toning the muscles surrounding belly fat, as well as engaging your core muscles and working your upper body.

To execute a side plank, start laying on your side, resting on your elbow. Push up on your forearm, ensuring your body is in a straight line and lifted off the floor, and hold the plank position for ten seconds before switching to the other side.

You can work your way up to holding the position for longer if you are new to ab exercises.

#2 Split jumps

Split jumps are a more intense workout that gets your heart pumping. As a cardio exercise, this movement burns more calories.

The starting position for this exercise is to step forward on your right leg and bend the knee to a 90-degree angle. You then jump, swapping legs, until your left leg is in front and you’re in the lunge position again.

#3 Burpees

Burpees are classified as high-intensity cardio training and can really support you in burning excess calories.

Get into the starting position of a squat, with feet shoulder-width apart and knees bent. Kick or step back into a plank position, then jump back into the squat position and stand up. Repeat this motion to execute a rep of burpees.

#4 HIIT 

High-intensity interval training (HIIT) is essentially working out for multiple intense periods with rest periods in between. You can do a range of exercises, from running to skipping, as part of a HIIT workout out.

A HIIT workout routine is thought to burn fat quicker than a normal workout.

#5 Hip bridge

A hip bridge engages the abdominal muscles and can tone up the area around your muffin top.

To begin, lay on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor. Then, pushing through your feet, lift your pelvis toward the ceiling and then lower it back down.

You can engage in a series of reps of hip bridges, and you can add weights when you feel comfortable.

#6 Mountain climbers

Mountain climbers are another form of cardio that engages the core muscles.

The starting position is a full plank, resting on your hands rather than your forearms. Keep your body in a straight line as you lift the knee of your right leg up to your chest, balancing on your left foot, then jump straight to your right foot, lifting your left knee to your chest.

Ensure you keep your body as straight as possible and your abs tight as you move from foot to foot. You can engage in a series of reps or perform this exercise for a set amount of time instead.

Conclusion

Reducing belly fat and a muffin top can be done by eating at a calorie deficit and making a few simple changes to your life.