Have you been conscious of those excess pounds you just can't shift. Sports Kinesiologist Lance Geringer offers advice on how to lose that flab.


 

As women strip off their sweaters and enjoy playing summer golf, many will be conscious of those excess pounds that they feel they’re unable to shift. Sports Kinesiologist and Nutrition Specialist Lance Geringer offers advice on how to lose that flab.

Over the last 30 years, I’ve never met anyone who’s actually happy with how his or her waist looks – and this includes me!  As the years go by we slowly start putting on weight and before you know it the ‘middle age spread’ has hit.  If there was only a way to stop it?!  Guess what, there is!

WHAT IS  ‘MIDDLE AGE SPREAD’?

As we get older, we tend not to do as many activities (i.e., exercise, sports, etc) as we once did but we continue to eat approximately the same amount of food.  Lack of activity, along with what is now a surplus of calories, means weight gain.

SCIENCE FACT:  Any calorie the body doesn’t use as energy will be stored as fat. 

For men and women, this extra fat starts accumulating in a few areas but we tend to notice it in our waists first.  As fat is deposited around the waist, it creates a bulging at the front, back and sides, causing the ‘middle age spread’.

THE MATHS OF ‘MIDDLE AGE SPREAD’

Depending on the individual, a person’s metabolism will begin slowing down approximately 2% every year starting in our 30’s.  Here is a quick maths lesson with an arbitrary number to show how much weight you can put on if you don’t do something about this:

Daily calories consumed         Annual metabolic slowdown       Extra calories stored as fat

                     1750                         X                               2%                              =                  35

These 35 extra daily calories will add up to over 3.5lbs of fat gained over the year.  After 5 years, this individual will have gained over 18lbs of fat. 

PREVENTION OF THE ‘MIDDLE AGE SPREAD’

There are 2 ways to prevent the middle age spread.  First, take your daily caloric intake and reduce it by 2% each year, and then do one of the following:

1-     Eat a bit less each day – this would be approximately 1 less mouthful of food at each meal

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2-     Exercise a bit more  each day – go out  and do 10 minutes of extra walking at a slow pace

While the above will help keep the ‘spread’ away - or minimise it from going any further - it will do nothing for your overall health.  You will at some point have to eat healthier and exercise more if you not only want to live longer but also have a good quality of life in your retirement years.

HOW TO GET RID OF THE ‘MIDDLE AGE SPREAD

In order to get rid of the ‘middle age spread’ you will have to start eating healthier and do some extra exercise (activities).   In my article, “The problems of dieting, the solutions for success!” (W&G - Jan/Feb 2014), I mentioned 3 things that everyone should follow when trying to lose fat: 

1-     Find an exercise/activity programme that you’ll enjoy doing and then ease into it

2-     Eat healthier foods which will help reduce the total amount of calories you consume

3-     Be patient and consistent with the above

The middle age spread can be easily prevented by doing minimal things like eating a bit less food or doing a bit more exercise.  If you’re starting to get [or already have] the ‘spread’, putting the two together is the best way to get rid of it. 

TOP TIP Please don’t be fooled by gimmicks!  Everyone talks about how this or that product is the best for fat loss.  Try looking at it this way:  If someone was selling a product that said it would help you take 10 shots off your game within a few weeks would you believe it?!  I’m sure you wouldn’t - and the same thing applies to losing fat.  

Lance Geringer is the developer of golf performance bars, visit: www.fitandtrimbar.co.uk