Fat Freezing: Does It Work? Your Guide to Losing that Belly Fat

Knowing how to lose belly fat in a safe and sustainable way can be one of the trickest items to tackle on the journey to a healthier lifestyle—especially as we face middle age.

As we get older, we lose small amounts of muscle every year and this slows down our metabolism which can make losing weight even harder. Falling estrogen levels during menopause also means that our bodies tend to reshape—with fat redistributing from the bum and thighs to the stomach area.

Whether you lace up a pair of the best running shoes for women or invest in the best women's walking shoes, embarking on a new journey into fitness for women over 50 is key when it comes to losing weight in a healthy and sustainable way. This is true at any point in life, but especially during or after menopause. Making fitness as much a part of your lifestyle as healthy eating is vital.

Luckily, there are ways you can lose belly fat fast but still in a totally safe and healthy way. As well as following a belly fat diet plan, you'll also need to increase your daily movement and exercise

1. Kick-start your metabolism with Red Bush tea

Who doesn't love a cup of tea? But, when it comes to losing belly fat, it's time to swap out your usual English Breakfast in favour of naturally caffeine-free Red Bush. Not only can it do wonders for your waistline, but it's great for your overall health too.

"A recent research review by Dr. Tim Bond found that Red Bush contains a compound called aspalathin which in laboratory studies, has been shown to reduce fat, increase fat metabolism and block fat cell formation," explains Dr. Emma Derbyshire, a nutritionist from the Tea Advisory Panel. "The same new research also found antioxidant and anti-inflammatory benefits from drinking red bush tea as well as immune function and blood glucose benefits. As a result, Red Bush tea is not only good for weight loss needs but also for our general health and wellness."

2. Boost fat burning with CurraNZ

Another day, another exciting superfood supplement to add to your diet. Cue—CurraNZ, a blackcurrant supplement that could help you burn more belly fat.

"Research has found that New Zealand blackcurrant supplement, CurraNZ can boost fat burning during exercise, with some data suggesting it can increase the base rate of fat burning at rest, too," explains sports nutritionist Kate Shilland.

The research also found the supplement to be more effective in those who had a higher BMI, and overall found participants increased fat burning by 17%-21% while brisk walking for 30 minutes over the course of the 14 days they took the supplement.

3. Cut down on starchy carbs

While carbs play an important role in providing your body with enough energy and the ability to store energy, too many starchy carbohydrates can make getting rid of belly fat much harder.

"Belly fat is the most stubborn of areas, hormones play a part but so does your intake of starchy carbohydrates like bread, rice, pasta and potatoes, or starchy foods like pizza," says Kay Illingworth, creator of The Diet Plate (the very first portion control plate). "To lose belly fat, starchy carbohydrates need to be limited to a small portion around 90 - 125 grams a day as shown on the Diet Plate section."

You shouldn't eliminate starchy carbs from your diet altogether in a bid to lose weight, but by being more mindful of the food you're eating and its nutritional value you can still eat well and lose weight.

And, that doesn't mean you can't enjoy a bowl of your favourite pasta, you just have to embrace the mantra of everything in moderation!

4. Add avocados to your diet

Creamy and filling, there are so many reasons to love the humble avocado and they are one of the best superfoods for weight loss. And now we've just learned that munching on it could get us one step closer to toned-up abs—yes really!

"While some foods can be beneficial for weight loss in general, avocados are particularly beneficial in shifting belly fat," says David Wiener, Training Specialist at AI-based fitness and lifestyle coaching app Freeletics. "Avocados contain high levels of monosaturated fat which can help to slow the release of sugars into the bloodstream, helping to reduce blood sugar levels, which in turn helps the body to break down fat. Research shows that foods which decrease the blood sugar level force the body to burn fat in order to release energy."

5. Ditch the booze

You might not realize it, but a night out with lots of alcoholic drinks could be seriously impacting your plans to lose belly fat.

"Alcoholic drinks are often referred to as empty calories. This means they provide your body with a lot of calories but contain very little nutrients," says nutritionist and author Christine Bailey. "Additionally when alcohol is consumed, it’s burned first as a fuel source before your body uses anything else. This includes glucose from carbohydrates or lipids from fats. The result? Excess glucose and lipids end up as fat on the body particularly around the tummy." In fact, in a study of more than 2,000 people, frequent alcohol consumption was associated with more belly fat.

Instead of indulging in alcohol every time you go out, why not try going alcohol-free during your belly fat diet and swap your usual tipple for an alcohol-free plant-based liquor and mixer? Or serve sparkling water mixed with elderflower cordial in a glass flute for that 'prosecco effect'?

6. Introduce targeted exercise

While reassessing your diet is important when it comes to how to lose weight, regular exercise and daily movement are key for weight loss. Whether you take a gym class, start running from couch to 5k or challenge yourself with at-home workouts, introducing targeted exercise into your routine will help you lose belly fat.

Strength training for women is as important for fat loss as cardio-based workouts. The best bodyweight exercises or resistance band workouts can help you tone up and lose belly fat from the comfort of your own home.

Naturopathic Nutritional Therapist & E-RYT Yoga/Barre Instructor Kristina Carman suggests leg raises as one of the best exercises to lose belly fat.

Lay on your back with your palms placed below your hips

Raise your legs to a 90 degree angle

Slowly lower your legs toward the floor then pull them back up to center (try not to drop them down, aiming for about a 45 degree angle)

Repeat 10-15 times for 3 rounds

For those who enjoy a cardio workout, Maximuscle ambassador and personal trainer, Dan Lambert, suggests embracing exercise acronyms to win your battle with belly fat.

"EMOM stands for ‘every minute on the minute’ and is a brilliant tool for installing accountability into your home workouts," he explains.

"Perform a set of reps of an exercise as fast as you can, every minute, on the minute (some people choose larger sets or multiple exercises and go every 2-3 minutes). Your rest is the remaining time before the next beep, so it pays to work quickly!"

On a 20-minute running clock complete the following on the minute every minute:

5 x push ups

5 x mountain climbers (on each side)

5 x burpees

5 x reverse lunges (each leg)

white alarm clock on bed

7. Get your cortisol under control

"If we're talking about losing belly fat, then we need to talk about cortisol, as it is one of the most mismanaged aspects of our body through modern diets and lifestyle," says personal trainer James Griffiths.

"Cortisol plays a big part in our blood sugar by elevating the levels in order for us to deal with stressful situations. But what goes up, must come down, so if our blood sugar goes up via cortisol, eventually it’s going to back down and this yo-yo effect makes us crave sweet foods."

To take back charge of your cortisol levels, you can:

Eat every three hours to help maintain your blood sugar

Establish good sleep hygiene and get your 8 eight hours a night. Hours before midnight are more valuable than those after, so a 10.30 pm bedtime is ideal with a bedtime routine full of relaxing activities such as a warm bath or sleep-guided meditations.

Eat a high-GI (Glycaemic Index) carb, such as a banana, within 15 minutes of a workout

THE CHEAT'S GUIDE

Here's everything you need to know about the procedure that's popular with celebrities such as Gemma Collins and Khloe Kardashian.

Cryolipolysis aka Fat freezing, or cryogenic lipolysis has become one of the most popular methods of fat reduction as it benefits from being non-surgical, non-invasive and allows individuals to resume everyday activities immediately after treatment.

Studies have shown fat freezing can reduce fat cells by up to 40% in a single treatment. Therefore, the number of sessions required is contingent upon one’s aims.

Cryolipolysis has several benefits:

- Non-surgical / non-invasive procedure which also means no anaesthetic is required.

- No recovery time, which means everyday activities can be resumed immediately.

There is no damage to healthy tissue or skin cells.

Prior to the treatment, an Anti-Freeze Membrane is placed on the target area. This stops the skin from coming into direct contact with the applicator, preventing any burns.

A) Yes. Once the treated fat cells are crystallised (frozen), they die and are naturally eliminated from the body. They are then gone for good. But as with liposuction, fat can come back if you don't maintain a healthy lifestyle afterwards.

Q) When will I see the fat freeze results?

A) You may to start to see small changed as early as 3 weeks after your treatment, you will see the most dramatic results after 8-12 weeks. However, it is really important to drink at least two litres of water per day to flush the cells out. Making good nutrition and exercise choices are advised.

Q) How much fat can I lose with fat freezing?

A) On average, you can expect up to 40% of fat reduction in the treated area (remember it is neither possible or desirable to eliminate 100% of fat cells). You must maintain a healthy lifestyle afterwards or the results will be poor. Q) Is there any surgery involved with fat freezing? A) No, this is a "walk in and walk out" treatment, that helps shape your body with visible long lasting results. It is completely non-invasive. No downtime, no surgery, no needles. You can return to your normal regime immediately afterwards. Q) Does fat freezing hurt? A) No, it feels abit strange as suction is applied to the area. However, within a few minutes you will be numb. Even though the machine freezes the area, most people don't find it cold. Although the area is cold to touch afterwards. Q) During fat freezing, how many times can you have the same area treatment? A) You can have the same area treated 3 times in one year. It will depend on how much fat there is in the area and the result you want. You will need to wait at least 12 weeks in between sessions for repeated areas. Q) How long does the fat freezing treatment take? A) Each area has a freezing concentration time of 45 minutes to 1 hour. You can treat 2 areas at the same time. Q) What is considered as one area for fat freezing? A) A specific region of the body. For example, love handles are classed as 2 areas as two applicators need to be applied. That's the same for thighs, buttocks, arms etc, if there's two areas, two handles are needed.

ALSO AVAILABLE IN THE CHEATS GUIDE

Aqualyx Lipotherapy

Aqualyx Lipotherapy is a non-surgical alternative to liposuction and can be used in conjunction with cryotherapy. Intra-lipotherapy is a fat dissolving therapy using sodium deoxychloate solution. The fat dissolver is injected under the skin into the subcutaneous fat layer and is combined with a local anaesthetic (Lidocaine 2%). This fat removal treatment reduces stubborn fat deposits in those difficult areas such as the stomach, outer and inner thighs, and even the chin area.

It works by sticking to fatty deposits and breaking them down over a period of time. The fat is then naturally dissolved and flushed out by the body through your lymphatic system.

Results are effective, quick, and minimally invasive.

Aqualyx Fat Dissolving Injections can be used to treat almost all small deposits of fat, but the most popular treatment areas include the…

• chin

• stomach

• thighs

• arms

Despite a healthy diet and lifestyle, you may still have hard-to-budge fat under your chin and stomach. Aqualyx double-chin reduction treatment is a non-invasive alternative to liposuction. Stubborn fat melts away and skin is tightened under the chin and around the jowls for a more streamlined look.

The results can take up to 6 weeks to appear. Once the fat has gone it doesn't come back. The cells have been dissolved and have exited the body through the lymphatic system.

AT NU-U LASER AND AESTHETICS - Hebden Bridge WE OFFER BOTH TREATMENTS.

IN JUNE AND JULY ONLY WE ARE OFFERING HALF PRICE FAT FREEZING AT JUST £150.00 PER SESSION!!!

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