Almost every trainer or nutritionist will tell you that Belly-Fat is the hardest fat to lose.  It’s usually the first to come on, and the last to leave.  But what causes it?

The simple and scientific answer is prolonged stress.  Today everyone is stressed.  Stress experts estimate that today we experience 100 times the stress that our grandfathers experienced.  And this stress, if not dealt with properly, will make you fat.

Cortisol is the stress hormone, and if it accumulates in the body, we lose muscle mass, rob ourselves of other much needed hormones (like testosterone), and deposit more fat into the area around the belly-button.  What sort of stresses you ask?  Anything.  It can be nutritional stress, like being low in magnesium, eating too much sugar, or skipping breakfast.  It can be emotional or environmental stress, like the fight you had with your spouse, or that guy who cut you off in traffic.  Lack of sleep, bad sleep, bad food, no food, your spouse, your lack of a spouse, your job, anything can be a stress!

So how can anyone hope to deal with this stress and finally lose that stubborn belly fat?

For just about everyone I work with, it comes down to just a few things that have gotten out of hand.  Sleep is the most common stressor that people aren’t dealing with properly.  They get to sleep to late, wake up in a hurry, skip breakfast, don’t exercise.  I’m sure you can see how all of that will pile up over a few days, weeks or months.  Before you know it you’re 5 years older and 50 lb heavier.

So how do you help people lose their gut?

If someone’s body-fat tells me that they are a cortisol-profile, then I look for the stressors in their life that are having the biggest impact.  The first thing I will do is get their energy back.  Everyone with this profile has screwed up energy patterns: they’re sluggish in the morning or afternoon (often both), can’t get to sleep, don’t sleep well, etc.  Priority #1 is getting people functional again.  Then I work with the client to remove what stressors we can from their life.  And finally we work with a customized nutrition and supplement protocol to replenish the body, and eliminate the excess cortisol.

The end result is that within a few weeks, my clients feel alive again, sleep like a baby, and actually finally start to lose their belly fat, FAST!

Why is this important?

Fat around the midsection has long been associated with increased risk of heart disease and diabetes.  Also, if your energy hasn’t tanked yet, it will.  Additionally for ladies, if your adrenals are exhausted already, then when you hit menopause you’re going to have a very difficult and unpleasant time. Low adrenals also contribute to thyroid conditions, and steal your sex hormones (like testosterone) and with it your sex drive!

What can I do now?

Start by getting as much sleep as you can without getting divorced or fired.  Aim for 9 hours per night.  Then start eating regularly.  If you need to, use the ding ding-eat method: set an alarm, and eat something (good) whenever it goes off, no matter what.  Throw in some walking and regular exercise and you should make some decent progress.

Where can I get more information?

If you’re in the Fresno area then you can contact me at 559-940-0219, aaron@synergy-pt.com or click this link to set up your free consultation: http://my.timedriver.com/KBJ62

If you aren’t in the area then you can find a Biosignature practitioner in your area here: http://www.charlespoliquin.com/TrainerDirectory/FindaCoach.aspx