You’ve swapped hitting the snooze button in favour of a lap around the park
(OK, not every morning!), ditched the lunchtime greasy spoon for a salad and
soup, and these days you’re all about Diet Coke instead of full-fat
Frappuccino. So why does every treat still make a beeline for your bum? New
research* shows that these ‘healthy’ lifestyle choices could actually be
dictating where stubborn fat heads. “Factors like what you drink, stress and
lack of sleep can all control where one too many biscuits end up settling.
This is because certain lifestyle factors can affect your metabolic rate and
how effectively your body breaks down and burns fat,” explains Marilyn
Glenville, nutritionist and author of Fat Around The Middle (Kyle Cathie,
£9.99). Take our quiz to discover where your fat magnet is and how to repel
it
Note down the answers that apply to you:
1: When you hit the gym, you:
- Do 30
minutes on a bike while catching up on Corrie
- Push
yourself to the limit with your personal trainer
- Gym?
You’ll be burning enough energy on the dance floor this weekend, ta
2: You’ve missed the bus and are already late for work, so you:
- Phone the
office while running for the train – if you hurry you might make it
- Buy
yourself a big Diet Coke and then start strutting there
- Grab a
latte while you’re waiting for the next bus
3: What’s your favourite naughty treat?
- A tipple
after work to unwind
- Red Bull
to boost your partying stamina
- A coffee
and a cigarette
4: The day after a heavy night out, you’re most likely to:
- Eat
through the pain – you need to replace all those lost salts and sugars,
right?
- Soothe
your pounding head with a Pinot over a post-mortem lunch
- Spend the
day fretting about who saw you giving it your best Gaga
5: Given the choice, you’d rather:
- Treat
yourself to a vigorous massage
- Head for a
run around the park
- Do a
Pilates class
Note down the following statements that most apply to you:
- Stress is
my middle name
- I burn off
blow-outs with a 30-minute panic workout
- Mornings
are when I’m at my best
- When I’ve
had a bad day, I dive into the Dairy Milk
- I’m lucky,
I’ve always been slim
- I’m on the
Pill
- I’m a real
night owl; evenings are my me-time
- I
counterbalance my booze intake with fizzy drinks
- I tend to
snack on fruit rather than nuts
Mostly Blue:
It’s heading to: Your muffin top
You’re a push-yourself-to-the-limit girl who works hard, eats healthily, runs
(for fun!) and crunches like a demon. But unless you swap your strung-out
lifestyle for some R&R, you won’t shift that muffin top. “Stressed women
are prone to tummy fat because they constantly produce the ‘fight or flight’
hormone cortisol,” says Marilyn. “It tells your body you need energy, and
when it isn’t burned off it’s redeposited as abdominal fat.”
Send fat packing: “The latest craze in America is the ‘meaning to
pause’ bracelet,” says Dr Neil Shah of the Stress Management Society
(Stress.org.uk). “It buzzes every 90 minutes to tell you to take a break.
Alternatively, set your mobile to vibrate at regular intervals. It really
works.” says Neil. To tone that tum, personal trainer Matt Roberts suggests
exercises that get your waist twisting and turning. “Tennis or squash gets
the circulation around your abs going,” he says.
Mostly Red:
It’s heading to: Your hips
You have vices, but make up for them by exercising. ¿So why do you have to
keep asking: “Does my bum look big in this?” “Exercises many women do to
burn hip fat – like squats and cycling – just build up muscles, making them
look bigger,” says Matt. Sugar, caffeine and nicotine create toxins that
lead to cellulite, while the oestrogen in the Pill helps create the hated
pear shape.
Send fat packing: You may think you’re being good by cutting back on
fat, but some healthy fats help shift the pounds. “Omega 3-rich nuts, seeds
and oily fish can have a positive effect on how you metabolise fat,” says
Marilyn. And Matt suggests swapping the gym for the pool. “Swimming’s ideal
for pears, as arms do most of the work, helping to even out your shape.”
Mostly Green:
It’s heading to: Where you can’t see it
You have a busier social diary than Paris Hilton, and all that gadding about
keeps you trim and toned. But late nights and snatched snacks may make you
store fat. US research* shows a lack of sleep can cause ‘invisible’ fat to
collect around your organs. If you think you’re being good having nights off
the sauce, a study* shows that fizzy drinks are almost as bad as booze for
building fat on the liver, which is linked to diabetes, heart disease and
even cancer.
Send fat packing: Don’t make up for a lack of sleep with lie-ins –
research shows sleeping for nine hours or more plays havoc with your
metabolism. It’s best to nod off as soon as you hit the sack, so try the
Lightsleeper (£125, Lightsleeper.co.uk). This mini projector creates a
hypnotic light that will have you out like a light in minutes. And if you
crave fizzy drinks, “mix apple juice with sparkling water. It’s less
sugary,” suggests Marilyn.
PHOTOGRAPHY: GETTY IMAGES *SOURCES: WAKE
FOREST UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF MEDICINE, WORLD JOURNAL OF GASTROENTEROLOGY,
MOUNT SINAI SCHOOL OF MEDICINE, NEW YORK VISIT MEANINGTOPAUSE.COM
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