Monday 30 April 2012

“How can I lose weight from my lower body?”

 
It seems this is a very common question among women. There are many pear shaped beauties such as Jennifer Lopez, Alicia Keys to name a couple who still maintain a gorgeous shape.
I have good news and bad news! It is more difficult for pear shaped women to lose weight from their lower bodies but the good news is with the right diet and exercise it can be done! (Just look at Jennifer Lopez)
The key is to not just focus on making your lower half smaller but also to tone the upper body in order to become more balanced and in proportion.

By following a sensible eating plan, cutting calories and starting a new exercise program you can lose weight all over including the lower half for those who have the pear shaped body. This means avoiding high fat foods, especially those with saturated or trans fats. Eat lean proteins with every meal and include lots of fresh fruit and vegetables.

Keep a food diary, it is amazing how much we actually eat during the day that we don’t notice or include. This makes you accountable for what fuel goes in!

In order to lose weight from the pear shaped body it is going to take some hard work! You need to exercise for a period of 60 minutes a day in order to burn the calories you need to get visible results. 30 minutes a day will not burn enough calories for slimming the lower body area.

The best form of exercise for pears is cardio sessions and high intensity interval training. That fast, high intensity burst of exercise gets the heart pumping and the calories moving. Treadmills and exercise bikes are good for this. Also putting the treadmill on an incline while you are doing this makes a big difference. If you don’t have equipment at your fingertips you can get out in the fresh air and use walking and running intervals and the natural inclines to do the same thing! There are no excuses!

Strength training is the next step. It works well if you start your sessions with the strength training and then follow with the cardio. Pear shaped women often spend all their time working on the lower half of their body to whittle down that problem area but don’t be tricked into this. It is important to work on your upper body in order to balance out your shape and proportions. So don’t forget those arms and abs. It is just as important to focus on these areas to increase your lean muscle mass.

Lunges work out your hips, thighs and calves while leg lifts focus more on your hips and buttocks. Make sure you enjoy whatever it is you choose to do as it will mean you will stick to it! Mix it up a bit and try different routines. Have a look at the Pilates Butt Burner session and Total Body Workout ion eFit30.

Last but not least, love what nature gave you! Pears are beautiful, you will always have those womanly curves but with some effort you will have the body you want.